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Thread: Happy Happy Joy Joy

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Devon, UK
    Posts
    174

    Talking Happy Happy Joy Joy

    Hello All,

    1st let me apologise for not contributing more to this forum since my EOI was selected and declined, To say I have been busy would be an understatement, but that is no excuse.

    For those that dont remember my EOI was declined due to a qualifications technical glitch which left me in the position of either needing a Job offer or to go and sit a degree. referred to at the time as a speed bump in my efforts to get my family to NZ.

    To update you all on what has happened over the last year plz read on...

    I started to look at possible alternative routes into NZ and decided that I was going to apply for a Long term business visa, so started trawling through the NZIS and BMB sites to better understand what was involved and to make sure I could not end up with another "speed bump". Then I had to either start a business from scratch, buy a franchise or a business that was in need of growth. After months of looking at just about every business agency and website in NZ that had businesses for sale I found a business(franchise) that I felt was right for me and entered into negotiations to buy the license for Christchurch.
    Once we had come to an agreement on the license (subject to my getting LTBV Approval) I had to make the decision or whether to apply for the ltbv my self or to pay $15000.00 to have an agency do it for me, well being tight fisted I elected to fly it solo and started to work on a business plan for the franchise which took me almost 6 weeks of solid work to get all the facts , figures and statistics needed to complete the 16000 word business plan ( I felt like i was back at school with that one)(IF anyone would like a recommendation on good software for a business plan please PM me and i will be happy to let you know what I used), Once this had been completed and I had a NZ accountant look it over for any mistakes, I started to complete the LTBV application cross referencing it with the business plan, and getting the medicals and police checks done (again), along with 2 arch lever folders full of supporting documentation I was ready to send it all off to the Wellington business migration branch (BMB).

    This is where Heart attack Number one happened (figuratively speaking).
    NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER Use the Post office/parcel force to send anything to NZ, I paid £98.00 for an insured tracked guaranteed not to take more than 4 days to wellington service( yeah right) So off the parcel went with me tracking it every 30 mins seeing where it had got to lol. anyway IT Vanished, Parcel force blamed fedex, fedex blamed parcel force etc and then they both blamed NZ customs and I was told I had to get someone from NZIS BMB to phone up nz customs from there end as i was not allowed to and it had to be the recipient of the parcel, So many hours on hold to nzis bmb, and i was told that the parcel was not and had never been with NZ customs (at this point a nuclear bomb went off in my head) :-(.I decided to burn up a favour i had owing to me from a manager with in fedex to see if they could track down my parcel, they came back to me 1.5 hrs later with the good news that it had not even left the UK and was sat on the desk of someone who had gone away on holiday ????????? (so day 10 and my parcel was in Birmingham which is a 5 hr drive from my house, GREAT) oh I forgot to mention that during this 10 days the parcel force tracking had stated that my parcel had arrived at its destination country on 2 separate occasions. Anyways long story short it took 15 days to get a guaranteed less than 4 days parcel to Wellington.

    Once my application was in the very good hands of the wellington business migration branch It took them 1 week to check all the contents of the application were ok. Que heart attack number 2, The doctor who did the medicals had forgotten to tick the box saying my wife was normal (medically speaking :-) ), which was sent back to us to get said doctor to tick sign and date the mistake then scanned and emailed back to them with original in the post(not parcel force or fedex).

    Anyway 2.5 weeks after they received the application It was approved .

    Now my flight is booked and I arrive at 10:30 am on the 14th of March into a shaky Christchurch and Ben&Claire are picking me up from the airport (Thank you so much), but minus my wife and kids :-( who will not be following me out there until September due to work commitments in the UK. If I was to try and find a possative side to this it would be that It will let me put 100% of my time and efforts into starting up the business and getting it running.

    I never knew it was possible to have so many emotions and feeling going on at the same time. I really am excited about the move to NZ but at the same time am dreading leaving my dear wife and kids (3 year old DD and 18 month old DS) even though it is only for a few months.

    Bless her my wife threw me a surprise party on Friday night which was such a nice surprise and very unexpected, but made me feel very loved and cared for by all those that we will be leaving behind. It actually got me all teary eyed and emotional.

    Well there you have it Speed bump removed and steaming full speed ahead)

    I would like to thank everyone on this forum for your posts and your support keep it going as this really is a wonderful site and a great aid to all that use it.

    Sorry for the bad formatting this has been spewed out of my brain onto the page.

    Lots of love

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    Wow - what fantastic news! Congratulations, and the very best wishes for a safe journey and your new start.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Manchester > Now Tauranga
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    Default

    Great news. Are we allowed to know what type of business?

    And Parcel farce delivered my original degrees to Moscow for no known reason at all. And then they got lost for 3 weeks with the russians, kiwis and especially the Royal mail all denying knowledge.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    was Oxford nr Chch, NZ now UK
    Posts
    1,288

    Default

    What a journey - glad it all turned out right in the end. Hope all goes well with the business and the reunion with the family. What business and where abouts in Chch are you actually setting up?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    England
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    Hi I lived in new zealand for three years and then returned to england, big mistake we have been home for 2 years plus now but we are flying back at the end of october.
    A few usefull things to take are extra basic medication ibuprofen paracetamol and some creams etc these things are expensive and don,t forget insect replent.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    North Canterbury to UK
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    2,755

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    couple of these awaiting your arrival

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Devon, UK
    Posts
    174

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    Thanks for the kind words all and the advice Marigold, And am definatly looking forward to the Ben&clare.

    the business I have got into is http://www.rentacrate.co.nz I will be running it from CHC but will be living out side in the Rangiora area , So if anyone out there needs supplies for relocating/moving house or office give us a shout (I know shameless plug there ) If i can help anyone I will do my best.

    Duncan74 Hope you got back your original degrees in the end, NZIS used DHL to return passports and originals which arived at my door in a very fast time so think i will use them in the future if i need to send anything els
    Last edited by Madoxen; 7th March 2011 at 09:06 PM.

  8. #8
    Manks's Avatar
    Manks is offline Serial procrastinator and general busybody
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    UK->CT, USA->Wellington, NZ
    Posts
    1,853

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    Wow, that's determination for you. And a great example of how not to give up when the going gets tough. Well done you! And all the very best of luck for the new business venture!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Blenheim
    Posts
    1,620

    Default

    Congratulations and here's to a good start!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Rotorua, Bay of Plenty
    Posts
    591

    Default

    OMG! What a journey and you havnt even left the UK yet!!
    Good Luck with your plans.

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