[able]

I've been trying to get to grips with making the big move.

I owe a debt of gratitude to many people on this forum who have provided information both about the immigration process and about life in New Zealand.

I'm wondering, for the people who have made it through the whole process and reached New Zealand, what would be your three most important tips/pieces of advice to people who are starting out?

It could be about anything - whether it's applying, or moving, or about New Zealand itself. What are the three most important things you've learned that you didn't know when you started out?

[Debbie]

When it comes to getting to NZ you will need the following in bucket loads:-
1) The patience of a saint, particularly in getting here. Everything will take an age but then you will run out of time.

2) A tried and tested personal stress management approach, because once you are past the stress of telling your family you have the stress of dismantally your UK life, selling your home, getting here, finding a home....... It's not an exercise for the faint of heart or the high blood pressured. Unless you find your own way of dealing with this it can make you ill and IMHO nothing is worth your health, not even NZ.

3) A willingness to except the differences and get on with things. Seriously, the things that are the same in NZ as they are in the UK, (or where ever you might hail from) will never cause you any problems. It's getting used to the difference that takes the skill. I think it was Diny who used the tag line, 'except the things you can't change, courage to change the things you can and the wisdom to know the difference'. That attitude will get you a long way, I very much doubt that you will change NZ but the experience of NZ will change you. Loving the positive changes is easy, the constant battle is learning to live with the negative.

Debbie

Sorry if you were looking for specific things and tips but, whilst the emigration process is fairly standard IMO the emigration experience is fairly unique everyone will find their own things that try their patience, stress them out and they find hard to adjust to.

[jbharvey]

What would be your three most important tips/pieces of advice to people who are starting out?

1. Plan plan plan. Plan early, plan often. Part of great planning also means researching. Take your time in the bookstore, find some good books. Devour the ENZ website. Devour the Immigration website. Read everything you possibly can. Then when you're done reading everything, read it again. By really researching you can formulate an excellent plan. In addition, plan early. Don't ever plan things too close together, always leave room for error or unanticipated things that may crop up.

2. Don't be discouraged by failure or adversity. Almost every single person that goes through the whole process, be it paperwork, visa's, permits, moving, logistics will experience some sort of setback or worry. Do not let an adversity get you down. Sometimes adversities cause delays...a week? A month? A year? Who cares! You know where you want to go (NZ) so get to it!

3. Be realistic. Moving to NZ will not solve all your problems. It will not suddenly make you rich, or thin, or fit, or make your gray hair go away. Many people move to NZ wanting a life change, me included....you may be trying to get out of the situation or lifestyle you were in, but it takes hardwork and patience to get where you want to be in your life. Mine, was losing weight. I thought that NZ would fix everything, but it won't. On the other hand, NZ is a great place to live and it's a great place to gain focus once the move is over. I love it here and it's really helped me reassess my goals and objectives in life.

[MB]

Good question, able. My three answers first:

1.) Perhaps the biggest challenge is dealing nimbly with your own imagination. Throughout applying and settling in NZ your head is constantly shuffling and dealing images of possibilities, as though they were playing cards. These images might be of "what if...?" financial consequences; of possible emotional quandries; of what precisely to include in your applications; of your eventual home in NZ; of what homesickness might be like; the list goes on.
Being able to use this tool that is imagination, without getting overly alarmed by some of the possibilities that it projects, is key.

2.) Take a wee bit of quiet time before you leave to locate and pack one or two things that are really important to you. Your own proven and personal touchstones: might be a battered old soccer ball, a favorite cologne, a compilation CD; whatever. Don't be shy and don't, in the audacity of moving, dismiss their importance. Encourage your family to do the same. Make your choices and pack them where you'll have them from the word go. If you're curled up with flu or jet lag in a Dunedin motel, having just found out you didn't get the great job you applied for, it's massively useful to have something to help keep you going.

3.) Have a laugh. Have a good time. Even if the times don't always seem perfect or promising. Even if you have to drink discount Chardonnay from a tooth mug, or chase each other around half-unpacked crates, or get your biggest guffaw of the day from your own dodgy attempts at pronouncing NZ place names in front of everyone at the train-ticket counter. Be a bit -- or a lot -- daft. As Billy Connolly says: "Have a laugh... You must do these things!"


Now Mrs MB's three:

1.) Don't be afraid to ask for advice, in any circumstance.

2.) When you go back to your home country for your first visit, take an empty suitcase to fill with things that you miss or need in NZ.

3.) Even though you have preconceptions -- albeit based on research -- about what NZ is like, keep an open mind because NZ will be different from what you think and -- if you let it -- it will surprise you.

[StevieD]

1. Put your home on the market in good time
2. Ditch any plans/timetables as they all go out of the window
3. Patience is a definite virtue!

Only personal experience you understand, but still struggling along with it after what seems an etermity.

Steve - oh, good luck!

[jubjub]

1. Be confident in your decision, if you are lucky everyone will be supportive, but if unlucky you could get a real hard time from family, so just make sure that they know you are 100% sure this is the right thing for you at this point in time, and dont waiver..... (well not in front of them anyway!)

2. Don't turn down invites when you get here, you never know where they may lead...

3. Expect the unexpected, all the way through.

[Tia Maria]

OK, my 3 tips:

1) Have an emergency fund, whether it be to allow for taking longer to find a job, or the first few months when the wage never seems to cover all the additonal costs of setting up, or in my case for emergency childcare.

2) Have a holiday on arrival, if money/time allows. We knew we would most likely settle in Auckland, so we flew into Christchurch first and worked our way up. It gave us a chance to unwind after all the effort it took getting to NZ and it allowed us to check out other places, plus it was just fun. Its amazing how quickly 'real life' starts and you soon find you don't have the time to visit all the places you fancy. Also if things don't work out and you have to return sooner than you hoped at least you got a fantastic holiday.

3) If you plan to have a baby over here, then also plan a trip home within a year after the birth. Quite a specific one I know, but everyone I know who's had a baby here has either done this, or wanted to. Its normally just mother and newborn that fly back, but just don't underestimate the desire to return once the baby is born.

(Good thread this - I'm definitely going to use Mrs MBs suitcase idea!)

Cheers

Tia

[able]

Debbie, jb, Matt, Stevie, Sal and Tia, thanks for those tips. I'm lapping them up. :clap

If anyone else has any, please jot them down here. The more the merrier. :nice1

[Hannah]

This is a brilliant idea for a post, and i'm sure it will generate some really useful comments...especially relating to the more 'emotional' stuff as opposed to the practical. I agree with every comment posted here, but will add my own three also so i keep in spirit with the thread!

1. Assume nothing - expect the unexpected. Prepare by accepting you can't be too prepared. The things that you think will be a problem may actually end up being an easy ride, while something relatively minor can blow out of all proportion when you get there. NZ is an English speaking country, but i think the similarities between it and other English speaking countries pretty much ends there in my opinion. Drop your preconceptions and go with an open mind and an even more open heart!

2. Go for a recce first if finances allow. Some people get to NZ and come back pretty soon after - it's not everyones cup of tea. Money spent on a recce might be money saved on a failed emigration. That being said, there are several on the forum who've just taken the jump and it's worked fine. IT depends on you I guess - I would have been happy to just jump in and go for it while my other half had to do the 'live it for six months and then decide' approach.

3. Be prepared to fit in, don't expect NZ to change to accommodate you. While in Rome and all that. When things are going tough it's easy to moan and compare NZ to your home country. We all have choice - if we don't like what NZ has to offer then we book a flight 'home'. Embrace the differences and let them be part of your life while accepting that there's a big world out there for you to explore if NZ doesn't rock your boat.

Good luck Able!

Hannah

[ruthyroo]

What a good thread. I think my tips are similar to the above, but with hindsight I wish I had stuck to them!

1. Use your expectations and dreams and preconceptions as an energy source to get you through the difficult process of immigration and then dump them all in the bin when you get to the airport in NZ! Be willing to start afresh and don't fall into the trap of believing you know how life in NZ 'should' be. Accept it for what it is, embrace the differences and get a kick out of adjusting to them (budgeting successfully can be very empowering!) - rather than mourning for the expectations that haven't been fulfilled.

2. Remember that getting to NZ is a just another beginning - not the end. If the job don't work - change it. If the house is crap - move. If Australia seems like a better place for you to be - go there. If you want to go home - do it. It's easy to get caught up in the immigration process and think that once you get the blue stickers, that's it. But it's only one more event in your long and eventful life and life's too short to be miserable long term.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff and, dramatic though it seems, emigrating to NZ is in many ways 'small stuff'. Generally, for those of us coming from the UK or US etc, getting to NZ is not a life or death experience. We are not refugees. We are not fleeing from corrupt and murderous regimes. We are not desperately trying to get our families away from famine, illness, poverty, endemic crime and violence etc. (however much some posters might feel that way in the UK!). We are doing this because we have the choice, becuase we have the ability and the means to do so. So try to approach it with a light heart. It's not life or death stuff.

Best of luck,
R

[Tia Maria]

Ruthyroo wrote:

2. Remember that getting to NZ is a just another beginning - not the end. If the job don't work - change it. If the house is crap - move. If Australia seems like a better place for you to be - go there. If you want to go home - do it. It's easy to get caught up in the immigration process and think that once you get the blue stickers, that's it. But it's only one more event in your long and eventful life and life's too short to be miserable long term.

Had to highlight this, as I agree with this so much! You'll enjoy the experience much more if you see it as another stage in your life, rather than the final destination. Even if New Zealand is for you the majority of people have to adapt their original plans at some stage.

Cheers

Tia

[wanderingoregonian]

I can only speak to the process side... as I hopefully am flying next week...

1 - remember to live life fully during the process... its months and months for waiting, and you can't put on hold living each day in the meantime. In fact some of the best friends and experiences I've had are in this past month, just before having to put an ocean between my new friends and I...

2- If moving with a partner, don't be surprised if you have very different expectations about the details (how much to bring, how soon to do certain steps, how the work of the process will be divided). At least when you discuss household cleaning or things like that, you can sometimes have a vague clue of where someone is coming from from observing their family, but there was no advance warning for some of the different views my husband and I had...

3 - don't get to hung up if you can't always articulate 'why you are going' to friends and family when they ask.... no one has perfect answers for any of our major life choices, just imagine if people asked women "why are you deciding to have kids right now?" or "why are you choosing to stay/leave your job?" at the frequency we are asked why we are moving abroad. I found my answers changed over time and never sounded very good, but they were there in my heart.


And just pratical tidbits given the latest setbacks in my immigration process: make sure to get electronic plane tickets (paper ones take awhile to exchange if you need to change dates) and do not let anyone write in your passport who shouldn't be:) okay I didn't let my dad do that, he just thought it'd be a funny joke... grrrr :roll

[wiki]

I'm going to take my three points from when I moved to the UK nine years ago.

1) Be flexible - like most Kiwi's I expected to live in work in London, but I got a job offer in Manchester during my initial 2-week holiday up there with my Grandma and I never ever managed to move to London in nine years! (Manchester, Leeds, York - I love the north of England)

2) Have someone back home to listen to all your moans and groans (you will have them, without a doubt) but make sure that person isn't the sort to turn around and tell you to come home every five minutes. Someone who listens to your fears and turns them into positives is invaluable.

3) Give yourself some credit. When the going gets tough, remind yourself how brave, resiliant and adventurous you are to have made that move in the first place. So many people talk about "getting away from it all" and never move a finger - and there you are undergoing medicals and filling out endless forms because you want it to be more than dream. Go you!

[migratory birds]

[QUOTE=StevieD]1. Put your home on the market in good time

(I'm going to try to quote StevieD...see if it works!) That's the piece I'm trying to figure out now - when to put the house on the market in relation to targeted move date. For those of you without a job offer before being granted PR, would you recommend having that offer in hand before listing the house? And set a move date while negotiating offer, a few months out (if possible)??

Hoping to make this as seamless as possible as I'm arriving with a child.

____________________
PR approval Nov 06
Figuring out logistics of pulling it all together to move forward!

[jess]

1) If you are thinking about starting the process and you have enough points on the points calculator -- go ahead and do it. NZIS can change the points required to submit an Expression of Interest at any time, and besides you have anywhere from 12 to 18 months (depending on when you send your passports) to enter NZ after you're approved.

2) If at all possible, bring over the emergency fund TiaMaria mentioned or as much in savings as you can. If waiting a few months for the move will allow you to save, then I would suggest doing so. And watch the exchange rate to get a feel for when you should move $ to NZ. Financial worries and cold houses seem to be problems for many people who have trouble here - saving money will help you get through the unexpected (or could pay for central heating ;)).

3) Get involved in local activities - classes, clubs, volunteering, anything. Particularly if you don't have kids that would involve you in school activities or groups with other parents. We love living in NZ, but I found I needed to come out of my shell to accept - and extend - invitations and meet people so that I could feel more settled here. Not having family and friends or even just a history with anyone here other than my OH was an odd, groundless feeling at first.

[sarahw]

What a super thread!! Love reading everyone's top tips!!

1) I second the suggestion about having a holiday here when you get here if you can - we didn't and 2 years on we're very ready for our holiday this Xmas!! You will spend all of your holidays for the first couple of years showing friends/family around when they come to stay & will struggle to get enough time to get away yourselves - I wish we'd had the foresight to take a couple of weeks away either on the way or in NZ before we hauled ourselves into organising mode!

2) Research, research, research - you can't do too much of this - this forum is a great source of info, but also try & do a reccie trip if you can - I can't recommend this enough - being here & seeing for yourself is unbeatable for making the right decision for yourself!

3) Enjoy!! Its hard to do when you're back in your home country preparing & are really stressed... but remember...There will be days when you're stressed up to the eyeballs, there will be days when you want to give up because its easier, there will be days when you will wonder if you are crazy moving your life to the other side of the world, there will be days when you miss your family & friends... but there will be days when you pinch yourself & think 'I live Here! Wow!!', there will be days when you have a whole beach/forest/mountain to yourself & you feel so lucky! & there will be days when you suddenly realise that you've built up a good network of friends here & start to feel like you are fitting in and if you're lucky, there will be days when you remember the life you used to have & the one you have now & wouldn't swap back to the old one for the world.... Make sure you enjoy every minute of your journey & think about all those people who didn't have the guts to do what you're doing & may regret it later on!