How can my friend and I accomplish moving to NZ?

[plymanthium]

Nice to meet you all!
A friend and I have been discussing moving to New Zealand from the U.S. We are very excited and enthusiastic about it. It would be great for the both of us to go to a new place, (especially one as beautiful as New Zealand!) meet new people, and have new experiences.
I have a few questions though.
First, can we move there? I asked a question on Yahoo answers about it, and the only response that I got was saying that I have no chance of moving there so I may as well forget it. I really hope this is not the reality because like I said, we'd absolutely LOVE to live there.

I only have a high school degree, and my friend is in college right now getting his general education classes completed.
I would be wanting to go to school awhile after moving there, once we are settled down and what not. I've always had a passion for physics, psychology and biology for as long as I can even remember. My friend is getting his degree in biology, I would probably do a program where I could focus on both physics and psychology.

My other question was about jobs. I have a lot of restaurant experience so I would probably have to start off doing something along those lines. Really I am into anything, I will do whatever is necessary for us to live lead a life there.

Any help is appreciated!
Again, thanks!

[sks]

Hi, I'm sure others will be along to add comments, but just off the top of my head:

1. You can't "just move" here -- you need to have a visa. I'm not sure how old you are, but if you're young enough and a US citizen, you would (probably) qualify for a working holiday visa, which will permit you to live and work in NZ for a year.
2. There are plenty of jobs available in the hospitality industry in NZ, but the pay isn't great. Tips are absolutely not the norm here, so, if you look at the advertised wages for restaurant help here and think "oh, I'll do just fine once I add tip income," that's no way to budget realistically.
3. Unless you eventually qualify for a residence-class visa, you'll have to pay international fees to study here, which are pretty high for someone on a typical wage for restaurant help.

So, you've got a few obstacles to overcome if you're serious. I grew up in the US, but had the educational qualifications and work experience to qualify for a residence visa initially, so my university-aged children also qualified for residence and are able to study and pay local tuition.

Good luck, and do some serious research on the Immigration NZ website (and on this site, as well) to get a much better idea of your options.

[JandM]

sks is right.

1. Apart from what he says about the WHV scheme http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...idayscheme.htm, nobody can work in NZ without a visa, which they don't grant to people without some specialist experience/qualifications, or unless the employer can prove they haven't been able to find a NZ national or residence-holder to do the job. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra.../requirements/