[T-R3xx]

We (myself, wife, 2 kids) are seriously considering selling our IT consulting business and moving the NZ. One train of thought was to sell the business, I go ahead on a Visa, find work, bring the family over, and THEN start the application process.

Is my logic flawed? I have not heard of anyone else doing it this way, so please let me know if I am missing something.

Thanks!!

Pearce

[kiwidollie]

I don't think you can get a Visa without a job offer. Not sure about Business Visa.

Some people have gone over just as a visitor, secured job over there and then applied for Visa. Seems do-able.

Good luck with everything. :nice1

[dave k]

Yeah...you can go on a visitor's visa, find work & get a 2 yr work visa, then apply for PR.
It actually makes much more sense to me to go this route for the simple reason that you might not want to live here permanently until you've tested the water.

[Moorf]

Yep, we came on Visitors Visa's and then looked for work, got jobs, got Visas and now have Residency.

Agree with DaveK - seems the most sensible route -- "try before you buy" :nice1

[jonSE]

I think you should do some more research first before you sell your livelihood in the US. Could you continue running the same business remotely ?

Now is perhaps not the best time to sell a business in the US and bring the money here - US dollar is weak and NZ dollar is strong.

Can't help on the WTR visa front - came a different route.

Jon

[marcia]

Check if your children are allowed to go to school - I've read somewhere that they won't be allowed to enrole at school without the 'appropriate' visa's!

[Lizelle]

We are from South Africa. Hubby came over, secured a job and got his workvisa. I came over (without a visa, can visit for up to 6 months without a visa - and you can apply online to extend it), and we submitted our EOI. If it weren't for the fact that we had trouble proving partnership (long story), our residency would've taken about 4 months or so from the time we submitted our EOI.

We now have residency, and all is well

[Lizelle]

Also, just a word of caution. Know what you are getting into. The grass is not greener on the other side. I know this is an old cliche, and I think it depends on where you live in NZ. We live in Auckland, because I have to study a degree that I can't in Christchurch, and hubby has work here. But, I absolutely LOATH Auckland.

We had very solid reasons for immigrating out of South Africa, and they all still stand - foremost the crime in the place, and that you get killed for the $1 in your pocket. We also did not want to raise children in South Africa, and we did not see the situation there improving in the next generation or so.

But we miss the standard of living we had there. This has more to do with how you live than what you can buy. I don't know if you read about the subdivision of propery here? It makes for houses 4 deep in a normal section, everything is squished in, and you live ontop of your neighbour.

It is a very hard thing to explain to someone, and like I say, I don't know if it is just Auckland (also the traffic here is ridiculous, most likely since everyone was stoned on pot when they planned the city - or because no-one planned when they built the city).

We are not sorry we immigrated, but it has more to do with the fact that we are financially more secure, and that our long term future outlook is much brighter. But, short term, we have definitely traded down

[Singel]

We came here on tourist visa, my hubby found a job 3 weeks after arrival and now we got our residency.

We live in Manurewa, my hubby works in Mt Wellington and I works in Onehunga. Our journey to work by car on the motorway is about 30 mins each way during the rush hour. We just LOVE it here. :nice1

The problems of housing and traffic depend very much on where your workplace is.

:cheers

[Moorf]

We don't fancy Auckland either, but then many on this forum don't fancy Christchurch either.

They're both v. different cities and it's unfortunate that you have to live there to get on the relevant course, but many people on this forum love Auckland.

Surely, when all is said and done, you've reached your goal of moving out of S.A. for whatever reason and can concentrate of moving out of Auckland at some point - but I don't think moaning about the place will make you any happier there - why not embrace it as an experience and plan your future move within NZ once you are free to do so :nice1

[Lizelle]

I know, it is just one of those 10 tough things in life.
When all is said and done, i'm glad we immigrated. I know it was a bit whiney, but what I wanted to get across was this:
We have been planning to immigrate for 10 years. We have saved and planned and everything. When I left SA, i promised i would never return, not even to visit, i would fly my family out here. Now, i can't wait to visit.

I know that the reasons we left are still valid, and i know we are much better off, but i suppose your experience here depends on what you are used to before you moved.
Auckland is just not my type of city, and I don't think time will change that. I really wish I liked it, and I don't want to offend anyone that does. I suppose it is just that the "soul" of the place is not right for me

But, such is life, and what does not kill you make you stronger, and we will definitely investigate the next place we move to much more, with a lot more requirements

[Moorf]

But, such is life, and what does not kill you make you stronger

That's m'girl! Truly hope you can settle and be happy for the duration of your study - and just think of how nice it will be to get out of the city and explore to find your ideal home.

Incidently - where would you ideally like to live in NZ? :smile

[Lizelle]

Palmerston North looks nice (uni wise), but ideally, Christchurch or Dunedin. The weather doesn't bother me that much, but I'd love to live in a flat place. I have to say that I know about as much of either of the two as I knew of Auckland before we got here, but from what the people around here say, it is much nicer there.

[T-R3xx]

Wow! Thanks for the great info! It's great to see a lot of folks from SA - most of my relatives on my Dad's side still live there (he was South African).

I like the 'try before you buy' idea - at least regarding where to settle down. Our reasons for moving are probably more emotionally-based than reason-based: We are 'adventure junkies' and NZ looks like a great place to live with a good quality of life. We are very much into outdoor activities and fitness, and really don't see the point in spending our lives in one place. We can always start another business, if so inclined. And the kids are still young enough to think it's fun (5,8). Right now we're thinking Chch or Wellington.

Some say "why?", we say "why not?"

This is a great forum - Thanks!!

:cheers

[Lizelle]

and the humidity of auckland will be nice to be rid of. Don't know if it is just me, but I'm used to no humidity at all (hence wanting to move to melbourne in aus, and not brisbane), so it is quite noticable for me

[Lizelle]

well, regardless of my moaning, it is a great place for outdoor living. Not having snakes and spiders to worry about is a good plus too. :clap :clap We are planning to go "zorbing" the next time we are in Rotorua (don't know if i'm ready for bungy jumping yet)

[Moorf]

T-Rex - we're definitely not fitness freaks but we love to be near the mountains and lakes and wide open spaces so we're pretty much sorted in that respect here :nice1

Liz - if you want somewhere "flat" then out of Christchurch and Dunedin you'd have to pick Christchurch (v. flat!!) as I think I saw a forum post that Dunedin has the steepest road in the world!!! :eek

[Miffy]

Palmerston North looks nice (uni wise), but ideally, Christchurch or Dunedin. The weather doesn't bother me that much, but I'd love to live in a flat place. I have to say that I know about as much of either of the two as I knew of Auckland before we got here, but from what the people around here say, it is much nicer there.

If you want to live in a flat place the DO NOT COME TO DUNEDIN!!!!!!! its so so so so hilly. :laugh :laugh The roads are practically vertical :eek
On the bright side you do get fab views of the pacific and harbour .....

Saying that have you looked to transfer your uni course to another uni in NZ? If Aucklands not for you (I don't really fancy it either) then why not try one of the other Uni that are around. Transferring your credits to another course Uni is straight forward ... just a thought :smile

[Lizelle]

getting the uni is not the problem, getting work for hubby there that is comparable to what he has here is the problem. He is a construction manager, so auckland is a great place for him to be, he is working on a huge project. And wellington is not for us. So, the only other place is palmerston north, but there is not much work there