Canadians living in New Zealand

divastarz · #1 (**permalink**) 18th May 2008, 02:33 PM

Hi my fellow Canucks!

I would like to know how is it like to live in New Zealand???

Is it hard to adapt to their cultures?? Is the job employment much easier??

Is their ways of life much easier than Canada??

Would you rather retire there???

Where is the best place/city to live in terms of employment and family life?

Thank you for all your feedbacks!

CdnKiwi · #2 (**permalink**) 21st May 2008, 03:39 AM

Hi Divastarz,
I'm afraid I can't answer all of your questions, but I'll try to give you some idea of what it's like living here in NZ.

To begin with, the culture of NZ isn't really all that different from that of Canada. (Both countries were colonized by the British, so there're bound to be some similiarities!) You do have different ethnic groups to what you might find back home, like Maori and Pacific Islanders, but generally much is similar. You get more of the Scottish influence further south, in the South Island.

As for employment, it all depends on what you do for a living. I'm a teacher and am finding it difficult to get permanent work here, but then, there is a surplus of teachers EVERYWHERE.

I'm not sure what you mean by ways of life, but as I mentioned above, the culture here is very similar to that of Canada. If you're living in a city centre like Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch, you'd probably find little difference from any city of similar size back home. If you're living further out into the rural areas, you might have a few adjustments to make, but nothing major. It's probably a bit more laid-back here than in many places back home.

I'm nowhere near retirement age, and I need to get a permanent job before I can even THINK about it, but on the surface of things it is VERY similar to Canada. There are a few pension schemes available, but the government recommends that you do a little investing of your own to make sure you have a comfortable retirement. It would be a lovely place to retire in.

The best place to live for work and family again depends on what you do for a living and what kind of a lifestyle you want for your family. More job opportunities are available in the city centres, but life is more hectic.

Hope some of that has helped. Look forward to hearing more from you in the future.

divastarz · #3 (**permalink**) 21st May 2008, 11:45 PM

Hi Cdnkiwi,
Thank you so much for the info. It is very nice to hear some feedbacks from our fellow Canucks! This is really a great help in our planning. I think, we would like to live in Auckland considering, we are used to living in a city like Toronto.
I will keep you posted!
Cheers!

CdnKiwi · #4 (**permalink**) 23rd May 2008, 03:23 AM

Good luck with the decision making and the move! If you decide to tackle Auckland, my advice would be to invest in a really good, up-to-date atlas/map of the area. You WILL need it.

divastarz · #5 (**permalink**) 26th May 2008, 12:30 AM

Hi Cankiwi!

How long have you been in New Zealand??? We just recieved our application papers and are in the middle of filling it out. We have some questions that needs some answers like how much do we have to pay for the processing fee and how much money do we need to take.
It is kind of hard to keep in touch with their Immigration becaus here in Toronto, they have the embassy but, when my husband called them they said we have to call Ottawa for some enquiries. Then, we called Ottawa and they said we have to contact Washington in the US.
My question is how did you get your appliction processed? Did you have to use the agency???

Please help me I'm a bit confused!

Many thanks!

CdnKiwi · #6 (**permalink**) 26th May 2008, 09:48 PM

Hi Divastarz

I've been in NZ since late December, 2003. I met my Kiwi-husband while teaching English in South Korea and simply came home with him. Once here, I filled out my application based on our relationship and got my residency status without any hitches. As for fees, they are subject to change and I can't remember exactly what cost how much, but I think that, all-up, I paid about $1500 NZ to gain my permanent residency. Have you checked out Immigration New Zealand ? They've got links to common questions, the forms you need, fees, procedures, etc. etc.

As for the amount of money you should bring with you, that depends again on the lifestyle you want to lead and if you have a qualifcation for an area of the work force that is demand. I don't think you should have any trouble getting casual work, or even skilled work if you get your qualifications assessed by the NZQA, but it's always good to have a float. You'll need to pay for someplace to live (usually paid weekly with bonds etc. due when you first move in) and get yourselves set up. Some things here are more expensive than back home - we're an island at the bottom of the world... go figure! - and the cost of gas has recently pushed the prices of everything else up as well. You'll want a minimum of $2k in the bank when you get here, IF you can start working right away. If not, you'll want more to tide you over until you can find work.

I know it's a pain in the ass trying to contact anyone who can answer your questions, but if you can sort out the current 16-hour time difference (NZ - EST) then you might want to call Immigration in NZ directly. If not, check out the website link. They are pretty good.

P.S. I downloaded my application forms from the net, filled them out and took them and all the other requirements into NZ immigration down to Queen St. in Auckland myself because we were there anyway and taking them into Immigration in person often results in an instant response to your application instead of having to wait. I did not use any agencies and you should not have to if you're application is straight forward.