[Graham Cross]

Hello, our names are Graham and Janet and we come from Haydock in UK and are thinking of emigrating to NZ next year after our eldest son leaves in Feb. Our youngest son and family live there already in the Bay of Plenty and they want us to join them. We look forward to learning from this site when we get to finding our way around it plus the experiences of our sons and you guys also. We are both retired and wondered if there was anything that we should know re pensions etc

[The Hodges]

Hi and welcome, offering you some congratulations as well ( :raebanana :raebanana ).

However, I can't provide you with any answers on the pensions, but there should be someone here than can. I'm also hoping that you've looked in to the immigration routes, as if you're retired, they will be limited.

Good luck and enjoy the forum

[Graham Cross]

Hi We have got two thirds of our children over there (well we will have in Feb) and they say that is a good reason to go over there. We have got some capitol behind us too. We are booked to go for a medical at the end of January and then after my son goes in Feb we will apply. I am getting quite excited about it now although it will be a big uprooting for us. I am hoping to be able to move next year if we get to sell the house fairly quickly ..........Janet

[Smiler]

Hi Janet and Graham

Welcome to the forum :cheers:cheers

I don't know anything about the pensions other than NZ and the Uk have a reciprocal agreement sorry, but Moorf and Avalon had some info on bringing parents over, so have a search for their threads. I understand that if the majority of your family are already in NZ, they can sponsor you now.

I bet you can't wait, so get that house on the market asap, it seems that's often the stumbling block for many forumites. Have you been to NZ to visit yet?

Good luck with all your plans.

[StevieD]

Hello Nanjan!!! and Graham, Jani d here. Glad you decided to join us welcome to the forum:D

(i know Jan from a scrappin forum/crop i goto in Haydock run by jan and told her to join us and you guys will help them out )

I am sure someone will be able to help you.

Speak soon on here or our forum:D

[Graham Cross]

Hi Jani, I have got here but it is worse than uk scrappers for getting around as I am a dummy for these forums as you know. I don't know where to go to be honest. My son is here at the moment and I have just been showing him around. He goes in Feb and then we hope to apply then.

[Jenny & Mark]

Welcome to the forum, Graham and Janet. :)

Mark.

[Kim39]

Hey Welcome to our World. Take a peak and see what it's all about. Get lost in here, then just ask. Am sure folks will have an answer, but as for asking about Scrapbooking will leave that to Jan.....go girl get your stats up further, and really get up Steve's nose ;)

We weren't far from you, in Runcorn to be precise.

Kim

[Graham Cross]

Yep
I have been to NZ 4 times and love it. My son lived in Palmy originally but has now moved to Katikati, near Tauranga which is where I want to go (Bay of Plenty)

[Graham Cross]

I found a thread yesterday with info on from Avalon but can't find it again now. Can anyone help please

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Graham, Here you go.
www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7322&page=1&pp=10

Page 4 is the most interesting for you

Kindest regards

Dave and Caroline

[Graham Cross]

Thanks a lot, that was a great help. You guys are on the ball aren't you .Janet. It is me who goes on here really don't know why I put Graham's name on duh

[BarbiM]

Hi Graham

My husband and I are also hoping to retire to the Bay of Plenty sometime next year. We have a son there in Tauranga and another in Auckland. We have just had our medicals and got our police checks and hope to get our applications done in January, then to hopefully sell the house! We suspect there may be more to do medically (see posts from Mickstim - the husband!) but with luck it won't be anything we can't overcome.

As far as pensions go we will only have the UK ones as you are not entitled to NZ ones for the first 10 years there. Also the UK state pension gets frozen at the time you leave the country, which is not so good.
We are hoping to be able to buy a house for a fair amount less than we will sell for in the UK (we are in W. Sussex) and have a little left over to supplement our pensions. It would be interesting to compare notes - so please do keep in touch and we may meet up there sooner or later!

Best wishes

Barbara

[StevieD]

Nan Jan, this forum is slightly different to UKS isn't it :laugh

Steve

Jan says it will come with time.... ;)

[StevieD]

Only just noticed Kim's response - Kim, have a lovely Xmas on the farms won't you?? :laugh :p

[Graham Cross]

That is brilliant and let us keep in touch as it looks like you are the same as us. How long do you think it will take to get there. My youngest son and family have been there for 7 years and my other son goes in February so we will apply then. we are booked for medicals at the end of January. Have you any idea how long it takes to get there once we apply with our families being there. I don't know where my other son will be living yet but suspect it won't be too far away from Katikati and he has been looking at Cambridge as there was a kennels and cattery there which he was interested in buying.....but we will have to see .......keep in touch (very intersested Janet (nanjan)

[Graham Cross]

Hi Stevie, you are dead right it is not like UkScrappers but I have not even cracked that yet LOL I am finding this very interesting though as I plod through the posts......I am just going to try and find Mickstim now (lets hope I can do it lol) Janet, Nanjan

[Hannah]

Welcome fellow new forumites!!!

What on earth is scroppers out of interest? Is that another forum or is it a code word for those working in the car recycling business

(I'm the nosy one on the forum who is forever asking questions - I was the kid in class at school who always had her hand up!!)

enjoy the non scrapping forum..

hannah

[Graham Cross]

haha Hannah, it is a Scrapbooking group that has a forum like this called UKScrappers and i have a group once a month that Jani D and her mum attends. She is great fun to be with. Jani and I are hoping to get something going when we get to NZ. I have a card making group also and hope to start one over there (when I get there)

[Graham Cross]

Just wondering if we sold our house if we could go to NZ even before everything was processed. Just speaking at the top of my head now and not really thinking it through and my DH Graham would probably tell me that it was really stupid of me to ask a question like this. It is just that I am desperate to see my grandchildren and he says it is not worth going yet until we go finally. Any thoughts or ideas on this?
Janet (nanjan)

[Graham Cross]

Hi I have been having trouble trying to get logged in again and I think that I have done it now. We have just found out today that it may take us longer than we anticipated to get in as our son who arrives on the 1th Feb and gives the balance of our family then to NZ will have to show
proof of rental/morgage and utility bills etc before we can even apply and he was hoping to have a holiday first or stay with his brother for 3 months and travel around before settling. He has been told that there is a long waiting list at the moment also and because my DH has had a heart bypass he will have to make sure that he won't be needing a great deal of medical attention etc. Can anyone tell us if there is a way around this. Can we sell our house and go over there and buy a house and make our application over there or will it be too much of a risk in case we don't get in. My son who is a citizen says there won't be a problem for us and we should do that but would like to hear if there is anyone who can advise us on this matter.......thanks Janet

[StevieD]

Janet, I'll let Jan know your situation later when I see her.

You really are a night owl aren't you! :laugh

Stevie D

[Graham Cross]

Thanks Stevie, I am a night owl and just lately I have been up all night long and going to bed around 7.30 and waking at 11am and have been sooo tired. I think that I am practicing for New Zealand time.LOL When is your move going to be?

[Patricia]

Hello Janet & Graham

We are on the treadmill of hoping to get to NZ to join our son, we are also retired, our applications are in and we are currntly waiting for a visa officer to be allocated. It is a long drawn out thing as unfortunately us retirees are on the bottom of the list as far as we can make out. :wah

Regardas pensions as far as we know we can draw out retirement pension ok but you don't get the annual rises ,it stays as it was when you leave the UK.

Hope this helps a bit

Patricia