I’d like to work in New Zealand. Where should I begin?Candidates who are based outside New Zealand are constantly approaching us for work opportunities – excited about the prospect of living here, and understandably so! New Zealand has world class qualities as a place to live and work in. Some of these include: a strong reputation for being a stable and well-governed country. The national budget is in the black afterall! holds work-life balance as a core value. ranked #1 in the world for quality education (for the second of the year in a row by the Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index). a reputation for being ‘clean and green’. The scenery is particularly special (not to mention, usually very close by)! an economy that has held well through the Global Financial Crisis and remains strong. strong medical coverage for residents. So, what steps should I take in considering a move to New Zealand? Work out what is important in your work and the way you like to live. The last thing we want is to see you moving to a city or taking a new job only to find in 6 months that it’s “not really you”. You need to know what matters to you and figure out whether New Zealand could match those priorities before you make any life-changing decisions. Think about what kind of lifestyle you’ll want to have, how you’d like to spend your time, where you’d like to be located and, of course, how you’d like your career to progress. Bear in mind that there’s no perfect job or living situation, but there is often ‘better’ jobs and living situations. What is required of you, immigration-wise. Before looking too far into further details, you’ll need to assess your immigration options to make sure you can actually move here legally. The easiest way to do this is with a certified Immigration Advisor (see our recommendations below). They can give you all your options in an easy-to-digest discussion and will often do all the paperwork for you. Alternatively, you can visit the Immigration New Zealand website, figure out your options through the information provided online and apply yourself. This is absolutely achievable, but if speed and accuracy are of high importance to you, you’re probably best to go with an agent. A certified Immigration Advisor can give you tips for getting through the process faster and optimising your chances. Research your costs. This is vital. You’ll need to do homework on the living costs of the area you’d like to live in, the cost of transport you’d use once here and the cost of housing. You’d also be wise to look into the average price of food bills for a family of your size, schooling costs and medical costs. For goods and services, browse the internet or online stores for price lists and compare generally. Expenses may not be as much of an issue for some people, but we still recommend getting a feel for living costs so there are no surprises. See our links below. Talk to the people. There’s really nothing that beats hearing what living in a certain country is like than talking to people that actually live there. Bear in mind that opinions will vary. Your best chance for finding out what it might be like for you is to talk with someone who’s relocated to New Zealand from the same country or region as yourself. There are numerous Facebook pages and websites dedicated to helping people understand from their own countrymen’s perspective. This should highlight any potential issues or confirm your thoughts about moving here. After these four points, you should be able to answer the question “Do we want to move to New Zealand?” and “Can we move to New Zealand?”. If the answers to these two questions are “yes” then you’ll want to start taking steps to make this happen. In terms of finding work, contact the recruitment specialists in your field of work that are working in the region you’d like to be based in. They’ll be able to tell you more about where your skill set fits into the market and should be able to advise you on the best opportunities for you within the market.Helpful Resources For finding more information about living and working in New Zealand: http://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/ http://www.workingin-newzealand.com Costs of Living For professional immigration advice, we recommend talking to a certified immigration advisor: http://www.laneneave.co.nz/ – Immigration law specialists, your first stop. More about Christchurch: http://www.christchurch.org.nz/living/ http://ccc.govt.nz/
