Emigrating to New Zealand

TheGreenOne

I am looking at emigrating to New Zealand. Has anybody here done it?
How did you go about it, in terms of finding a job, sorting out visas etc.
I am hoping people will share their experiences with me or offer any advice if they have it.:D

Abbiem

Hi I havent been to New Zealand but hope to go soon,my boyfriend just left for Christchurch in the last few days.He got his visa online by applying to:

www.immigration.govt.nz [this is much cheaper than the likes of USIT].
Theres plenty of job vacancies on websites such as trademe.co.nz.
Also book your flight direct with the airline its much cheaper than with a travel agency check out Emirates or Eithad Airways....
Hope this can be of some help.
best of luck

supermouse

I did - 3 years ago and havent looked back since

What information are you looking for? Are you going to get residency here or are you just going to come on a working holiday visa/work permit and go from there?

Work wise you should check out Seek.co.nz or trademe.co.nz

Which city are you looking to come to?

TheGreenOne

Thanks for the replies.

At the moment I am looking at going for a year, if I like it I will stay.
I have cousin living in Rotorua, NZ.

What are the chances of getting a job sorted out before I land in New Zealand or would I be better off finding a job when I get there?


On a side note, how do I thank people on boards?

Doc

Have a look here TheGreenOne http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=916

People there would help you with anything you want to know.

supermouse

It depends on what type of visa you're after being honest. Will you just come out on the working holiday visa or are you going to try get a work permit or residency sorted before you come over?

Are you trained in any sector? Hold any degrees?

I found work easy to come by when i landed in 2009 and my friends that came in 2011 and 2012 all found work within 6 weeks or so. Its not going to fall into your lap, you have to put an effort in but there is work out there.

Rotorua is a nice town, you're about 3 hours south of Auckland and roughly 6.5 hours north of Wellington.

Tell me more about what you're looking for and i'll point you in the right direction

TheGreenOne

Thanks for that Doc

TheGreenOne

@Supermouse.

At the moment, I am testing the waters. If I go for year and I like it I will stay there.

6 weeks to find work isn’t too bad in my opinion.

I have a degree in interior architecture and I worked in a graphic design office for a while. However I would be happy to take any kind of work when I get there.

supermouse

Come over on a working holiday visa then, and see how you get on.
You can apply for the WHV here - http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/

And go from there. If you like it, try get a job in your area and get a work permit for yourself. If not, you've tried it for the year!

mcginr

@ The GreenOne, firstly have to say you're making a great move. I moved a few years ago, it's a brilliant country and there are jobs to be had. It might not be too easy getting a job from Ireland, but once you get to NZ you shouldn't have to wait too long. I recommend you search for companies that do what you want to do and get in contact with them and ask to meet them. You'll find that most people have 15 minutes for a coffee/beer and even if they're not hiring they might point you in the right direction. A kiwi gave me that advice when I arrived and it worked for me.

Also Rotorua is a nice town and you might get work there, but you'd probably have a much better chance in Auckland. Or else Christchurch, obviously they're rebuilding a city there so should be something along the lines of interior architecture?

Someone mentioned booking direct with airlines, but you should call DialAFlight, have used them for years and always happy with them.

Let me know if you need a hand with anything else, happy to help.

TheGreenOne

mcginr wrote: »

@ The GreenOne, firstly have to say you're making a great move. I moved a few years ago, it's a brilliant country and there are jobs to be had. It might not be too easy getting a job from Ireland, but once you get to NZ you shouldn't have to wait too long. I recommend you search for companies that do what you want to do and get in contact with them and ask to meet them. You'll find that most people have 15 minutes for a coffee/beer and even if they're not hiring they might point you in the right direction. A kiwi gave me that advice when I arrived and it worked for me.

Also Rotorua is a nice town and you might get work there, but you'd probably have a much better chance in Auckland. Or else Christchurch, obviously they're rebuilding a city there so should be something along the lines of interior architecture?

Someone mentioned booking direct with airlines, but you should call DialAFlight, have used them for years and always happy with them.

Let me know if you need a hand with anything else, happy to help.

Thanks mcginr
I am currently looking at jobs in Auckland too.
I was thinking of going to Christchurch, but personally I would prefer if I wasn’t too far from anyone that I know.
Thanks for the advice I will get straight on to contacting companies when I get there.

Also do have any advice about trying to place to live?

Obviously I don’t want to mooch off family and wreck their heads
I do enough of that the way it is.

mcginr

if you're talking about a flatshare (which I reckon is the best way to go with any new city) then trademe.co.nz is the best place (and the best place for nearly everything), it's like ebay but a lot better, just find the option 'flatmates wanted' and you'll find a heap of houses/apartments etc where people have a room to let, it's a brilliant way of meeting new people too. If you have a friend/relative to give you a bed/couch when you first arrive then that's a good start, it shouldn't take more than a week or two to find a house to move into

kelzer

Hi mcginr,

I'm going to be moving to Auckland in January and I've got a permanent resident visa. I'm just back from a rece there last week and had a fantastic time.

Few questions, is it easy to find a room in a flat share going as I will with no job?

What is your favourable way to fly to Auckland from Ireland? I flew to Abu Dhabi and then onto Sydney and Auckland. The extra flight from Sydney to Auckland was a killer. I think next time I might go via london and HK/SING to AKL.

mcginr

hi kelzer you should be ok getting a flatshare with no job because you will be dealing with the flatmates as opposed to the landlord, they'll just need to know that they can trust you to pay the rent while you have no job, have a look at this http://www.trademe.co.nz/flatmates-wanted

I reckon the flight is a killer no matter which way you go, but yeah i know what you mean about that extra leg from australia, although most of the fights do that. I've had stoppovers in shangai, beijing and sydney, and none of them seemed any easier than the other. But it probably makes sense having the third short leg at the start (i.e. dublin to london) rather than at the end when you'll be wrecked

kelzer

Hi mcginr,

Just wondering about getting accommodation sorted in February. I've heard this is peak time for tourists and students going back to college etc. So wondering would it be best to put off arriving to a bit later? Or should it be ok?

Thanks

emigration2012

Hi All,

My Husband and I got married last week having been together for five and a half years. He has just got a job offer in Christchurch so now we need to go through the visa process. Although we have been together a long time we have never lived together as he has been in college in the west of ireland and I have been working in Dublin. will this have an impact on moving to NZ together as various websites have indicated that a married couple must prove they have lived together for a minimum of 12 months. any advise would be great, thanks!