New Zealand anyone?

I really thought I would be heading back to Europe soon. I didn’t expect to be away for this long. But lucky lucky me has received an awesome temporary job offer in New Zealand! I haven’t been there before so I have been doing lots of research about where to stay and visas… and that sort of thing.

I intend to make a second blog about how to find great accommodation but that might take me a little longer, for now I thought it might be helpful for me to share what I have found out about NZ and visas! I hope you find it useful.

 

First thing I realised it that there is a serious skills shortage out there and NZ is trying to attract those with skills in construction and IT but that’s not all… If you have plans to move to New Zealand then it’s definitely worth knowing that recently there have been a few changes in immigration regarding working rules that might make it easier for you!

 

So you can visit NZ for up to 6 months on a tourist or travel visa, but if you are reading this then you probably have longer, more permanent plans.

If you wanted to explore if you could fit into the so called ‘skills gap’ here’s a few things to bare in mind:

you must be under 55 (check)

you must be qualified in a specific field

But importantly, you should have a NZ job offer before you arrive.

That’s why I am so excited and happy to be applying now for Visas and the like! I did find out you also have to show you’re in good health. I have no problems that I know of so that should be fine!

Your employer will need to show that you are suitable for the role and that they can’t fill the job otherwise. But that should be fairly straight forward. I would suggest starting your search with the government official shortage check-list. Regional and remote parts of NZ are boosting the numbers of permanent applications for residency, so it might be worth exploring specific areas.

 

So now that I have made the decision of relocating to New Zealand and I have got everything sorted for the visa, i want to also tell you about the fun side of things! I haven’t quite arrived yet but there are several things I have already outlined to do! It seems like there is something for everyone and compared to parts of Europe I think the cost of living seems reasonable. Auckland is actually 58th in the world in terms of spending money. I’m from Iceland which is really expensive but you might be more familiar with the costs in somewhere like London which tanks as number 25 on the list of life expenses. But with the beautiful scenery all around you in NZ, I think that takes even a few more points off, generally speaking!!

 

So once I have got somewhere affordable to live I will be posting again to update you all. And then i should have a slightly more disposable income. I hope to go camping and hiking lots and I think there’s so  many things my friends will enjoy when they come to visit me too! One of my best friends is a librarian and she is pleased to know that there are more book shops here than pretty much any other country compared to how many people there are there plus there are tonnes of art and concert venues too! I think my cousins will be really excited to visit too. I hope so anyway!

As I settle in NZ i will definitely start to explore. I have heard the best way to do it is to use the ferry service between the North and South islands, plus a camper van or car and a few buddies. I love boats and I have heard the journey on the ferries is first class. I am so excited for this part of my adventure! I had better get my camera fixed ASAP.