Has anyone out there used an immigration agent for NZ? success story? or do i go it alone on the paperwork??? all advice gratefully received

We are trying to do it on our own. If you read instructions as you go you should be ok. Any short questions the embassy will answer for you, - we did find some of them could be interpreted in a couple of ways! - agents charge a lot and I dont know if they guarantee success! Just make sure you answer all the questions and remember to get the doctor - who has to be one of their allotted ones, to sign the top of each page - it is very faint and i did not see that to begin with. Viv

Hi Viv,

Thanks for that, I do wish i was more confident at all of this!! but we have noted that Sarah at NZ shores repays charges if they say they can get you there but don't as long as all of the questions you are asked in the first instance are truthful? not 100% sure what to do

Hi Pennybarn. Personally I would recommend a consultant. We signed up with WorkingIn who are based in Auckland. We met them at a UK Emigration Expo and as we signed up there we got a 50% discount on their fees. They helped us every step of the way with our permanent residency visa application. We still had a lot of forms to fill in, documents to collect etc etc but WorkingIn explained every step and made sure everything was done right and they applied for extensions to deadlines etc on our behalf when we needed more time. We hit a major snag after we had entered our formal application over a health matter and WorkingIn worked tirelessly with us and against Immigration NZ to prove to them that we were ideal candidates for the visas. It should have taken 3 months to get the visas but in the end it took us 16 months from the date we actually put the formal application in to getting the visas and I must say if we hadn't had WorkingIn's help and support I think we would have given up. They didn't charge us anymore for the extra time as well. On the whole they were excellent as Immigration Consultants. Have a look on their website just tap WorkingIn in Google. Good luck

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__________________
EOI submitted Jan 2010, selected Jan 2010, ITA Jan 2010.
Residency under SMC submitted Apr 2010, granted Aug 2011....they tried to keep us out but failed
Secured job Dec 2011. Arrived Mar 2012

That's great!!!! I will take a look at them now so nice to see you got there in the end!!!! what are you doing now you are out there, and where did you decide to settle?? we are looking at areas with my husbands type of work but we also have the kids (16 & 18) to consider, thank you very much for taking the time to send me the info!!! kind regards Fay.

Hi Fay. The place where we would settle was entirely governed by me finding work. Got the Residency Visas in Aug 11 then had 12 months to activate them. We decided to move out 1st March 12 so first thing we did was book the flights to Auckland for the dates we wanted to travel. Then the next step was applying for jobs all over the North Island. Didn't want to live in the South. Got interviews for companies in Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Levin & Wellington. After researching Wellington we decided that was the place for us. Luckily both jobs I had applied for in Wellington came through so I picked the best one and we moved here. I was an electricity control engineer in NW England & I accepted a post as a System Coordinator for Transpower NZ Ltd who are the System Operator here - same as National Grid in England. Top job with a great company/great people in a fantastic place. Think the Immigration process cost us £4k all in so consultant costs prob about £2500 ish. Unsure what the actual visa process cost is on its own so I'm guessing £1500?
I'm here with my wife and 14 month old. Wife not working yet but will probably start job hunting in a year or so if we don't have any more kids. Shes a v experienced ICU nurse so shouldn't have any problems finding work.
We currently living in a holiday cottage in Woburn, Lower Hutt. Lovely place. Very nice area n only a 15 minute walk into Lower Hutt City with loads of shops, supermarkets, banks everything. Drive into Wellington 15 mins or 25 mins at 'rush' hour. Only a 10 min stroll to the train station then 15 min ride into the city around the harbour bay. Gorgeous. We here probably another 6 weeks until shipping container comes then we got a more permanent place sorted from 1st May for 2 years in a new sub division Churton Park. Bit closer to the city but up in the hills instead of the Hutt Valley. Nice down here but one always wonders whether it could ever flood!!! All the best. Kind Regards. Chris

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__________________
EOI submitted Jan 2010, selected Jan 2010, ITA Jan 2010.
Residency under SMC submitted Apr 2010, granted Aug 2011....they tried to keep us out but failed
Secured job Dec 2011. Arrived Mar 2012

That's brilliant Chris! sounds like you managed it with out any hassle?? and thanks for the approx charges we had already spent £4k on the Australian application fingers crossed this is the last time I will be parting with our money as this is the last time we are going to try if it doesn't happen this time I will come to the conclusion it just wasn't meant to be??? Is there any reason why you aren't purchasing a property out there? as we had planned to buy a plot and build our own home we had been told that NZ homes don't seem to be very modern and central heating is rare?? how have you found their accommodation?? kind regards Fay

Definitely be very truthful. Not worth it if they find out and block you as then you will never get in. I seem to remember something about an interview somewhere along the line? But not to sure about that as we are not there yet. We made a couple of mistakes ( not putting n/a against questions and not using one of their appointed doctors as we are so far away from Johannesburg) and they have sent all our forms and money back! So we start again.......
Viv

Our only hassle was with my wife's health issue. She has UC but only very mild and has been well controlled since diagnosis 7yrs ago. Unfortunately Immigration NZ didn't see it that way, used a 'medical expert' of theirs who deemed she would cost too much to the NZ health system, would need surgery so basically that was it we wouldn't get the visas!!!
In conjunction with our Immigration consultant though we appealed to get a second opinion which we lost then we spent the next 9 months proving the 'medical expert' was completely useless. We found out the 'medical expert' was just an NZ registered GP so didn't specialise in anything let alone the gastro field so we employed the use of an NZ medical consultant expert in the field to write a report on my wife's condition and prognosis and hey presto just like that the visas were granted. No apology though for wasting our time or money for that 9 months!!!

We aren't buying a property yet as we don't know where we want to settle. We've also been advised not to buy for at least 2 years to make sure the place is what we want and the job etc so that's the reason why we are renting for 2 yrs. Wasted money we know but it's budgeted for.
I have the chance to base myself in either Wellington or Hamilton when Im fully trained so who knows where we'll decide.
In Hamilton this week as I'm training up here & it is also a beautiful place. Been up to Rotarua/Lake Taupo yesterday and Mount Maunganui today. Just stunning is all I can say!!!
We also still have a house back in the UK that we are renting out. Want to sell but the market is that rubbish & we don't want to lose any of the money we invested in it so we will look at our options again in 2yrs.

Forget the myth about NZ homes. This is the other side of the world, not the third world ha ha!!! Yes there are a lot of old homes and they look beaten as are very old fashioned inside and out but you also find lots of these in the UK. If its not your cup of tea just steer clear.
The house we are in now is old and traditional. Has an ancient bathroom and kitchen from the 60's but it all works and there's plenty hot water. No it doesn't have double glazing or central heating but we don't really need all that yet as the weather has been fine and the house was right at the top of our budget. If you want more for your money you have to go further out of the city. The odd night has been chilly but we just turn on the electric blanket or the electric heater. Our new rental house that we are moving into in May is a new build and has all the mod cons so we won't have any issues then.
If you stick to the older areas your going to come across the majority of houses that are in need of refurbishment and have the leaky roofs as all they are made out of is timber with a metal corrugated roof. I'd say steer clear of the areas where the local electricity poles are in the street. Go for the newer places with more modern housing and you'll be fine.

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__________________
EOI submitted Jan 2010, selected Jan 2010, ITA Jan 2010.
Residency under SMC submitted Apr 2010, granted Aug 2011....they tried to keep us out but failed
Secured job Dec 2011. Arrived Mar 2012

Well you sounded as if you were dead set about going!! and fair play for getting a second opinion!! It's lovely to hear that it all worked out OK in the end. I think it's sensible to rent for a couple of years to see if you settle! we have friends that have just emigrated to Wellington although she was married to a kiwi here in the UK so I think their visa would be different to ours? We have a second home here in the UK that we rent out so we are hoping to sell our current home and keep the rented one going here in the UK just encase as a retirement fund?? how do you go about money while you are over in NZ?? i know this probably sounds daft but is it easy to manoeuvre money ?? we will have rent going into UK banks so can it all just be done on transfers from the internet?? I just do 95% of all my banking on line anyway?? Well it's a wet bank holiday Monday here as usual so your not missing anything