[CuriousM]

Hi everyone, Bit of newbie and this is my first posting.

I stumbled across this site several weeks ago, whilst on one of my "covert" surfing of the net operations during office hours and found it to be full of good stuff! and from what i have read so far, friendly people!

We have been looking making the move to NZ for sometime now and have recently made our first positive steps.

My name is Mike (26), and looking make the move with my partner Donna, and our 7 month old daughter.
We are really motivated at this point, and would really appreciate ANY advice you may all have on what seems to be long drawn out process.

The house is currently on the market, and i am actively searching for employment. I have searched around and found a NZ company that offers "Job placement" services for immigrants, for a fee of course! Has anyone gone down this route??

I have to confess, i am a little nervous about such a big change, but i am convinced its right for the family! :eek

Best get going for now, some of that work stuff has turned up!

Mike

[Diny]

Hello Mike & Donna

First of all - welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll find the answer to almost any conceivable question you may have somewhere here.

Sorry I can't give you any advice regarding the work placement company as that's not the route I've gone down. However from what I've picked up from other members comments, I think the general opinion is to 'go it alone'. In other words, alot of the 'services' that these companies provide are just run of mill things that (if you have a few hours to spare) you can surf the net and find out for yourself. That's just my opinion though - please don't take it at read !!

I think the wisest thing you're doing is getting your house on the market right now. They seem to be taking forever to shift so the sooner you get it advertised the better - good luck on that one.

Where abouts are you? The reason I ask is because in a couple of weeks time (July 9th) we're having another meeting for the NW crew. This time we're having a picnic meeting at Tatton Park (not a million miles away from Manch airport if my memory serves me well) - weather permitting of course. If you're close by you should think about coming along too. They're not only a good way to 'chew the fat' with like minded people, they always turn out to be abit of a riot too - a damn good hoot. There's plenty of 'newbies' joining us this time so you won't stick out like a sore thumb at all :nice1

I'm by no means an expert on all things immigration but I'm welll known for my snippets of useless info. If I can help with anything at all, please feel free to PM me.

Good luck ..... and hold on tight - it's gonna be one hell of a ride.

Diny

[baboonworld]

I think the wisest thing you're doing is getting your house on the market right now. They seem to be taking forever to shift so the sooner you get it advertised the better - good luck on that one.


I think most of us will agree with this one!!

PR seems so easy in comparison to selling your house! And you'd think that you would have more control over the latter!

Welcome!!!!! :clap :raebanana

[Diny]

PR seems so easy in comparison to selling your house

OH AIN'T THAT A FACT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.R for us was a doddle - literally just had to sign a few dotted lines. Selling the house is a continuing nightmare.

Diny

[Marie P]

Welcome Mike and Donna ,

:nice1

Marie x

[jo b]

Mike and Donna

Welcome to the forum. I think you will over time pick up that many people have gone to NZ ona recce to look for a job. That is what me and hubby did. Sent off cv's 3-4 weeks before departure followed them all up with a phone call. Scheduled interviews and low and behold we got a job.
We applied for PR first which was granted about 3 days before we left so that helkped us a bit I think but I don't think it is a major draw back if your services are required and you would likely get pr or a work permit anyway.

I totally agree with Diny, you don't state what location you are but if you are in the UK selling houses at the mo is like trying to sell sand to an arab. (No offence any arabs friends on the foum it's just a figure of speech).

In my opinion if anyone has a bit of caommon about them you can do this on your own. The amount of info that is on this forum would be 10 x that of an ganecy I'll bet.

Anyway good luck and I look farward to reading your threads.

Jo

[CuriousM]

Hi All, Thanks for your responses! :0)

I suppose i was seduced by the prospect of 'off loading' some of the stress to a 3rd party.

I'll be honest, most of my job seeking has been internet based to date, and my initial thoughts were that this is a bit of a "catch 22" situation: I need a job offer to get Residence or a Work Permit, but in order to get a Work permit or Residence I need a Job Offer.

(i'll update my profile) but currently based in the Midlands, so not a million miles away from Manchester Airport. Must check the calender!!

Your absolutely right! Selling ice to an eskimo is proving easier than selling the house at the mo!!

Oh what to do???? Im all confused again. Thought i had it sussed but maybe i should be doing more myself instead of using this company and paying for it! ............as you can tell , I'm very impressionable!!...or am i just lazy wanting to get out there as quickly as possible, with the least amount of effort/stress on my part!

Thanks again.

Mike

[Diny]

Mike

Where abouts in West Mids are you?

We're in Staffordshire but literally spitting distance from the West Mids 'border'. We can get to Wolverhampton, Cannock, Stafford and Telford in 20 mins from our place (not all at the same time of course :roll: ).

If you want any info regarding the meeting on the 9th give us a yell. It takes us about 45 mins to get up to the pub where we usually meet - we get on the M6 at junction 12. I don't think Tatton Park is much further.

Diny

[CuriousM]

Hi Diny,

Based on the bottom bit, the West Mids/Worcestershire border, 10 mins up the road from Redditch! Thanks for the invite! I'll see what the "thumb" has to say about 9th!

Mike

[Smiler]

Hi Mike

Welcome aboard.

We would chose the going it alone way. Cheaper and someone else is not in control of your destiny.

From postings on here the house sales seem to be the very difficult bit. Whilst the rest can take time, it will give you something to do whilst waiting for buyers to pitch up!

I'm a newbie here too and everyone is so helpful. I'm still looking for the can of patience though.

Deborah

[Diny]

I'll see what the "thumb" has to say about 9th!


I presume you mean your Mrs?

My hubby refers to me as 'The War Dept'

Diny

[Hannah]

Welcome to the forum Mike, Donna and baby.
I have found this site invaluable, unfortunately not able to post much as i tend to visit it late at night before i go to bed and just have a quick catch up. I'm flying out to NZ with my hubby and 2 children on 1st Nov for a 6 month stay and see what happens.
Good luck - you will find you are made very welcome here and there's invaluable info from people living and working in NZ who really know what it's like. Particularly useful if you haven't visited before.
Keep posting!!!

[StevieD]

Welcome Mike, and thumb of course! You will find this forum informative, fun, sad, and most of all a place where you can find out almost anything because there are people who have seen it, done it, got the T shirt.

I have gone on the "go it alone route", it really isn't that difficult and I would recommend anyone to do it, and not go down the agency route because that is just throwing money away. Just do your EOI (expression of interest) online at the NZ immigration website. (I'm assuming you haven't got this far yet) You can do a test to see your points score to see if you are up to the mark. It isn't rocket science and it is cheaper if you apply online as well.

Regarding jobs, unless you are really fortunate, you will not get a job offered over the telephone. But if you are more like me, then you will get the line " if you had sold your house and had PR/work permit, we would have took you on". I not really looking for job too much until I get the approval for ITA and the house is on the market.

So good luck, look forward to reading your posts, and see you on the information superhighway, and hopefully Tatton Park on the 9th July *J19 on the M6 by the way!

Steve :cheers

[lindajax]

hello and welcome !
linda x

[CuriousM]

Ok! I have put the "outsourcing" of responsibility on hold for now, in an effort to be more proactive and involved with the nitty gritty! - though this may prove to be detrimental to our application!!!!!

I have taken the points test thingy and decided to submit my EOI online as suggested by StevieD! (thankyou) I have but one last point of concern before starting the online EOI and that is the Qualification Question and what qualifies as an acceptable "Basic Qualification"??

Unfortunately i dont have a Degree or masters, Only the Basic GCSE's, 2 NVQ's in Telecomms, and a Telecomms Modern Apprenticeship........Does anyone know if these would be accepted???? or is it best to send them all off to those NZIS people!?

Hi Diny, The thumb goes by many names and is constantly changing and evolving, why only yesterday she was promoted to the dizzy heights of "SWEETUMS", though she failed to maintain this title for too long!!

Mike

[sarahw]

Hi Guys,

Just catching up on the posts from this week - firstly welcome to the forum!!! We found this site invaluable in getting ourselves over here to live - have been out here 6 months now & love it - best thing we ever did!

I'd very much recommend going it alone rather than wasting money on immigration agencies & work placement companies - believe me - you'll need that cash when you get here!

The other thing I'd like to back up what a lot of other people have said - recce trip is the best way to go - we did it & Ian got a job offer on his first interview - hey presto we were living here just 3 months later!!! (house took a while longer to shift but that's another story!).

Good luck with everything & keep us posted on how you get on.

[Hannah-NL]

Welcome the the forum Mike and Family

Can't speak about houses cause we are in Holland and our house might go quickly, actually I had the agent on the phone again for the third time asking me how things are... Just yesterday got reply from NZIS London it will take them another fortnight to get our ITA to us... :?

Anyway about getting an agency in to get you a job, I'd be very carefull, there's agencies and agencies and I know of one that charges you a fortune and then you have to pay monthly for a year after they find you a job... if that's the one you are looking at, don't do it, ok?

Anyway, have fun here with these lovely people, they are great helpers! :nice1