A bit overwhelming

[interiordesignr]

All of this is so overwhelming, it's hard to know where to start.

Obviously we have to start with immigration paperwork. We are currently in US-Indiana and found a migration specialist in Michigan; but, the fees are steep. Do we even need a migration specialist? We'd like to put most of our money towards having when we get there so we can get up and running.

Also, is there a good place for a list or timeline of what to do when? I mean, how do you know when to start the immigration process when you're not planning on arriving for over a year? How/when do you look for a job before arriving and how do you get hired? When do you open a bank account?

All of this is a lot to take in at the beginning, so if anyone knows a good source that has information like this in one source - we would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

[mptopham]

Hi, the immigration New Zealand website should be your first point of call. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/

You need to consider what type of visa you think you could be eligible for and possibly complete the points calculator.

[interiordesignr]

We've been playing with the points calculator and have perused the immigration site as well. The issue with the points calculator is that some of the requirements aren't really defined and therefore we aren't exactly sure which qualifications we meet and which do we not. Some of the explanations and definitions seem to be circular and therefore difficult to understand.

I'm not sure if they say diploma, does that mean a high school diploma?

[JandM]

Can you quote this mention of a diploma, and link to where you found it? This will help others answer the questions you have.

Most people on these threads don't use an agent. Yes, they cost a lot of money, and they don't actually save you doing anything, beyond sending in the information that you have still had to find and provide. Some people who have the money find it reassuring to have someone else tell them what to do, but honestly, it is possible to manage for yourself, and for almost all situations, there is somebody on the threads who has previous experience.

Don't worry, EVERYONE finds the whole situation overwhelming at first. One step at a time, and you'll get your head round it.

[SueDonim]

Agreed, assuming you speak English and have a reasonably clean application, I would go it alone. There's lots of info available on the site. I did my own, though after many months caught in the MA (Medical Assessor) loop, hired on an attorney. I may have been able to navigate those waters alone, but given the sunk costs at that point (both $ and emotional cost), wanted to maximize my chances. But that was an exception, and I do not think having an agent would have made things smoother.

BTW, applying >1 year prior seems very reasonable. W/O a job offer in hand, I think the average is around 12-15 months. Good luck

[Manks]

A high school diploma will not suffice I'm afraid in terms of qualifications for Residency via the SMC route. There are a number of qualifications that are exempt from needing assessment by NZQA, and can be found here. If your qualifications are on there, you won't need to send anything to NZQA. If they're not on there, you'll have to send a whole bunch of evidence and pay for a NZQA assessment to figure out how many (if any) bonus points you'll qualify for. But it's only worth doing this once you've checked that at least one of you has qualifications and work experience that is classified as Skilled.

Otherwise you could try applying for a job and use the Work to Residence stream.

All depends on your personal circumstances.

[YouMeAndThree]

We didn't have enough points via the calculator to send an EOI. Agents were telling us they could get us in, but I couldn't see how tbh, but found a forum (not this one, LOL) that pointed out the Work to Residence Talent visa. We didn't use an agent, but I did ask questions here (yep, ENZ from then on) and always got a reply...... even if it was a mundane "what shall I tick on section F q 5.1?"

Our emigration journey began in Mar '08, and ended when DH landed in Aug '08. After 2 years we were able to submit out PR paperwork, without the need to calculate points and EOI's. PR was granted in Oct '10. That route worked well for us, but wasn't a route we were aware of at the start of our journey.