jennybeth
11th January 2007, 10:56 AM
Hi to all who are reading this! I am so happy that there is a site like this to help people exactly like me transition to New Zealand. Its hard to even know where to start. My husband and I are wanting to move to NZ in a couple years and just need some help getting started.
We are stationed overseas with the miltary in japan right now and are moving back to the states in about 6 months. Our hometown to be exact. We have one young daughter Gwyneth who is 1. We want to make the transitio to NZ because among other many many reasons, we just feel as if we have outgrown the states and have traveled too much to just settle back home again. I am a fashion design major so my career is where i take it. My husband hasnt quite decided what to do yet, so in that area, hes pretty flexible too.
We are also an environmentally conscious family who wants plenty of space to roam and raise our family. Our first attraction to NZ was an article on how they are very anti nuclear. We are also planning on taking a vacation soon there. Not seeing it, isnt that scary to us since we can get stationed anywhere on a whim and just have to adjust.
I guess i just need to start with the basics of beginning the process. Since we are military, we have never had to worry about the immigration process or any of that, so we are in the dark on even how to begin. My first questions to the group are ones im sure have been asked a thousand times, but i would appreciate deeply a little extra nudge in the right direction!
How long does the immigration process take? Is there anything special we can do now to help us later on in our journey? We are saving around 100,000 US dollars before we come over, will that be enough to get started? Is there a place where I can learn more about shipping our stuff over? Does anyone know if we lose our American citezenship when we become NZ citizens?
These are a few of the many many questions i have for everyone! Arent you excited? hahahah Thanks for any advice and I cant wait to get started!
Jennifer
We are stationed overseas with the miltary in japan right now and are moving back to the states in about 6 months. Our hometown to be exact. We have one young daughter Gwyneth who is 1. We want to make the transitio to NZ because among other many many reasons, we just feel as if we have outgrown the states and have traveled too much to just settle back home again. I am a fashion design major so my career is where i take it. My husband hasnt quite decided what to do yet, so in that area, hes pretty flexible too.
We are also an environmentally conscious family who wants plenty of space to roam and raise our family. Our first attraction to NZ was an article on how they are very anti nuclear. We are also planning on taking a vacation soon there. Not seeing it, isnt that scary to us since we can get stationed anywhere on a whim and just have to adjust.
I guess i just need to start with the basics of beginning the process. Since we are military, we have never had to worry about the immigration process or any of that, so we are in the dark on even how to begin. My first questions to the group are ones im sure have been asked a thousand times, but i would appreciate deeply a little extra nudge in the right direction!
How long does the immigration process take? Is there anything special we can do now to help us later on in our journey? We are saving around 100,000 US dollars before we come over, will that be enough to get started? Is there a place where I can learn more about shipping our stuff over? Does anyone know if we lose our American citezenship when we become NZ citizens?
These are a few of the many many questions i have for everyone! Arent you excited? hahahah Thanks for any advice and I cant wait to get started!
Jennifer