Friday, 20 July 2007
18th July 2007
Quite by chance I submitted our new EOI the day before the selection process, so it was selected immediately! Talk about timing. Also the other company who'd interviewed me a 2nd time also want to make me an offer and have pretty much asked me to name my price! My mind is just racing at the moment. However, I went with my gut instinct and signed the offer I received yesterday in order to get the ball rolling. We're so excited now!
17th July 2007
The offer is in and it's way beyond our wildest expectations. Great package and better still they're going to pay all of our removal costs, flights, visa costs, the lot - truly unbelievable. I feel a huge financial weight lifted from my shoulders but then worry about not getting the visa! I update the new EOI I've been working on and submit it with all details of job offer attached and a healthy points total to go with it.
I also arrange to have a chest x-ray done tomorrow as part of the medical, which should then complete that process.
I also arrange to have a chest x-ray done tomorrow as part of the medical, which should then complete that process.
16th July 2007
Monday arrives and the offer hasn't come through overnight. I make a call first thing and they assure me it'll be Tuesday. My fingers are so tightly crossed that I can't feel them anymore....
13th July 2007
Day off today for golf in the morning and then our NZ medicals in the afternoon. We all have to have medicals, although they don't fully examine the baby. I'm really looking forward to getting that out of the way and ticking one more thing off the list. I'm not looking forward to shelling out £522 for the privilege.
The day is made spectacularly good when I find out that one of the companies want to make me an offer! I just don't know how to react. It won't be until Monday, but they want me and I shouldn't accept anything else until I've seen their offer. It all seems too good to be true, but it's what I've worked hard to achieve. No doubt the weekend will drag like hell now...
The day is made spectacularly good when I find out that one of the companies want to make me an offer! I just don't know how to react. It won't be until Monday, but they want me and I shouldn't accept anything else until I've seen their offer. It all seems too good to be true, but it's what I've worked hard to achieve. No doubt the weekend will drag like hell now...
12th July 2007
Well, the two phone interviews went really really well and I'm trying not to get too ahead of myself. Additionally I'm still waiting to hear back from one of the face-to-face interviews last week and I'm trying hard to stop myself from thinking that this is actually going to happen now. All 3 are excellent companies and the roles all excite me in some way.
We've got appointments arranged with movers next week and we've changed estate agents as we don't believe our existing ones are doing enough to sell the house. The new agents also provide a 'To Let' service as we may have to rent the house out initially to bring in some much needed funds. Without the house sale, the move will take all of our money. We always new there'd be a risk and we're just banking on me having something (if not before then pretty quickly when we get there) in order to pay the bills. It worries me a bit, but I'm so determined to make this happen, we'll find a way.
We've got appointments arranged with movers next week and we've changed estate agents as we don't believe our existing ones are doing enough to sell the house. The new agents also provide a 'To Let' service as we may have to rent the house out initially to bring in some much needed funds. Without the house sale, the move will take all of our money. We always new there'd be a risk and we're just banking on me having something (if not before then pretty quickly when we get there) in order to pay the bills. It worries me a bit, but I'm so determined to make this happen, we'll find a way.
10th July 2007
On the phone to agencies again tonight and I have a further 2nd interview now on Thursday night, so I really feel like I've maintained the momentum. I rejected another job as I felt the salary range wasn't high enough given my position, so I hope I'm not getting too cocky now! However, I'm not going to work this hard for 18 ye........(yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah)
There are no new job posts that interest me yet this week - pity because I now have the contacts!
There are no new job posts that interest me yet this week - pity because I now have the contacts!
9th July 2007
I resigned my position today. Having spoken at length to my wife about this we decided that we’re going to take the plunge and move to NZ whether I have a job or not. I was disappointed to resign but given the life we’re aiming for I’m fully focussed on making sure that I leave things in good order and quickly, as we’re shooting for a September move. I leave my role on the 31st August.
We've also now booked to have our medicals. Given that we're going and want to go over on a residence visa, we may as well get this done. It's happening on Friday 13th, hope that's not an omen.
Despite being totally shattered, I maintained focus and got in touch with all of the people that I saw last week. I want to stay fresh in their minds and follow up on the interviews that I've had. I was due to hear back from one today, but nothing as yet, however I do have a 2nd interview now booked in for Wednesday.
We've also now booked to have our medicals. Given that we're going and want to go over on a residence visa, we may as well get this done. It's happening on Friday 13th, hope that's not an omen.
Despite being totally shattered, I maintained focus and got in touch with all of the people that I saw last week. I want to stay fresh in their minds and follow up on the interviews that I've had. I was due to hear back from one today, but nothing as yet, however I do have a 2nd interview now booked in for Wednesday.
8th July 2007
Wow, what a week! Where to start….
Auckland
I only managed 2 appointments in Auckland, however the time there was well spent as it helped me recover from the jetlag. My missing luggage was a concern for a while, but it turned up on Sunday, much to my relief.
In terms of opportunities, there don’t appear to be that many for me and my skills (Programme Office Management) there. The business district feels very disparate and I didn’t get the sense that many senior management jobs come up that often. That said, the people I did meet were very complimentary about my CV and were keen to put it in front of their clients
In terms of the city itself, it was warm (the same temperature and weather as I had left Manchester 2 days earlier and it’s winter in NZ!), but felt like a cross between a small American city and large English town. Crucially, it didn’t really seem to have a ‘heart’ to it and as a result I couldn’t really picture us living there. I’m not saying that it wasn’t nice, it just didn’t feel like the place for us. The transport system wasn’t great and property was pretty expensive.
On the plus side there was a strong multicultural feel to the city with many Japanese, Indonesian and Korean restaurants and it felt clean and safe. More so than any English city I could think of.
With the time I had available in Auckland I did manage to search the web, find a couple of jobs and set up a couple more appointments for my trip to Wellington.
Wellington
Things were more than a little hectic in Wellington and it really was a productive 2 days.
I loved Wellington. Loved the feel of the city which had a buzz about it that I didn’t feel in Auckland. Plenty of shops, café’s, things to do, all in the centre, which you can traverse in about 25 mins. It was clean, well set out, not busy traffic-wise and had a vibrancy about it. At lunchtime it was busy without being crowded, the kind of place I was hoping it would be. It was also a good deal colder than Auckland, more seasonal, although in my whole time there I didn’t get to sample the famous wind.
At my first appointment, they actually prepared me for an interview they’d managed to schedule for me at 4pm that same evening, so instantly I was heartened by the opportunities for me. The further 3 appointments went really well and everyone was friendly, complimentary about the CV and encouraging about my opportunities for employment. The interview went really well and I started to get a view of the way New Zealanders work.
By the end of the second day I’d had 2 further interviews off the back of 4 appointments, all of which went as well as the previous day and indeed on my trip home on Friday I was still fielding calls from interested parties! Furthermore, I had 2 follow up (2nd) interviews arranged by phone for the next week.
It was such a hectic 2 days that with hindsight I’d have spent an extra day in Wellington and less time in Auckland. It drove home to me that you have to put yourself in front of agencies in order for them to consider you a viable candidate. Most of them said that they wouldn’t have put me in front of clients had they not seen me face-to-face. This really proves to them that you’re serious about the move and that you’re plans are in progress.
Oh and BA lost my luggage again on the way home. Note to self, don't ever fly BA again...
Auckland
I only managed 2 appointments in Auckland, however the time there was well spent as it helped me recover from the jetlag. My missing luggage was a concern for a while, but it turned up on Sunday, much to my relief.
In terms of opportunities, there don’t appear to be that many for me and my skills (Programme Office Management) there. The business district feels very disparate and I didn’t get the sense that many senior management jobs come up that often. That said, the people I did meet were very complimentary about my CV and were keen to put it in front of their clients
In terms of the city itself, it was warm (the same temperature and weather as I had left Manchester 2 days earlier and it’s winter in NZ!), but felt like a cross between a small American city and large English town. Crucially, it didn’t really seem to have a ‘heart’ to it and as a result I couldn’t really picture us living there. I’m not saying that it wasn’t nice, it just didn’t feel like the place for us. The transport system wasn’t great and property was pretty expensive.
On the plus side there was a strong multicultural feel to the city with many Japanese, Indonesian and Korean restaurants and it felt clean and safe. More so than any English city I could think of.
With the time I had available in Auckland I did manage to search the web, find a couple of jobs and set up a couple more appointments for my trip to Wellington.
Wellington
Things were more than a little hectic in Wellington and it really was a productive 2 days.
I loved Wellington. Loved the feel of the city which had a buzz about it that I didn’t feel in Auckland. Plenty of shops, café’s, things to do, all in the centre, which you can traverse in about 25 mins. It was clean, well set out, not busy traffic-wise and had a vibrancy about it. At lunchtime it was busy without being crowded, the kind of place I was hoping it would be. It was also a good deal colder than Auckland, more seasonal, although in my whole time there I didn’t get to sample the famous wind.
At my first appointment, they actually prepared me for an interview they’d managed to schedule for me at 4pm that same evening, so instantly I was heartened by the opportunities for me. The further 3 appointments went really well and everyone was friendly, complimentary about the CV and encouraging about my opportunities for employment. The interview went really well and I started to get a view of the way New Zealanders work.
By the end of the second day I’d had 2 further interviews off the back of 4 appointments, all of which went as well as the previous day and indeed on my trip home on Friday I was still fielding calls from interested parties! Furthermore, I had 2 follow up (2nd) interviews arranged by phone for the next week.
It was such a hectic 2 days that with hindsight I’d have spent an extra day in Wellington and less time in Auckland. It drove home to me that you have to put yourself in front of agencies in order for them to consider you a viable candidate. Most of them said that they wouldn’t have put me in front of clients had they not seen me face-to-face. This really proves to them that you’re serious about the move and that you’re plans are in progress.
Oh and BA lost my luggage again on the way home. Note to self, don't ever fly BA again...
25th June 2007
The schedule is complete and by the end of today the flights will be booked! I have 7 confirmed appointments (the bulk of which are in Wellington) and a lot of keen people to talk to me. I redid my CV based on feedback I’d received and lengthened it from a very British 3 pages to a very NZ 5 pages, which detailed all of my experience and qualifications attained. It’s also a requirement to include 2 referees/references on your CV as these are taken up before a job is offered, unlike the UK where it’s hit and miss.
So, I fly out to NZ from Heathrow on Thursday 28th, touch down in Auckland on Saturday 30th and then the schedule is as below with me returning to Manchester (via Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok and Heathrow) on Saturday morning. That’s a lot of flying (and no doubt a lot of money) so I need to make sure it’s all worthwhile.
Lost in the pursuit of a job is that I need to ensure that NZ is the kind of place that Jules, Ted and I want to live! Pretty important that one. So I’ll be taking some time to find out what the respective cities are like, what the transport links are, what the house prices are like and so on. I’m going to tap up each of the agency people I meet for information as well especially as a couple of them are ex-pats.
So, I fly out to NZ from Heathrow on Thursday 28th, touch down in Auckland on Saturday 30th and then the schedule is as below with me returning to Manchester (via Auckland, Sydney, Bangkok and Heathrow) on Saturday morning. That’s a lot of flying (and no doubt a lot of money) so I need to make sure it’s all worthwhile.
Lost in the pursuit of a job is that I need to ensure that NZ is the kind of place that Jules, Ted and I want to live! Pretty important that one. So I’ll be taking some time to find out what the respective cities are like, what the transport links are, what the house prices are like and so on. I’m going to tap up each of the agency people I meet for information as well especially as a couple of them are ex-pats.
22nd June 2007
God, I’m so tired! I have spent the last couple of weeks in front of the computer late night/early morning, emailing my CV to agencies and phoning to arrange interviews. I’ve been really encouraged with the feedback that I’ve had based on my commitment to be out there. I’ve got a skeleton of a schedule now – fly in to Auckland on Saturday and spend Saturday and Sunday recovering from the jet lag. Remain in Auckland Monday and Tuesday, before flying to Wellington and spending Wednesday and Thursday there, before flying home on Friday. It’ll be a busy week, but I need to make it worthwhile. 2 more appointments (to add to the 5 I already have) and I’ll book the flights.
6th June 2007
We’ve decided that I’m going to head to NZ in the first week of July. I’m not going to book the flights and accommodation until the last minute, just in case some of the appointments don’t come off, but I’m aiming to be ready for appointments w/c 2nd July. All of a sudden it feels very very real!
4th June 2007
NZ has played 2nd fiddle to our Wedding/Honeymoon which we’ve just returned from, however I now have a list of agencies in both Auckland and Wellington that I intend to contact by way of looking to arrange a trip out there. I’m starting with a consultancy firm I work with here in the UK who also have offices in NZ, which should hopefully be an easy appointment to make.
9th May 2007
When time allows I have continued to search for jobs, by way of understanding who the key recruitment agencies are. The best website to use to do this is www.seek.co.nz that seems to carry listings for all agencies. Encouragingly, there seem to be a number of opportunities in the areas that I’m looking at, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get out there and maybe get something or at least get a feel as to how much risk our moving out there without a job offer would be.
27th April 2007
Well our fears were confirmed today when I received notification that our EOI had not been accepted. As I don’t have a degree I can’t claim the points that go with the Absolute Skills Shortage and as I result our application points total fell under the required limit for being invited to apply. The immigration clerk was very nice in her email and said that given that I didn’t have a degree, getting a job offer was the way forward for us, so once we’re back from the States, all of our energies will be ploughed into that.
Whilst we’re disappointed, deep down we knew that this route was a long shot and that at some stage I’d need to get out there, this email just confirms that. How glad are we that we didn’t shell out £500+ on medicals as well! They’ll be needed at some stage, although they’d have been out of date (they’re only valid for 3 months) by the time we came round to apply again.
Disappointed but not undaunted. NZ here I come!
Whilst we’re disappointed, deep down we knew that this route was a long shot and that at some stage I’d need to get out there, this email just confirms that. How glad are we that we didn’t shell out £500+ on medicals as well! They’ll be needed at some stage, although they’d have been out of date (they’re only valid for 3 months) by the time we came round to apply again.
Disappointed but not undaunted. NZ here I come!
10th April 2007
I phoned New Zealand House again today and was told that with the points total that we had, our application should definitely have been looked at by now and gave the name of a lady at immigration to contact. The phone call to NZ House wasn’t cheap (£1 per minute) and wasn’t helped by the fact that I had to phone back twice more because the email details the girl had given me were incorrect! Anyway, finally sent the email and had it delivered only to receive an out of office notification!
In other news the house will be on the market next week, along with about 20,000 other properties by the looks of it. Selling our ‘unique’ house, may not be as quick as we’d like…
In other news the house will be on the market next week, along with about 20,000 other properties by the looks of it. Selling our ‘unique’ house, may not be as quick as we’d like…
2nd April 2007
Still no word from NZ, so we are now convinced that nothing will happen. Every day I’m checking my email expecting to see something there. I’ve also started looking for jobs and since the last update have applied for 2, however I got no further as I wasn’t in NZ. Getting a job whilst sat in the UK doesn’t seem to be the answer, so I may need to head out there at some stage.
30th March 2007
We finished the work we wanted to do on the house in order to get it ready for sale, so it’s time to go shopping for estate agents!
Not only that, but we're pregnant again! It's going to be December/January we think, so along with selling our house, resigning my job, moving our furniture, getting a new job, finding a new house, settling in a new country and bringing Ted up, we'll have a new addition! Nothing like getting all of the stress out of the way at once!
Not only that, but we're pregnant again! It's going to be December/January we think, so along with selling our house, resigning my job, moving our furniture, getting a new job, finding a new house, settling in a new country and bringing Ted up, we'll have a new addition! Nothing like getting all of the stress out of the way at once!
10th March 2007
Still no news and in that time I’ve booked and cancelled medical appointments twice. As I mentioned earlier, there is just no point risking wasting that kind of money, so we’re sitting tight and ploughing all our energies into planning our Wedding, which is now only 9 weeks away!
Thursday, 22 February 2007
22nd February 2007
Three things NZ related today, actually, 4 things:
1. Our police conviction records arrived in the post today - thankfully both are clean, so that's one hurdle cleared.
2. I phoned New Zealand House to try to find out if there'd been any progress on the EOI. The girl was pleasant enough but basically said that if I didn't have a job offer it'd be 3 months, etc. etc. It was worth a try.
3. I spoke to my new NZ contact who wishes to talk further with me on the 23rd - so that may yield something positive.
4. I received an email back from the NZQA saying that my qualification couldn't be assessed as, and I quote "The Qualifications Recognition Service will only assess qualifications that are awarded by recognised, accredited and quality assured institutions. The recognition, accreditation and quality assurance must be obtained by the organisation that the government for that particular country has deemed responsible." This is in line with the guidance set out in the guide and assessment of International Qualifications. More and more I'm starting to believe that the ITA won't come as a result of me not having a university degree. My one light of hope is that NZ House (based in London) who are responsible for the ITA recognise my professional qualifications and that they also contribute towards the area of skills shortage in NZ.
I'll have to cancel the medical appointments set for Monday. Pointless doing anything now until the ITA arrives (or otherwise).
All of a sudden, the glass is half empty. Waiting around doesn't help...
1. Our police conviction records arrived in the post today - thankfully both are clean, so that's one hurdle cleared.
2. I phoned New Zealand House to try to find out if there'd been any progress on the EOI. The girl was pleasant enough but basically said that if I didn't have a job offer it'd be 3 months, etc. etc. It was worth a try.
3. I spoke to my new NZ contact who wishes to talk further with me on the 23rd - so that may yield something positive.
4. I received an email back from the NZQA saying that my qualification couldn't be assessed as, and I quote "The Qualifications Recognition Service will only assess qualifications that are awarded by recognised, accredited and quality assured institutions. The recognition, accreditation and quality assurance must be obtained by the organisation that the government for that particular country has deemed responsible." This is in line with the guidance set out in the guide and assessment of International Qualifications. More and more I'm starting to believe that the ITA won't come as a result of me not having a university degree. My one light of hope is that NZ House (based in London) who are responsible for the ITA recognise my professional qualifications and that they also contribute towards the area of skills shortage in NZ.
I'll have to cancel the medical appointments set for Monday. Pointless doing anything now until the ITA arrives (or otherwise).
All of a sudden, the glass is half empty. Waiting around doesn't help...
Sunday, 18 February 2007
13th February 2007
I had a huge stroke of luck today, which may yet bear fruit (although I've probably jinxed it now).
I met with a potential supplier and to my surprise found out that he was originally from Wellington and (like most other people) has nothing but good things to say about the islands. He has friends in immigration, who (of course) can't process anything any quicker but could give me some tips. Additionally he's handling recruitment on behalf of New Zealand House and his father owns one of the biggest companies in NZ! He's promised to provide more information about agencies to contact as having a job is definitely the thing to do to speed this up.
I met with a potential supplier and to my surprise found out that he was originally from Wellington and (like most other people) has nothing but good things to say about the islands. He has friends in immigration, who (of course) can't process anything any quicker but could give me some tips. Additionally he's handling recruitment on behalf of New Zealand House and his father owns one of the biggest companies in NZ! He's promised to provide more information about agencies to contact as having a job is definitely the thing to do to speed this up.
12th February 2007
We suddenly got very itchy about spending over £500 without having an invitation to apply, so I cancelled the chest x-ray appointments for this Wednesday. The medical itself remains in the diary for three weeks hence.
The initial flurry of activity has definitely petered out and we are really frustrated that we haven't yet heard anything. I guess in our hearts we wanted something to happen straight away in order to maintain momentum, but in reality nothing ever moves as quickly as you would like.
We're busy getting the house ready for sale. We're currently having work done on the garden and aim to do things piecemeal in order to have the work completed and the house up for sale by the end of March. Other than the garden there are no big jobs, so it may be possible to get it on the market earlier.
I bought the Rough Guide to NZ today as it was the only book on the islands we don't yet own! Although I'm still on the look out for others....
The initial flurry of activity has definitely petered out and we are really frustrated that we haven't yet heard anything. I guess in our hearts we wanted something to happen straight away in order to maintain momentum, but in reality nothing ever moves as quickly as you would like.
We're busy getting the house ready for sale. We're currently having work done on the garden and aim to do things piecemeal in order to have the work completed and the house up for sale by the end of March. Other than the garden there are no big jobs, so it may be possible to get it on the market earlier.
I bought the Rough Guide to NZ today as it was the only book on the islands we don't yet own! Although I'm still on the look out for others....
Saturday, 10 February 2007
10th February 2007
20 days on from completing my qualification pre-assessment form and I've still not heard anything. I did receive a confirmation on the 24th Jan that it had been received and that I would hear from them 10 days after it had been assigned, so I can only assume that it wasn't assigned until at the least the beginning of Feb. We just need a sign!
Tuesday, 6 February 2007
6th February 2007
I read on the immigration website today that all applications without a job offer will need to be backed by the NZQA assessment, so I've printed the forms off in readiness. I'm still not keen on parting with the $400+ until I know for sure. I've not yet had a reply from the NZQA with regards to the pre-assessment, which is critical for me to understand the status of my professional qualifications.
I finished reading Living and Working In NZ which was really good and has some excellent tips. I also ordered a new book today called Emigrating To New Zealand: A Guide To, in which a guy tells all about his experiences doing exactly what we're doing.
I finished reading Living and Working In NZ which was really good and has some excellent tips. I also ordered a new book today called Emigrating To New Zealand: A Guide To, in which a guy tells all about his experiences doing exactly what we're doing.
Thursday, 1 February 2007
1st February 2007
All children have to have a medical as well (though not a chest x-ray or blood tests), so Ted will be joining us on our trip to the doctors at the end of Feb.
Wednesday, 31 January 2007
31st January 2007
The police forms are completed and in the post. As expected, there was a fair degree of repetition (especially as they had to be filled in by hand) but were straight-forward enough. Up to 40 day wait for this now.
30th January 2007
I phoned and made appointments for our medicals today. Having looked at my plan, the latest we will receive our ITA is the 23rd March, therefore I have made the appointments for the end of February, which means that the results (completed medical) should be back to us just before this date (which also allows for delays of up to 2 months).
The medical is split into 2 - a general medical and chest x-ray – for which we are required to visit 2 different locations. The chest x-ray is the easier of the 2. We can get an appointment anytime for this and it costs £55 each. The medical itself is more complicated and thus more expensive! There is a 3 week wait for appointments, then it’s urine sample on arrival followed by blood tests and general medical. The costs for this are as follows:
£120 p.p. - medical
£50 p.p. - admin
£61 p.p. - blood tests
£7 p.p. - optional blood tests
Making a grand total (including x-rays) of £286 each. I’m hoping to hear from immigration prior to going ahead with the medical to ensure it’s not money wasted.
The medical is split into 2 - a general medical and chest x-ray – for which we are required to visit 2 different locations. The chest x-ray is the easier of the 2. We can get an appointment anytime for this and it costs £55 each. The medical itself is more complicated and thus more expensive! There is a 3 week wait for appointments, then it’s urine sample on arrival followed by blood tests and general medical. The costs for this are as follows:
£120 p.p. - medical
£50 p.p. - admin
£61 p.p. - blood tests
£7 p.p. - optional blood tests
Making a grand total (including x-rays) of £286 each. I’m hoping to hear from immigration prior to going ahead with the medical to ensure it’s not money wasted.
24th January 2007
I received the police forms via email today and am resolved to fill them in this weekend. There appears to be a lot of repetition in the document that needs to be filled out and backed by photocopies of 2 pieces of identification, but it looks straight-forward enough. It’s £10 to get our history, which we’re both expecting to be clear!
21st January 2007
In order to ease my fears over my qualifications, I have decided to apply to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (www.nzqa.govt.nz) to have my qualifications evaluated. Some qualifications require full validation by the NZQA for which there is a charge of $450 (plus optional extras). You can however have an pre-assessment which provides reassurance akin to that I’m looking for. It can be done online, costs $75 and takes up to 10 days to complete. I’m hoping that my professional qualifications have been assessed before, especially as they’re in an area of skills shortage and as such won’t require the full assessment or payment. Anyway, the pre-assessment application is done, which now involves more waiting!
18th January 2007
Having reviewed the job opportunities in NZ, we have decided to head for Wellington as our initial base. Ideally we’d love to have a place (run down ramshackle place to spruce up over the years), but in order to get established, Wellington seems to be the place for us. We don’t really fancy Auckland (or at least I don’t) and Wellington’s location gives us a good base from which to explore South Island.
Tuesday, 30 January 2007
16th January 2007
We’re checking every day for notification that we’ve been invited to apply! In order to dampen down expectation, I have decided to fully research timescales and also look at what’s needed in order to potentially steal a march on the ITA (providing we get it). It’s a difficult balance to strike between those things that can be done that don’t involve committing too much money and those things that need to be done/booked in advance to smooth the process.
Looking at it, there are a number of key things required for the ITA, namely:
Assessment of qualifications
Police searches
Medical
In terms of cost, I’ve no doubt the medical will prove to be the most expensive (although I could be wrong) and this needs to be completed by one of the specially selected panel of doctors listed on the NZ Immigration London website. The medical also only lasts for 3 months, so this can’t be done too soon otherwise it could be money down the drain should the ITA not arrive in time. The police searches though last a year, so can be done now. They cost £10 for each application and are handled through the local authority. Not sure whether the assessment of qualifications is required yet, so am awaiting more details. It’s $470 for this, which I don’t really want to lay out until I’m absolutely sure it’s required.
From the information on the website about what’s required, I have built a ‘worst-case scenario’ plan. At the latest we should be invited to apply (qualifications permitting) by the end of March. Once we get the details back to Immigration, it could potentially be a further 7 months until the decision is made, meaning we could be in NZ by December. In reality, providing we sell our house, we’ll be there earlier than that – hopefully.
Looking at it, there are a number of key things required for the ITA, namely:
Assessment of qualifications
Police searches
Medical
In terms of cost, I’ve no doubt the medical will prove to be the most expensive (although I could be wrong) and this needs to be completed by one of the specially selected panel of doctors listed on the NZ Immigration London website. The medical also only lasts for 3 months, so this can’t be done too soon otherwise it could be money down the drain should the ITA not arrive in time. The police searches though last a year, so can be done now. They cost £10 for each application and are handled through the local authority. Not sure whether the assessment of qualifications is required yet, so am awaiting more details. It’s $470 for this, which I don’t really want to lay out until I’m absolutely sure it’s required.
From the information on the website about what’s required, I have built a ‘worst-case scenario’ plan. At the latest we should be invited to apply (qualifications permitting) by the end of March. Once we get the details back to Immigration, it could potentially be a further 7 months until the decision is made, meaning we could be in NZ by December. In reality, providing we sell our house, we’ll be there earlier than that – hopefully.
8th January 2007
We received a letter today from NZ immigration confirming that we’ve been selected from the pool and outlining next steps. They seem to be super efficient and direct us to our local (well, London) office website for more information.
6th January 2007
Our EOI has been accepted! In fact, it was selected from the pool two days after completion! We’re trying not to get too excited as it still will require scrutiny and challenge before being formally ‘Invited To Apply’ (ITA). We’re really excited now and thoughts turn to what we need to do to literally get our house in order for selling. We resolve to produce a much needed list, starting with the garden (which is due to be completed by the beginning of Feb).
Jules is very pleased at the number of potential Montessori schools in NZ for Ted, something that is really important to her.
Jules is very pleased at the number of potential Montessori schools in NZ for Ted, something that is really important to her.
4th January 2007
I have started to look at opportunities in NZ. Christchurch is currently our favoured location and my current intentions are to go contracting as a PM. There don’t appear to be too many opportunities in Christchurch, however I see a permanent position that takes my eye and give the agency a call. I’m sure that nothing further will come of it (me not having a visa and all), but it causes initial excitement and confirmation that this is really going to happen.I bought my first NZ magazine this week and Christchurch sounds really nice. Just the kind of thing we’re looking for.
19th December 2006
The application is done! We completed what is known as an Expression Of Interest (EOI) online, paid the $300 fee and now go into a pot awaiting selection decisions. The application is based on a points based system, which you accrue for various items including work experience, qualifications, family in NZ etc. We scored 150 points which largely revolved around my professional qualifications for which there was no real category/comparison, so this remains a relative ‘weakness’ in the application. This is sure to be challenged should we be lucky enough to be accepted, however they are internationally recognised professional qualifications in an area of real skills shortage, so I’m hoping that this is viewed positively by the powers that be.
18th December 2006
We have spent some time looking at the relevant immigration policies for both and have decided to plump for NZ. It was always our favourite, truth be told, however the waiting lists for Canada extend to 2 years +, whilst NZ seem much more organised and my skills are in short supply, which should aid our application. Having made the decision, we just want to apply and get the wheels moving. It’s pointless pontificating about it.
10th December 2006
Well, we have decided to leave. We really do feel that Britain is ‘going to the dogs’ and have no other option (other than to moan incessantly for the next 40 years) than to seek pastures new. Ironically, it had been me who’d been against moving away, however I see little future for the country and agree that it’s time to move on.
Obviously family and friends will be left behind and that will be the hardest part, however it’s the long term future and happiness of our own family that is paramount and it’s really important that we give Ted (and future siblings) the opportunity to grow up in a place where they can do or be anything they want to be.
We talked at length about where to move and due to work/language constraints settled on either Canada or New Zealand. I have a cousin who lives in NZ and has nothing but good words to say about it. My best mate has also been there and would move back in a heartbeat. Actually, anyone who has ever been to NZ enthuses about it – let’s hope it’s not just a holiday thing.
My brother recently moved back from Canada to England citing (amongst other things) its lack of family ‘entertainment’ and certainly, having visited where he lived in Nova Scotia he had a point. We have been primarily looking at Vancouver, which seems to be in a great location and also has stuff for Jules and I to do.
Obviously family and friends will be left behind and that will be the hardest part, however it’s the long term future and happiness of our own family that is paramount and it’s really important that we give Ted (and future siblings) the opportunity to grow up in a place where they can do or be anything they want to be.
We talked at length about where to move and due to work/language constraints settled on either Canada or New Zealand. I have a cousin who lives in NZ and has nothing but good words to say about it. My best mate has also been there and would move back in a heartbeat. Actually, anyone who has ever been to NZ enthuses about it – let’s hope it’s not just a holiday thing.
My brother recently moved back from Canada to England citing (amongst other things) its lack of family ‘entertainment’ and certainly, having visited where he lived in Nova Scotia he had a point. We have been primarily looking at Vancouver, which seems to be in a great location and also has stuff for Jules and I to do.
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