Where are you up to?

[Taffy]

Where is everyone in their moving process? So many people seem to be on the verge of leaving, I can't keep up! So, for my sanity and the interests of others... where are you up to now?

[MotherBear]

I'll start this off then. As most forum old-timers know, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. For those that don't know, I'm waiting for Taffy to get in his 3 years of residency so he can sponsor me (unless he's changed his mind in the meantime, of course ) .

The 3 years is up in August, I believe, so any time after that. Timing is of the essence because hubster wants to work a couple/three more years. My thoughts are that the sooner we get residency (she says hopefully) it will leave us free to enter NZ permanently whenever we like as long as we don't let the RRVs lapse. The way things are here at the moment it could go belly up at any time so it would be comforting to know we had somewhere to go and somewhere for our stuff to go without having to pay 12.5% GST.

It will probably take up to a year for the application to be processed and, if we want to drag it out a bit, we can hold off paying the migrant levy for a few months, then we have a further 12 months before we have to get to NZ to activate the PR. Once activated, I guess we can leave NZ again if hubster is still working or, alternatively, I could stay in NZ if his job becomes desert-based (single status) as planned.

That's the grand plan, but we'll have to see if it works out that way . Worries are that there may be a change of government after the elections, which could mean a shakeup in the immigration policies, not that they don't give them a bit of a shaking anyway from time to time . Nothing is cast in stone so we'll just have to go with the flow.

[ebianca]

We'll have you MB if he changes his mind!

WE FLY ON MONDAY!!!!!

We have no Visas though so the hard work starts for Neil when we arrive- i'm trying my best to get him to pass his CV round before we actually leave- would be easier to get blood from a stone i think.

Anyway once he secures a job offer then the EOI will be going in so hopefully within 4-6 months we should be fully fledged NZ residents.

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by ebianca

We'll have you MB if he changes his mind!

Thanks, Beth. Just imagine, you and I could play Scrabulous and Scramble all day then.

Trouble is, if you sponsor me, I'll have to turn the immigration clock back 3+ years and start again. If Taffy refuses to sponsor me, I'll just threaten to expose some of his nasty little habits as a child...... if I can think of any.

[zummerzet_lou]

Have a wee peep at my sig and you'll see our progress on the PR application.

House is sold and we are in a short term rental in the UK. Hoping to secure a job early April and would love to be out before July 2008.

[sparrows]

Went to Expo in Manchester October 2007 to approach IT companies for Project Management jobs in or around Wellington
Approached by agency with company interested in telephone interview, all went well and job offer by the end of January
Medicals went ahead middle February and working visa applied for end February
Received passport and visas on Wednesday 12th March so excited
Today OH arrived in Auckland due to fly to Wellington ready to start new job in two weeks, and found a fantastic house to live in Waikanae
The flight went well and he can recommend Singapore airlines no complaints
Hopefully we will be joining him soon just waiting for house sale and getting plenty of interest as it appears that the market is picking up
The only tip I would say is you have to go, use or do the best way for your move to New Zealand. We all have different circumstances but all have the same goal a better life in New Zealand


Debs

[Dawn]

We arrived July 07 on VV's. We have our residency application lodged with immigration and are still waiting to hear whether we have been successful or not. NZIS have intermittently asked for further information. Their latest request is for more evidence that Gary and I are in a long term relationship. We have already provided them with joint bank account statements from 7 years ago, joint mortgage forms, our daughters birth certificate from 6 years ago, numerous bills in joint names from different years inlcuding official letters from such authorities as the Inland Revenue, etc etc. Apparently this isn't enough and they now need letters of evidence from our parents. We feel like we're naughty kids who's parents have been contacted by school

The other thing they've queried and this is REALLY annoying, is the Statutory Declaration that I had drawn up to allow us to bring my 12 year old son out with us. My son is from my previous marriage and I had to get permission from his father to remove him from the country. Everything is in order apart from wait for it........where the solicitor has witnessed, signed and officially stamped it she has not written in brackets by her name 'solicitor'. Because of this, I have had to send the whole thing back to the UK to be redone.

Apart from this, everything is rosy and we are sure that we will have a positive result.

[Ginabridget]

We've just accepted an offer on our house from a first time buyer, we've negotiated a four week delay between exchanging and completing, which should hopefully give us enough time to sell furniture and book flights.

Keeping my fingers crossed very tightly and touching any bit of wood that I can find I'm hoping that we might be heading to NZ in June/July.

[zummerzet_lou]

Hey - Well done Gina ... bet you must be relieved?

Will keep everything crossed that this sale goes through without any hiccups.

Looks as though we might be arriving at NZ about the same time ... any ideas yet as to where you're heading?

Lou

[Ginabridget]

Hiya Lou,

We're going to be heading for Waipu which is a little coastal village about 2 hours north of Auckland. After that I have no idea, wherever my hubby gets a job, ideally still in the north and maybe no further south than Hamilton. He just rang me from work to say that he'd been looking at jobs in Oz!

Good luck with your interview, I'll keep everything crossed for you too.

Gina