Hi,
I'm married to a New Zealander and we currently live in Canada (I'm Canadian). We've been married for almost 8 years and have 2 children.
My husband really wants to move back to New Zealand and so we are in the process of trying to figure things out. I'm a bit overwhelmed though, so would appreciate any advice you may have!
1. What type of visa would I need to apply for? I would like to be able to work as well. I have a business degree and a CA/CPA (chartered accountant) designation but I don't want to look for work right away, just after we are settled there.
2. How long before we move would I need to apply for the visa? How long does the visa process usually take and how long after I receive the visa do I have to enter the country? Is there any part of the visa process that takes a long time?
3. We have 2 children - 1 of them has his NZ citizenship because we applied for it however his passport has expired. The other one is just a baby and we haven't gotten around to applying for his citizenship/passport yet. Would they need to get visas as well or would it be enough for them to enter the country on a visitor visa)? Would the treatment of them be different since one is an NZ citizen and the other isn't (officially)?
4. We have a dog that we want to bring over and I know this will be a headache too - but I don't think its important for the visa process or is it?
Any other advice would be much appreciated!
Kind regards,
Confused Canadian