No you don't need to use a consultant. That's why forums such as this exist - folks just can't or don't want to pay out that sort of money which could be put to better use. You would still end up having to collate all the information together and doing a certain amount of the process yourself anyway so it still wouldn't be a painless process. A consultant might be useful if your situation was very complex, but I would think a job in the NZ Navy would open the door to a fairly easy path for you.
If you need help with any part of the process, just ask on here. We're open 24/7 and don't cost an arm and a leg. Come to think of it, we don't cost anything at all
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