Now We're in NZ. What's Next?

There are few things to take care of when you first arrive in NZ. Having the following checklist and getting them done early on will save you time and energy:

• Secure an IRD number.
• Open a bank account.
• Get the Section49 condition removed (check your passport if you have this).
• Open a credit card account (to establish credit history).
• Apply to WINZ if needing settlement support.
• Connect with local groups or organisations in the community.
• For basic necessities, check out stores (or online stores) for clearance or closing down sales.
• Find schools for your kids.
• Find a GP (General Practitioner).
• Get a driver's license.

More info on my succeeding posts! :-)

Why NZ?

This question is usually asked during phone interviews with a case officer to make sure you have good and realistic reasons why you are leaving your beloved country for NZ.  Asking ourselves this question also helps us in making goals somehow clearer  and in defining what we really want.  Ending up in a disaster and with regret is the last thing that we want to happen when we decide on something without clear objectives especially if we have a partner or a family. It also helps in knowing if NZ is the right place for you.

To answer this question, an intensive research is crucial. In our case, we took advantage of the internet.  Great articles about this country are found on NZ government sites. But if you want to know the good, the bad and the ugly, you have to read reviews, visit forums and blogs, join online organisations created by NZ immigrants themselves and ask friends, if any, who are already in NZ for honest feedback. This way, your expectations will be set accordingly.

My husband and I have several reasons for choosing NZ as our second home:

1.  Laid-back lifestyle
         - Indeed, NZ has  this characteristic especially in the suburbs.
2.  Safety and security
        - Yes, NZ is one of the safest places in the world.
3.  Career growth
        - My husband is in the software development industry which belongs to NZ's Long Term Skill Shortage List.

Most Kiwis are family-oriented.  Employees in most companies are allowed to have flexible work schedule especially those with families.  As one Kiwi boss puts it, "If you want to get rich, go to UK or Australia. If you want to be happy, stay in NZ."
     

New Zealand's National Sport

NZ experience is never complete without having to witness a rugby game. 

Don't get scared or wonder when one evening NZ's CBD area momentarily looks like a ghost town.  Then after about an hour you'd see people wearing black (some with face paint) coming out from nowhere and buses and trains getting full with drivers accommodating standing passengers.  That just means the national rugby team "All Blacks" just hit the arena for a game.

So glad we got the chance to watch the September 13 game between All Blacks and South Africa. My husband won the tickets with jersey shirts and rugby balls during Pak'nSave's Father's Day raffle draw.  Instead of selling, we decided to keep and use them since we don't see ourselves setting money aside to be able to watch such a game event. 

Here's my little angel cheering for the unbeatable team after the game. 

Steps We Took in Applying for Resident Visa under Skilled Migrant Category

Though the following information can be found on the INZ website, I have outlined the steps to give you an overview of what you'll need to go through. I will be tackling specifically on how to get a resident visa under Skilled Migrant Category which is the visa type we applied for, not to mention the subject I am familiar with.

Step 1- Check Visa Options 

• Go to:  https://visaoptions.immigration.govt.nz/Home/Landing.aspx
• Then: https://visaoptions.immigration.govt.nz/Home/CommonPersonal.aspx 

Step 2 - Check eligibility (succeeding steps and links are specific to SMC)

• Quick Check  - minimum criteria for health, character and English ability ->   
• http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/skilledmigrant/caniapply/
• Compute total points (points threshold is 100) 
• Calculator-> https://www.immigration.govt.nz/pointsindicator/
• How points are assigned-> http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/skilledmigrant/caniapply/points/default.htm
• Proceed to the next step if total number of points equals 100 or above

Telephone Interview Questions (NZ Visa - Skilled Migrant Category)

Following are the questions asked during our phone interview with our case officer based in Shanghai branch:

For the principal applicant (my husband):

• Have you ever been to New Zealand before? 
• In the instance you are granted a visa, when would you be looking at making the move to New Zealand?
• Can you tell me about why you decided on New Zealand as a place to migrate to?
• Have you given thought to where in New Zealand you might like to settle? Why this area in particular?

Overview, Description & Tips: Interview Questions (NZ Visa - Skilled Migrant Category)

Who gets interviewed?
     - applicants who do not have job offer in NZ

Purpose of the interview
     - for the immigration to have an idea of the applicants' preparedness for migration and to check that expectations for their move to NZ are realistic

Focus of the interview
    - employment prospects in NZ and ability to gain skilled employment

Duration of the interview

   - 30 to 45 minutes

Description:

Part 1 - Identity Questions

     This is just to ensure the case officer is talking to the right person. These include birthplace, educational attainment and birthdate.

Getting a New Zealand Visa

The process in applying for a visa varies depending on the type of visa you want to apply for and the visa type you want will greatly depend on your current situation and your purpose. 
Questions have to be answered before starting with your application. Do you just want to tour around NZ or work here for a specific period? Do you want to study in NZ? Are you a businessman and wants to put up your own business here? Are you a  skilled worker? Do you want to migrate to NZ?

There are many options to get an NZ visa and the first step we took was to visit the Immigration NZ website. The site's interface made it easier for us to process our application. In our case, we applied directly to INZ since having an agency to take care of an application costs more.  The INZ website is pretty much direct and the instructions are generally easy to understand and follow. With the help of our friends who already made it to NZ, friends assisted by agencies and NZ visa-related forums, we got those gray areas answered and clarified. 

If you plan to work and live in NZ, a resident visa under Skilled Migrant Category is a great option if you don't have or can't get a job offer. This is the visa type we applied for which took us around 1 year and 9 months to process. Definitely, getting a job offer will expedite the entire process. It is important to check the skill shortages before proceeding with your application. See http://skillshortages.immigration.govt.nz  for more details. 

Keep posted for more info about getting an SMC visa.

Applying for Visitor Visa with Deferred RV

'If my spouse and son would join me in traveling to New Zealand, can they temporarily get a Tourist/Visitor's visa?  Will it not cancel their application for residence?'

We asked our case officer this question and here was her answer:

From Job Search Visa to Residence Visa

I'm holding a Job Search Visa.  As soon as I obtain skilled employment in New Zealand, what steps should I take to get my Residence Visa (RV) approved?

We were told by our case officer that once my husband obtained a skilled employment in NZ and worked in that employment for 3 months, we need to send her copies of  the following for further assessment:

New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Residence Visa Processing Time

The time frame varies depending on several factors such as completeness of the application, your and the processing staff's response time during verification, etc.  Ours took approximately 1 year and 9 months from the time we submitted our Expression of Interest (EOI) until we got our Job Search Visa (JSV) or Work to Residence (WTR) visa.

'How much did it cost you to process your NZ visa?'

Some may find this question quite personal but this is one of the most frequently asked questions we received when our friends learned about our plan to move to New Zealand.  Glad we're able to dig up our records. :-)

Why Travel?

Traveling provides a very enjoyable and beneficial experience whether we go on vacation, join an outreach program, or go on adventure trip. I have listed several reasons why everyone should consider this activity.  

First, traveling widens our perspective, and we usually come back a completely different person. When I go to a new place, I always make sure that I get to meet a lot of people. I have been to extremely poor and rich countries, and during one of my trips, I realized that there really is a big world out there. The cultural diversity is amazingly interesting. People are so different, and we all come from various backgrounds with different lifestyles, social status, and personalities.