[Howie]

I'm new to this forum, but have found it very helpful so far and wanted to share our story.

My husband and I submitted our EOI, were selected, and have until Dec 1st to submit our ITA. We are Canadians, living in the US. We really want to go to NZ because we really miss Canada and NZ sounds like Canada, but smaller and warmer. We moved to the US for the opportunities, not the location, so now it's all about the location. I am a traffic engineer and it looks like I should be able to find work in NZ, but I would really like to go to grad school and have found a couple of professors interested in supervising me and it turns out that NZ is a great place to study traffic engineering. Since I will (hopefully) be a student, my husband needs to find a job. My husband is a soon to be PhD in aerospace engineering. The whole move is really dependant on him finding work, which so far hasn't come together. We are not willing to move unless he has a firm job offer. Our plan B is to move back to Canada where he should be able to find work easily and there are also good school/work opportunities for me.

I think our ITA documents are coming together. We have send away for our police checks, we have our medicals next week, and everything else is ready to go. Oh, except my husband (as the primary applicant) needs to get something from the NZ engineering board. He has spoken with them and since he is a licensed engineer in Canada, they don't think it will be a problem. Our dog had his first rabies titre 5 months ago and we've located a company to take care of his move.

We have booked a trip to NZ from Nov 24-Dec 5th for interviews and to check out both Auckland and Christchurch as we've never actually been to NZ before. I think the big problem is that we'll be in NZ when our ITA is due, so will likely have to send it away before my husband has a job offer. This is rather expensive, since we likely won't be moving down if he doesn't get an offer, but I don't see any way around it at this point.

What have we forgotten? I'm so hopeful that everything will work out, but it's all rather scary right now due to the uncertainty.

[doctor]

Hi,
interesting to know that you guys moved from canada to U.S and now planning to move to NZ.
I am in a kind of similar situation like you but for different reasons. I moved to U.S from India (I always wanted to go to canada in those days, but somehow I ended in U.S). I turned in my ITA to NZIS recentlly. However, I may take some time before I move to NZ. I found a job in canada and within the next 2 weeks I will know if things are going to work out. I always wanted to see how it is living in New Foundland (for 1yr). If things work out in this way, I may work in canada for some time before I move to NZ.
Looks to me like, you guys may not have any problem securing PR to New Zealand, especially with both of your qualifications.
Could you please tell me how it is living in New foundland.

[tigerlily]

Welcome Howie! Where in Canada were you from? What part of the US are you living in now?

I'm right in that same boat with you. Waiting for my OH to finish his PH.D., hoping he gets a job. I'm basically just going for it. Yes, he may not find the perfect job right away, but we're moving when he is done with the PH.D. because New Zealand is where we want to raise our children. I also think that jobs are easier to find once you are there and have some networks. So I'm trying to have some faith that it will all work out. I also think that if we don't dare do it, we will be stuck in a place we don't want to live always thinking, why didn't we go to NZ?

PS. I'm also looking at doing another degree when we get there, but only if we end up in Wellington where the program that I am interested in is located. Best of luck to you on all accounts!

[Howie]

Could you please tell me how it is living in New foundland.

We currently live in New Jersey, but moved here from Calgary. Newfoundland is a very beautiful place in a rugged, cold, rocky, nothing will grow there, sort of way. It's quite isolated from the rest of Canada, has very high unemployment and not many immigrants. St. John's is a fair size city and the people are incredibly nice and friendly. Like everyplace, it has it's pros and cons. I could totally see myself living in St. John's for a little while. Just expect that it will be totally different from the US.

[doctor]

thanks