What's the best way to get to nz?

Nic · Testing The Water Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 4

My husband and i are really keen to move to new zealand and get away from hectic London. Although i have enough points to complete an EOI, it's not a very high score, so the chance of emigrating that way are slim.
I am 30 and a production editor on a magazine, my husband is 24 and an IT manager. Obviously the best way is to get an offer of employment and go through WTR. Does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to go about that? Should we try to find recruitment agencies in our fields in NZ or go through an immigration consultant from the UK? Would it be risky to go over on a working holiday visa and take our chances on getting permanent work? Any advice would be gratefully received

Bill B

Nic · Testing The Water Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 4

cheers Bill

think we'll try going out on a WHV, that means we've got a year to find a job offer and the place we want to live. fingers crossed. i'd hate to go out there for a year and then have to come back to the UK

jodie · Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2004 1:27 am Post subject:

That's exactly what my and my partner are doing - selling our flat, going out in July time on WHV, looking for jobs (we're both in IT), when we get a job offer, get WHV converted to work permit (valid for 2 1/2 yrs), and in that time, apply for permanent residence.

We went to the Emigrate show at Sandown a few weekends ago and everyone we spoke to said this was a good route to go down.

Which area are you thinking of heading, and when are you going to go?

Jodie
Nice One

Bill B

Nic · Testing The Water Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 4

Bill
good luck to you too. before i found this forum i would have thought it was crazy to just go out to nz and try to find a job in the space of a few weeks, but it seems to have worked for a lot of people so your in good company.
regarding your point about the age limit for WHV it's up to and including 30, so i can just slip in.

Jodie
we missed the emigration show so it's good hear positive feedback about the WHV route. we're not going out until next january/february. Planning to settle in either auckland or wellington, although auckland's in a great position i've heard really good things about wellington. what about you?

Moorf · Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 8:56 pm Post subject:

jodie · Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 4:07 am Post subject:

Hi Nic,

We too were thinking about Auckland or Wellington (after all, that's where the jobs are!), but now we're looking outside of these areas, mainly because you get extra points in the residency application if your job offer is outside Auckland, and also I've read on the NZ Met office website that Wellington gets on aveage, 170 days a year when the winds are over 50 or 60 mph! I think that would dirive me mad! (And I can vouch for the wind strength, as it was so windy when we were there that I nearly got blown over!)

So we're now looking at the other main North Island towns - Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Palmerston North etc. Also, being from Poole we're used to living out of the main cities, and don't particularly like living in a city (I originally come from Bristol and Darren's from Exeter, but came down here to uni 5 years ago and never went back.) But obviously, if we were offered jobs in Wellington, we'd accept them and stick it out until we had residency, then move if we wanted too then. (But we may have fallen in love with the place by then - who knows!)

The nice thing about going on a WHV is that you've got a year to have a look round and search for jobs, so you can see what a place is like and if you really don't like it, move on and try somewhere else. And hopefully we should be able to find SOMETHING in a year.....

So have you got your WHV yet?

Jodie

Nic · Testing The Water Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 4

Hi Jodie

haven't got our WHV yet, probably apply around july as we're not going until next year. keep us posted on where you end up, i'd heard Wellington was windy but i'd no idea it was that bad. as you say with a year to find a job you can relax a little, travel around and find an area you really love.
good luck

Nic

jodie · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:19 am Post subject:

Hi Nic,

It shouldn't take too long to get your WHV - we sent the forms off on Monday and got them back Friday! Really speedy!

As for location, Darren has just found an ideal job to apply for, but it's in Wellington. We did think it was a nice city when we visited, but I'm just a bit worried about the wind! But if he gets the job, I'll just have to put up with it. (Maybe it's not too bad once you get used to it!) And after all, once you get residency, you only need to stay in your job for 3 months, then you can move wherever you want.

Does anyone else have any experience with the wind in Wellington? And what about the earthquakes recently?

Jodie

veronica · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 4:42 am Post subject:

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I understood that you could only work temporary/parttime on the whv.

Jenkins · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:49 pm Post subject:

Yes, Veronica, only part-time jobs could be given to you under WHV. However, you may use that chance to get an employer notice you for a work permit. This is hitting 2 birds with one stone