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Early in 2002 we were at a crossroads in our life, following a number of different strands that asked us as a family to take a check up from the neck up! The previous summer I had been ill for the only time in my working life. This shook me considerably and made me re-evaluate how I wanted to work and live (it seemed to be becoming a choice rather than a combination). We had lost Sues mother at Christmas; she had been a mainstay in our lives. We wanted a change.
To want is easy, to achieve more difficult. Living in the affluent Southeast of England was a double edged sword, employment options were there, but the cost of living extreme. Trading down from our period cottage to a more modest dwelling in a less desirable area almost seemed unfair, but it was the only way to remain in the same job and cut expenditure.
Asking Sue to work commercially again rather than follow her dream as a Dance Teacher and having lots of time for Scott didnt solve the conundrum either. I didnt want to lose the parts of our life balance that worked in order to solve the ones that didnt. A move seemed to be the only logical alternative.
But where to?
To move to anywhere else in the UK seemed filled with issues. We could become mortgage free(r) if we move Southwest, it is beautiful, the weather will be pretty good, but there arent many jobs. The same would be true of the North of England (and its colder). Are the West Midlands any better than the Home Counties? Scotland offered more of the same.
We wanted it all I guess!
I was 41 and like many of my friends seemed to be at a life changing stage. Nick had sold his business, Dave wanted to be an actor, and Andy was disillusioned after 12 years loving his job. So I knew I wasnt alone. Somehow that didnt help!
I wanted a job that challenged me but one I didnt need to work 70 hours a week just to keep. After 20 years of hard work I deserved a nice home. I didnt want Sue to have to accommodate me by having to take a job she hated after just fulfilling her ambition.
My concerns with the lifestyle of the UK were still latent but there a dinner party with some friends moving to Spain spent much of the evening debating what the nature of Englishness was and whether it was changing irreparably. My local supermarket was suddenly held up at gunpoint twice in three months. Right there in my sleepy Buckinghamshire village. We wanted our son to have a childhood and education without stress and pressure of 11+ exams, SATs etc.
Then Epiphany! May Bank Holiday 2002. (The one formerly known as Witsun.) Sitting around a Sunday lunch with my family, the three of us and my mum and a friend Chris (who was staying with us at the time). I asked a question as much to keep Scott involved with the conversation as anything.
Where would you go if you could visit anywhere in the world?
From all parts of the table the answer came New Zealand, New Zealand, New Zealand, New Zealand.
I announced somewhat flippantly that we had better all go and live there then. There followed a conversation of how one could and the ups and downs of such a move. All pretty light hearted and not serious on any conscious level. Recounting this story to our best friends Nick and Lynn the next day seemed to cement something Lynn said I couldnt just go to New Zealand. A challenge! We went onto the Internet and looked at the New Zealand Immigration Service website. Pretty clearly I had a chance to get in but needed to really understand the points situation and how to qualify, or what about the entrepreneur visa, or the talent visa? Where to go from there?
I decided to telephone Yellow Pages New Zealand as a likely employer. That night I girded my loins checked the time difference (about eight times) and made the call. I was lucky. The personnel officer at Telecom suggested I talk to an immigration agent first to establish if I could really emigrate, but to come back to him if it worked out! Suddenly Im emigrating?!?!
Sue and I had a sit down talk and found we both wanted to see this further. There seemed so many plus points. Great exchange rates meant good house prices, the kiwi work: life balance seemed a little more in order than the UK. A possible good life for us all.
Having looked at a couple of websites, I chose to try IMMagine Immigration (formally Protea Pacific ). They had an online basic questionnaire to see if you had any chance, followed by a paid for more in depth one if you were still serious. Also heaps of information and frank realism. I telephoned IMMagine and spoke to Lynn who was incredibly helpful and friendly. She advised I fill in the questionnaire it cost about 35 pounds. I then waited a couple of anxious nights for the answer.
The answer was a cautious maybe.
If I could get a job that matched my job experience, if I could find a qualification that matched by Sales Management experience, or if I could find an employer that would offer a talent visa, then I could try. Or I might have a go at starting my own business or buying into an existing one. But not a no so I decided to take it one stage at a time.
So who to tell?
Certainly not at work as there was every chance it wouldnt happen. But how about my mum? Having made plans to visit New Zealand to check it out that summer holiday, Id better say something. My mum was the brilliant lady I always underestimate. She was supportive and but I could tell oh so upset. We decided to tell a select group of friends, those who we didnt want to present a fait accompli if we loved New Zealand as much as we expected to. The overall reaction was a common one, surprise, but there were extreme differences in the communication of that surprise. Lucy simply cried (we were on the telephone) and her puzzled husband took over the call. Allan & Tracy were almost angry and the discussion was hard. Looking back, Im not sure we could have done it any more appropriately. It was strange that a decision so personal to us became such a discussible item! Like anything major the gild fell from the lily as the story of the dining table was retold again and again.
Next I needed to investigate the dreaded points situation. To get in under the most popular General Skills category you needed the right number of points. This amount changes monthly, and was 25 when I first looked, but seemed to rise every month! Age, Work Experience, Relevant Qualifications, Money, and a Job Offer all scored, with lesser amounts for the secondary applicant. Lynn at IMMagine quickly helped us to decide that the application would be in my name rather than Sue, and that Sues hard won Dance Teaching qualifications didnt score any points.
The NZ Immigration system have ratified many qualifications but Sales Management wasnt covered anywhere. I looked around and found a qualification that seemed to fit the bill. Unfortunately the NZQA will only test qualifications you possess, so it was all a risk. But first I had to get the qualification! Study at my age!! I was lucky (again) and found a great tutor in a small company who understood me almost immediately. Anne put me at ease and led me logically into the world of learning again. I was the worst student ever and found starting the most difficult thing to do. I couldnt concentrate and decided that I would kick on after our trip to New Zealand.
So after a relaxing holiday in Devon with Nick and Lynn and family (the first of many last times) we jetted off for 2 weeks in New Zealand. The flight (via Los Angeles) was long but strangely not too tiring, and we arrived with hearts pounding with excitement on a Monday at 6.00am. Auckland airport has to be one of the friendliest I have been to; there was even complimentary tea and coffee whilst we waited for our bags! Having got our hire car (and complete directions to the hotel from the Avis girl) we set off for what was to be a life-changing fortnight.
Part holiday part can it be this good, where are the bad bits, this was truly a voyage of discovery. We shopped for food, looked at Estate Agents and got a feel for areas. We first looked at Parnell* and gasped it was so expensive. Mortgage free(r) was so appealing, but not there certainly, as the prices seemed to match the UK. Our concierge Matthew let us into the secret Parnell was the place to live in Auckland. Phew.
We covered the North Island pretty extensively, but missed out on the beautiful south purely a time issue, I wish we had come for three weeks or more, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I met up with Lynn at IMMagine and she was as nice in person as over the phone. One thing was certain though IMMagine couldn't represent me until:
- I had a qualification worth at least 10 points.
- I had a job offer.
Professional to a fault both Myer and Lynn whilst I was at IMMagine laid out the way ahead, get the qualification, keep my options open as possible with Yellow Pages New Zealand and cross my fingers!
Having met with the personnel manager at Yellow Pages, he was impressed with my presentation and told me to stay in touch as the process took shape. He couldnt however see how the new talent visa could be employed by Yellow Pages to get me in straight away. As I wasnt a sports hero or a ballet dancer the talent visa wouldnt apply! I knew different, but I couldnt seem to get my point across.
We had yet to tell our 9 year old, Scott, our plans, having decided not to unsettle his world before we were surer. I finally broached the topic with him over a mans dinner at out hotel in Wellington. To my incredible relief he was excited and wanted to tell everyone he knew as soon as we got home! Not a good idea I thought in case it doesnt work out and he agreed to keep it to himself.
Once home it was into the strange phoney war of living for the present and having two futures to plan for. In December I took my finals, having crammed a years part time course into three months. In January I sent my thesis into for the final assessment. The Institute was aware of me and processed the results as quickly as they could. Later that month came the answer a pass with merit. IMMagine came into their own again and although I changed consultants to Meg the service if anything improved! Iain also helped out, and gave me the low-down on the vagaries of the NZQA who needed to ratify the Diploma now. The options were simple, pay a fee and wait or pay more and get it inside 8 weeks. We wanted to know as soon as possible and elected to take guaranteed turn around time. Iain was extremely clear there was no guarantee regarding the qualification. I had found an MA course as a contingency, but really didnt want to work through another period of intense study. So now we had to wait.
All this time we had been selling our house, experiencing for the last time the English legal system at its worst. Also having to delay the sale against our news, not wanting to lose our buyer, but not wanting to sell our home in case something didnt happen. To move from our home, and not emigrate would be the worst of both worlds.
On March 5th Sues birthday the email came through from Meg. We had been awarded 10 points. We were there or so we told ourselves. Meg helped us total the points:
Age 4 points
Experience 7 points
Funds 2 points
Qualification 10 points
Total 23 points
Pass Mark 29 points. I needed a job offer. Fortunately Yellow Pages had been very warm and ready to talk seriously when my qualification came through. This would give the 8 points I needed, and the benefit of keeping my funds for the best exchange rate. Disaster! Duncan at YP has handed his notice in and is leaving the company. 9 months rapport had gone in one phone call. Finding a replacement contact was difficult and frustrating. My goodness was did it seem unfair. Were the gods against us? What to do. Back to Meg for support, help, advice, a shoulder to cry upon.
Once again she gave good counsel. Getting a job from the UK, particularly in my speciality, Sales Management, was next to impossible. Why not come across and try in Auckland?
Did we split our family and I go first followed by Sue and Scott. Or do we go for broke? My wonderful wife came into her own and provided that days reminder of why I had married her. Lets just go she said, Youll get a job and then were in. The worst that can happen is we have a brilliant holiday! Her ability to see right to the core of any issue always moves me, and the decision was made.
Then we had so much to organise. We made a couple of good choices I would recommend to anyone. We chose a corporate relocation company, Sterling, rather than just a shipper. This meant not only was our house packed in 2 days, all our plugs were changed and the contact during the whole procedure was great. It cost about 500 pounds more, but for peace of mind money well spent. Although I wish I had listened to Sue; we needed to start sorting out the house earlier. Also get some helpful friends to get involved. It was so stressful. Eventually Manda came over to help us get through Scotts toys and stuff. I was ready to throw in the towel.
Also we arranged our New Zealand bank account via the ASB in London. We would arrive and cards and funds would be waiting for us. Again do it no queuing no worries day one you can function in your new country.
We completed our house sale on Friday 9th May and left the UK on 11th.
But boy did we make a boob! We had far too many clothes with us, and although the overall weight of our luggage was fine, two of our bigger cases were too heavy. So it was repack, reweigh and lots more unnecessary stress!
Alls well that ends well and we arrived, I got a job inside 10 days, IMMagine worked their magic and my working visa was through within the fortnight they promised. Importantly I could promise this timing to my employer, this was key to their confidence in hiring me.
Now we live in paradise, and await our Permanent Residence later this year.
I would recommend:
- A reputable immigration agent who can give you in writing the process you will go through. They will lead you by the hand through the police checks, medicals and everything else involved.
- Dont scrimp on your shipping. Others I have met over here have regretted saving at the beginning only to pay later.
- Make sure you investigate the way houses are sold over here. It is different.
- Check your travel arrangements carefully. Being told you cant go does help the blood pressure!
- Pack in enough time. A recommend a week or two before your packing company arrives.
- Once you decide how much you will take on the flight halve it!
- Organise a bank account before you leave.
- Read as much as you can to decide where you want to start you new life.
* Parnell is the most expensive suburb in New Zealand - Ed
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