[Bruckner]

Looking to connect with Americans who are already there or are looking to emigrate. Love the diversity of this forum but want to get specific advice moving about there from the US and what to expect when we get there.

[clg]

Welcome!

Still in the US but we are moving out in August. We have been talking about this for almost two years and applied for residency last September. I have a job lined up and we are looking forward to giving it a go!

Let me know if you have any specific questions. There are a few other Americans around that I am sure will chime in.

Chris

[Bruckner]

Hi Chris,

My husband is from Oceanside originally. When we visit his family the first thing we do is have a fish taco from Rubio's.

He had a phone interview with a headhunter who felt he had a very good chance of getting a job at one of the investment banks in Auckland (he is currently with an IB). We have four month old twins, boy and girl, and a 12 year old mutt who is a shadow of his former self since the kids were born.

Any hints/suggestions for processing the ITA assuming we do get one? I think I have the medicals covered but wonder about the police checks, diploma checks, etc. TIA.

Emily

[clg]

Emily,

I will miss Rubio's and Mexican food in general that is on my I hate to give it up list.

The whole process is farily straightforward. Just lots of paperwork and waiting to get things back. With a job offer everything seems to go a bit faster. The longest part will probably be waiting to hear back on the police check from the FBI. I would submit that now if you have not already, they are good for 6 months. If you have degrees from legit colleges you should not have any problem we just submitted official transcripts.

Taking over a pet is a pain. We are bringing a cat and a two year old. The two year old will be cake! It takes 6 months prep time to import the animal and they still go into quarantine for 30 days once they arrive. I hope you have that ball rolling!

Is this a matter of you want to go to NZ and are looking for a job or the job option came up first? I know there seem to be a lot of finance opportunities in NZ so you should do well there. I can imagine that it will be a fairly different environment than NYC but hopefully that is a good thing!

Good luck!

Chris

[jess]

Bruckner - welcome to the forum! There are a few Americans lurking about here as clg said. A few are already in NZ. If you haven't seen it already you might enjoy reading Rick Adams articles about his move from the US to NZ (http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/69/Living_In_New_Zealand.html).

Jessica

[sweetpea]

Bruckner,

Welcome! Please feel free to ask any US-specific questions you have. The Search function is also great -- you'll find information about shipping containers, exporting pets, arranging medicals, etc.

I for one am going to miss burritos and Trader Joes!

Laura

[tigerlily]

I found this site
http://www.movingtonz.com/NZImpressions.htm
had some interesting impressions from a young couple (no kids) who moved to Dunedin on a work visa and then came back to the US again. I thought that they were very helpful in talking about some of the differences in culture, expense, housing, etc. Don't worry about their complaints about the cold, Dunedin is a world away on weather, from Auckland.

PS. I have 2 year old twin boys. How in the world are you getting enough sleep to even think about this!?! No seriously, we are still in the states but hope to make the move when DH finishes grad school.

[Raeven]

Hi, Bruckner,

My husband (Kiwi) and I ALMOST moved to NZ... got substantially through the process before being waylaid by unfavorable currency exchange rates and a few other things. Although we didn't make it all the way through, we know something about the process and the place -- happy to help if you care for the input!

I also agree that reading about Rich Adams' experiences will be enormously helpful to you.

All the best, and please don't be shy about asking for help!

Rae

[Bern]

Hi Bruckner,

We are still in the States and hope to have our PR by September. If our status changes from Selected to Successful soon, we plan on making a job hunting trip in July/August.

We can't really contribute much to your original question, yet - but we'd really like to hear from other Americans that have made the move too.

Have you submitted your EOI yet?

BTW - Rich's posts made me think we could really do this...

Bern

[Bruckner]

Is this a matter of you want to go to NZ and are looking for a job or the job option came up first? I know there seem to be a lot of finance opportunities in NZ so you should do well there. I can imagine that it will be a fairly different environment than NYC but hopefully that is a good thing!

Good luck!

Chris

Chris,

We're looking to get PR and then my husband will look for a job although he has touched base with a few headhunters there and even did a phone interview with one.

No doubt it'll be different from NYC but that's what we're looking for. Don't get me wrong. I love my city but it's time.

[Bruckner]

Bruckner - welcome to the forum! There are a few Americans lurking about here as clg said. A few are already in NZ. If you haven't seen it already you might enjoy reading Rick Adams articles about his move from the US to NZ (http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/69/Living_In_New_Zealand.html).

Jessica

Thanks for the link Jessica. I enjoyed reading his about his exploits and was even a bit jealous. We're heading to Auckland. What are your plans?

[Bruckner]

PS. I have 2 year old twin boys. How in the world are you getting enough sleep to even think about this!?! No seriously, we are still in the states but hope to make the move when DH finishes grad school.

Sleep? What is this you speak of?

Seriously, it's been crazy but DH is incredibly supportive and helpful. And it's actually because of the twins that we're doing this. Two adults, two infants and a dog sharing a 550 sq ft one bedroom apartment is just not a long term plan for us although there are those here that are willing to do it.

When are you looking to make the move?

[Bruckner]

Have you submitted your EOI yet?

BTW - Rich's posts made me think we could really do this...

Bern

We've submitted our EOI and were selected on April 13th but have heard nothing since. We have our fingers crossed and are hoping for good news. I saw on a different thread that you're still waiting for your ITA. Please post when you get it! And good luck!

Emily

[Bruckner]

Thanks to Sweetpea and Raeven. Once we get that ITA I'm sure I'll be picking everyone's brain!

Emily

[clg]

I can say the whole process is very exciting lots of ups and downs. We completly committed about a month ago when we gave notice and put our house up for sale. Now we are just itching to get over there. Our house in escrow, our tickets are booked, visas in the passports, and we arrive in Wellington August 20th. I start week a little over a week later.

With regard to doing it for the kids, a very common theme. It really does change your perspective on things. We could stay in LA and be better of financialy but it seems like we are always scrambling to get out the door only so we can sit in traffic. My wife is really looking forward to not working for a while and I am looking forward to things being less hectic! We will also be able to get away with one car. I used to love cars and I will really miss mine but about half the time I drive it I am sitting in traffic, not quite the wide open road shots they always show in commercials!

Chris

[Going2NZ]

Bruckner-

My husband had the idea to move to NZ in January and we got our PR stamps last month so we are definitely committed to moving. Glad to offer any advice you're looking for. We're going to make a better life for ourselves, explore the world a bit more and a whole list of reasons. Plus, it turns out that creative types like me are in short supply.

Can't help you with the kids part though, our kids are the furry kind ;) . But I am slogging through the challenging process of getting our dogs over with us.

Good luck and ask questions! This is a great place to find the answers.

Susan

[MB]

Bruckner,

Hello!

This forum is a great resource.

We applied from here in the US in October. Our timeline is at the foot of this message. We leave for Auckland in the second week of July (I've just come back from a week's visit there and Auckland is somewhat like Seattle in its landscape and city structure). Our house-sale money was deposited in the account today and we are doing lots of final sorting and throwing-out of stuff.

In any given fortnightly drawing, the number of US EOIs is usually only about 35-38 or so. I know that number is up a bit in the last year or so, but that is still only one EOI for every major US city/market... if you take that silly bit of 'snapshot' statisitics only in the spirit that I intend!

Maybe a little like Susan's creative-types-wanted experience, we got PR as my wife is a ballet and dance educator which is an acceptable skill and a creative field. However, interestingly, we didn't get any actual points for this Future-Growth status... but the combo of its being Creative and teaching is probably good (especially as she has an MA in dance and years of experience). Also, in terms of PR processing, dance teachers being private teachers entailed no professional-registration matters and the consequent effect on the type of visa that NZIS was able to issue to us at this stage.

By the by, in case we meet other forum folks soon or trade messages with US folks, I should mention again -- 'cos it caused a little confusion at the Auckland meet -- that I am a US citizen but I have a British accent as I was born there and lived there for all but the last 9 years.
My wife was born in the US, as was our little boy.

All the best! For help with ITA things put in likely keywords re. any given specific topic in the search box, as a good number of US-related threads and posts will come up re. police checks (start them early!); how to book a medical if your doctor's office is leery; etc.

[JohnM]

Just thought I'd chime in here. I don't post much but read this forum all the time. I'm from Michigan and I'm dying to move to NZ, having a sister who lives in Tasmania OZ it would be nice to be closer to her. I'm in IT and real estate, so I don't think I'll have a problem getting a job in NZ, the problem is selling off my investment properties. I have three more houses to sell, two rentals and my home, just sold one property last week the day before my birthday (yay!), which pulled me out of financial trouble (all houses are empty except my home of course). Until these sell I can't really do anything to start the ball rolling, so I'm just waiting and can sympathise with everyone on here about house sale worries. I'm hoping to visit NZ again in Sept. to look for jobs, places to live. I'm concentrating on Tauranga, Napier, or Nelson. I'm single, no kids, so it will be easy for me to pull up stakes and go, but it's going to take time, patience is not one of my virtues though!---so it's tough, but I'm taking it a day at a time.

John

[selchie]

We're still collecting documentation for the AFR, so we don't have much information yet to offer. We're hoping to go next spring. I will be happy to share any info I gather.

[jen]

hi everyone-

I read the forum daily, but don't post very often.

My fiancee & I are through the ITA process/interview & have our application being held until we can complete a one-year period where we have enough of a paper trail to prove we're really in our relationship (I feel like I'm stuck in that 'green card' movie!) We'll know if we will be granted PR in October. If that works out, he'll probably go on a trip in Nov. to check out the Wellington employment possibilities & we'd try to move us and our two dogs early next year. He's in IT in a field that's on the shortage lists & so we're pretty hopeful.

We went on a wonderful 2-week NZ vacation last year. I liked the country & culture, especially what to me seemed like a less work-driven, less materialistic society, and we loved wellington for the beautiful location combined with the arts scene.

What's prompting us to move is quite a few things (I'll stay out of political discussion!), but in most part a desire to try someplace new & to sell out of our current high cost of living location. We're in Santa Barbara which is very beautiful but an area which is getting more crowded every year, and the cost of housing here is unbelievable.

I'm glad to see other people who'll miss Trader Joe's and mexican food! I'm a caffeine addict and I'm not sure if I can survive the TJ's French Roast withdrawal, not to mention life without a cheap, tasty taqueria on almost every street :laugh

[catjlin]

Hello Bruckner and everyone. We moved down to Sumner 2 weeks ago from Colorado. Big change adjusting to the weather here, much more damp than we're used to. Brought our two big dogs with us (2 more weeks in quarantine before their big day at the beach!). Just starting to set up house and what not. Don't have our pr yet, we're told it could still be a while. Nevertheless, love it so far and happy to answer any questions that I can.
Cat

[alihow]

I've just made my way through the rest of this thread. It is so interesting to read the diff't reasons/circumstances that are bringing everyone to NZ. As for us, its also many reasonns, but the most basic is this- my wife (Allie) has been away from home for over 10 years now (8 in the U.S. and 3+ in London prior to that) We have a 2 year old daughter (Bailey) and not only do we want a better life for her (common theme), but we want my wifes family to be able to share in this time with us. I have all the same fears as everyone else- leaving my family, finding a successful job- and most importantly, will I be able to watch the Yankees :laugh .
But when all my friends ask me "how can you leave the US", I quickly respond "How can I not?" Not counting the fact that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, it is my wifes home and her patience is wearing thin. So in any case, I look forward to talking to all of you and sharing our experiences along the process. We are very early in the process so cannot offer to much advice there, but what we can help with is knowledge about the Auckland area- Allie grew up there and I have been there every year for the past 7! Take care, Howard

[Bruckner]

Don't have our pr yet, we're told it could still be a while. Nevertheless, love it so far and happy to answer any questions that I can.
Cat

Hi Cat,

Are you there on a tourist visa? Work visa?

Emily

[clg]

It seems like there is a bit of an increase in the number of Americans here lately, I bet there will be more come October when they do the Expo NZ in San Francisco.

If we can get enough Americans into Wellington maybe we can find one that will open up a good Mexican place...

mmmm Mexican food

[selchie]

Jen, we also loved Wellington for its lively arts scene. ...Most Mexican joints we saw in NZ had dismal little photos of enchiladas and tacos in the window - not enticing! Perhaps if enough of us land in the same area, I can make a big batch of enchiladas and margaritas. My OH has been trying her hand at making enchilada sauce, so we won't be dependent upon canned. I'll just have to get a good chile patch going in the garden over there.

Re Santa Barbara: I did some growing up in Goleta (1963-69), and even then was dismayed seeing the lovely orchards razed for more housing. I've only been back once as an adult, and tried not to look too closely at the changes since then. So sad, because I loved that area. I've been fleeing rampant growth in CA ever since. On the upside, NZ's projected population in 2051 is only 5 million. Sure it's a 25% increase from 2001, but peanuts when compared to CAs 30+million today.

[Brian]

Hi all,
I'm planning to move to Wellington from San Francisco in January. I'll be going as a student so hopefully the visa process will be a little easier and once I'm done I hope to stick around. Anyone know if they would give me points for work experience gained BEFORE getting a degree? 7 years experience in software plus a CS degree should be good for something even though they're in the wrong order, right?

I will truly miss the burritos here, but it should be worth it. The transition to Kebabs and fish n chips should be relatively painless.

[catjlin]

Bruckner,
We are technically here on a tourist visa at the moment. But I have a job offer so getting everything through will (fingers crossed) go smoothly.
onto other things . . .
mmmm Mexican food! I just found hot peppers today at the Funky pumpkin, what a treat! NZ does not appreciate spicy food. How funny that there are so many of us former Californianites here. I saw an article this spring that said the NZ government was actively recruiting immigrants from CA as they thought our lifestyle and theirs were a good match. Guess they didn't take our love of burritos into consideration ;)

Cat

[leosus]

Boy am I glad to find this!! I have made the decision, and it seems am farther behind than most, but I will be there soon enough! I am trapped in the midwest for now, but I am Northland bound in early 2006.

I have a great life here, lots of family and friends, exellent job (I own my own business), and most people couldn't ask for more. Still it is not enough. I made the mistake of taking a 3 week trip around NZ in January/ Feburary of 2004, and well -everything has changed since then.

The day my life took a change was when my friend and I pulled the car over outside of Timaru to take a gorgeous picure in the lovely Canterbury. I got the car stuck in a big mudhole and couldn't get it out on my own. Within 5 minutes of being stranded, 3 people stopped to help. We were in the middle of nowhere, really, and almost every single person who passd us stopped to see if we needed help. This would NEVER have happened anywhere I know of in the USA.

That day made me realise (notice the spelling :P ) there was more to life than what I was doing. I had no idea a life like that existed. I know this sounds cheesy, but I cried for like an hour after that, I was so overwhelmed by the scenery, and the innate Kiwi kindness. I haven't been able to shake that feeling since, and I have decided to stop trying to forget.

Of course there were several other things I liked about NZ quite a a lot too, but this day is what turned my life in a different direction. I am in the process of selling my business, and microchipping my pets (long way to go) so I look forward to being a part of this forum.

My current issues are I need more info on: hairdressing/ hairdressers in NZ, where to land in the Northland, and I wanted to know if anyone else hired a consultant? After reading some negative stuff on here about them I am second guessing myself for doing it. I am just afraid since I will be a little low on points I neede all the help I could get. Any thoughts?

Your new soon to be expat friend, Susan from Kansas City. :cheers

[Marie P]

Welcome Susan ,

Best wishes for your future .


Marie x

[toesonthenose]

I'm still in the US and still lurking on this board. No definite plans for NZ yet, but keeping my ears open. For me and my family, our move would be almost entirely politically motivated. My wife and I both work at our local medical school and the federal funding for education grants is drying up, and the Marine military base literally 200 yards away has shown me the death and injury from Iraq and Afghanistan (add Iran to this list soon!), and I don't want to see my sons get impacted the way I see the soldiers and their families around here.
And praying for the US$ to bounce back, now under 1.40NZ$!
Leosus, I lived in KC for 6 years 85-91. Nice town, but I only miss the Chiefs and Gates BBQ.
Shaun

[Bruckner]

Just checked the web site tonight and saw the good news. Now we're just waiting for the ITA. Great news after a long night of illegal fireworks until 2:30 a.m. Poor babies woke up crying more than once and the dog was a wreck. Where's Giuliani when you need him?

[alihow]

thats great news Emily! congrats. I'm afraid things have been so busy as of late, I have not even started my paperwork. This week for sure! lets try to talk again soon and hopefully get together
Howard

[Bruckner]

So our buzzer rings long and loud during nap time. I sprint to answer it thinking it's one the local delivery guys trying to get in and drop off some menus as this happens quite a bit. But lo and behold, it's the postal carrier with our ITA!

Excited but nervous! It's one thing to dream but entirely another to follow through.

[catjlin]

Yay! Congrats to you! :clap :clap :clap

[Carl and Liz]

Does anyone have any experience with the interview process for Skilled Migrants with no job offer? I just saw new information on the NZIS website that an interview is mandatory and seems to depend on when they come out here. Any ideas on when that might be?