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Thread: Moving from US to New Zealand with family

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20

    Default Moving from US to New Zealand with family

    Hi everyone,
    we are currently living in the US (but are Czech citizens) and have been talking for fun about moving to New zealand. But now with the latest schooting at school I think we had enough and will try to make the move in the next few months to a year. Our son in currently in Kindergarten and our daughter in preschool so I think it would be easier for them to move ASAP then wait for them to get older. I`m reading as much as I can about living in NZ and it seems nice but it would be nice to hear it from people actually living there. Is NZ safer then US (lots of guns?) Is it hard to find a good school and good doctor for the kids? How much money would we need to be comfortable?
    My husband is a home builder here and would probably like to keep doing it and it seems like there are jobs in his field but would it pay enought?
    I honestly don`t even know where to begin with the immigration process. I think my hubby can apply for the skill visa, but I would like to for us to become residents so do we need the work to residence visa or can we apply for that when we are there.
    I know it seems like a lot of questions and I hope someone can answer at least some of them. It is very scary for us to make the move to a country that we`ve never been to and don`t know anybody (we thought about going back to Europe, but it very expensive and we would need more German then English and even after taking german for some six years I wasn`t able to speak a word plus we like the lifestyle we have here in the US like bigger house etc)
    Thank You so much for any help you can offer.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NZ to US to NZ. Opua
    Posts
    1,470

    Default

    Welcome!

    Safer? Yes. Bigger house? No.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Essex, UK
    Posts
    2,235

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dell View Post
    Welcome!

    Safer? Yes. Bigger house? No.
    Probably bigger than a lot of European houses, though...

    And welcome

    Daniela

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Top of the South!
    Posts
    321

    Default

    Hello and welcome.

    I live in Marlborough and I know lots of Czech people here, who have come and settled. It is a great life style here, much less materialistic then the UK (and the US I would imagine). But I have a small house, but love it!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Hello Iveta & welcome,

    As other members already suggested, NZ is pretty much safe; safer than most of international standards. Good education standards with cost effectiveness. Good healthcare with friendly and helpful people around you. Having said that no place is heaven, each place has its own pros & cons(like smaller houses and slower pace of life than US) but pros of NZ outshine mostly . For sure very less concept of guns then US, UK. Money requirements vary from person to person and lifestyle to lifestyle, so a bit hard to comment on unless more details are known about your current lifestyle.

    Regarding immigration process, it is easy and very much detailed on the below link: with the details you shared, I think your family are eligible for both skilled as well as business immigration based on what are your husband preferences.
    http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/live/

    In case of any query feel free to ask and ppl here are very supportive & will help you out with any decision making. Best of luck

    ---------------------------------
    Riz

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,822

    Default

    Hello.

    If there's anything on the INZ site you want to ask about, give us a link and people will do their best to help.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20

    Default

    thank you all for the answers. Couple more question if you don`t mind
    1. my hubby makes about $60,000 here in US, we saw some job offers for about the same amount, is that enough in NZ? I`m home with the kids, we try not to spend much, but have enough to pay bills etc.
    2. we do lots of things with the kids like playgrounds, parks, ZOOs, children`s museum and stuff like that, is there lots of these things over there too
    3. how hard is it to buy a house, do you also have to have a good credit score like in the US to get a morgage? (I guess you have to be a resident?)
    4. we have KIA minivan, paid about 18,000 for new, what are the prices like there and do families need 2 cars like here?
    5. Most of the job offers were for the Auckland area, but it looks like a big city, not sure about it. We live in a small town about 20minutes outside of bigger one and are pretty happy how quiet we have it here with no trafic jams What area is best one (probably depends who I ask right
    6. And of course, the most important of all: Does Santa come to NZ? No way my kids are moving if there is no Santa at Christmas haha

    Thank you

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,822

    Default

    6. Of course Santa comes around at Christmas! Where my grandchildren live, he comes round in about the second week of December, riding all round the streets on the fire truck, throwing lollies (sweets) to children standing by. And he has various grottoes in stores and shopping malls.

    5. Auckland has a large area on the ground, but it's not like a big city in Europe or the US. If you go onto Google maps, then adjust the zoom approximately so that you can see Whangaparoa in the north, Papakura in the south, Howick in the east, and the coast to the west, you're looking at Auckland. If you're on satellite view, you can see how much natural countryside there is included in all that. Zoom in closer on different areas, and you'll see areas of bush (local word for areas of wild vegetation) and parks all in among the residential streets. In effect, you could find somewhere to live that is the equivalent of anything from city centre, to close-built suburban, to wider residential, to village, to mid farm-land, all within Auckland.

    4. Look at TradeMe for vehicle prices. Whether or not you need two cars would depend greatly on where you go to live, and where the adults' work is in relation.

    3. No, you don't have to be a resident in order to buy a house. A foreigner with no more than a visitor's visa could buy a property, but that doesn't give the right to live there long-term. I'm sure you'll get comments about the ease of the process compared with the US from those who are there already (and you can find old threads - Search box at the top right). Your credit score doesn't follow you from abroad, but lenders will want proof of likely income, and what deposit you can put down. Requirements vary.

    2. Absolutely. For instance, http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&tbo=d...iw=818&bih=519. There is plenty that is free, or with a special rate for families (for instance, my grandchildren benefit from an annual subscription to Auckland Zoo which gives multiple entries without extra payment).

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    NZ to US to NZ. Opua
    Posts
    1,470

    Default

    #2: New Zealand is so very child-oriented. I love the fact that many businesses have a kid's corner with a little table/chairs, books and toys. It is very common. The attitude towards kids starts when you get on Air New Zealand and the Captain begins his welcome aboard announcement with, 'ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls'.

    4. New vehicles are expensive but there are good deals on low mileage, imported-from-Japan, used vehicles. I just bought a Toyota Spacio (technically a Corolla but larger than what you see in the U.S), used with less than 20,000 miles, for $10950 NZ. It's advertised as a 7 seater but the people in the last row would have to be very little people. Two vehicles? It depends on where you settle.

    6. Santa? Of course! However, Christmas is definitely low key compared to the U.S. It's Christmas without the cold and the glitz. Most towns will have a Christmas parade about two weeks before Christmas and you'll see the occasional Christmas tree lot. (keep in mind I'm not in the city where Christmas may be a much bigger deal).

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Essex, UK
    Posts
    2,235

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mrx View Post
    . For sure very less concept of guns then US, UK.

    Than the US, yes, certainly not fewer guns or less of a concept than the UK. I know this won't really matter to the OP, not being from the UK, but it isn't true.

    Daniela

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