New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[patches]

Had some good laughs at this

 

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/15-01-2021/five-ideas-to-fix-nzs-completely-pathetic-covid-qr-scanning-record/?fbclid=IwAR2-Cu7WahqaPDMFHqvY9AIgz9aHUFKPyT-3aSq7YYJUzQCiX88FSL2E_Ks

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

In some good news, all of our earthly possessions has landed in Auckland. Delivered to friends for safe keeping.
Now if they could allow us in that would be super kind......

[CAAD4]

In some good news, all of our earthly possessions has landed in Auckland. Delivered to friends for safe keeping.

Now if they could allow us in that would be super kind......

One small step Steven. Holding thumbs for you.

[patches]

Pretty cool idea.

Just like those travel scratch maps (largely gathering dust these days), there's a Rotorua redwood trails scratch map.

 

https://maps4good.co/collections/frontpage/products/whakarewarewa-forest-scratch-off-3d-trail-map

 

$6 from each map goes to the Rotorua Trails Trust.

[hayleyearth]

Pretty cool idea.

 

Just like those travel scratch maps (largely gathering dust these days), there's a Rotorua redwood trails scratch map.

 

https://maps4good.co/collections/frontpage/products/whakarewarewa-forest-scratch-off-3d-trail-map

 

$6 from each map goes to the Rotorua Trails Trust.

So cool!

Going to gift one for Layla on our 1st trip there soon. She can scratch the trails when we completed it. One day (soon) she will be able to go ride them alone.

 

I say "soon" because last week as she was sitting in front of my MTB on our way home from school she said (in her broken sentences) "mamma, pappa, Layla winkel fiets koop" , so I asked for who is the bike, she said for herself. I replied by saying she has a bike, her reply "gros fiets, trap trap briek stop".

 

Gros = big (in French)

 

This holiday I thought her about the brakes on the bicycle and gave her opportunities to use it while upfront on the MTB. She loves the idea of having a big bike, so every time we have been going to a cycle shop (in the last year) she always goes to the bike with the pedals and brakes. She's not ready yet for pedalling I don't think.

[hayleyearth]

Thomas sent his stuff in June. Got his 1st email reply today.

He got the invitation yesterday to his ceremony, it's on the 23rd of Feb.

[Wayne Potgieter]

He got the invitation yesterday to his ceremony, it's on the 23rd of Feb.

 

So between 7-8 months.

 

Thats awesome!

[hayleyearth]

So between 7-8 months.

 

Thats awesome!

I think yours will be much faster due to there not being Covid working restrictions anymore.

[patches]

I wonder when they will reopen the parent resident visas and how big their backlog is?

 

In July I'll be eligible to apply to sponsor my Mom on a resident visa (if they open applications by then).

 

Catch is that nowadays they only take in 1000 applications/yr and I can imagine that with Covid, there are loads of expats who previously would not have considered moving their parents because they were in "safe and stable" countries like the UK or UK, but now NZ is a pretty attractive prospect (not only to those coming from developing countries like SA and India). So it's going to be flooded!

[patham]

I wonder when they will reopen the parent resident visas and how big their backlog is?

 

In July I'll be eligible to apply to sponsor my Mom on a resident visa (if they open applications by then).

 

Catch is that nowadays they only take in 1000 applications/yr and I can imagine that with Covid, there are loads of expats who previously would not have considered moving their parents because they were in "safe and stable" countries like the UK or UK, but now NZ is a pretty attractive prospect (not only to those coming from developing countries like SA and India). So it's going to be flooded!

 

 

In Aus there are multiple visa pathways for parents; can be summarised as:

 

1. The permanent "cheap" alternative - gives them full resident rights.

2. The permanent "expensive" alternative - gives them full resident rights but you pay up a hefty fee upfront to cover the government for a portion of their medical expenses they are likely to incur.

3. Temporary alternative. Gives them visitor rights only for up to 10 years of stay - then they need to leave. You need to give them private health insurance for this time.

 

Anyway, last I heard the waiting list for Alternate 1 was in the region of 25 years due to limits on the number they award. And that was in pre-COVID days. Most people seem to go with Alt 2, with a wait in the order of 4 years or so.

 

As an aside: my mom tried to retire in New Zealand in the town where my sister is, she gave it up after a few years as being too boring and limited opportunities. She then followed some friends to the UK instead.

[Wayne Potgieter]

I think yours will be much faster due to there not being Covid working restrictions anymore.

I hope so.

[patches]

In Aus there are multiple visa pathways for parents; can be summarised as:

 

1. The permanent "cheap" alternative - gives them full resident rights.

2. The permanent "expensive" alternative - gives them full resident rights but you pay up a hefty fee upfront to cover the government for a portion of their medical expenses they are likely to incur.

3. Temporary alternative. Gives them visitor rights only for up to 10 years of stay - then they need to leave. You need to give them private health insurance for this time.

 

Anyway, last I heard the waiting list for Alternate 1 was in the region of 25 years due to limits on the number they award. And that was in pre-COVID days. Most people seem to go with Alt 2, with a wait in the order of 4 years or so.

 

As an aside: my mom tried to retire in New Zealand in the town where my sister is, she gave it up after a few years as being too boring and limited opportunities. She then followed some friends to the UK instead.

 

Yeah, the Australian system is even tougher, and I believe there are a number of additional criteria, like the majority of that parents children cannot still live in the country where the parent resides. At least half have to have left.

 

A former colleague of mine had Australian PR and his wife wanted to get her parents over to Aus with them. Her parents still had 2 other children in SA that were able to look after them, so the Aussie government wasn't interested. He ended up moving to NZ just because they didn't have that clause and he was able to get them over.

 

But yeah, as you say... it was all bad before. Now it'll be insane!

[arabsandals]

Yeah, the Australian system is even tougher, and I believe there are a number of additional criteria, like the majority of that parents children cannot still live in the country where the parent resides. At least half have to have left.

 

A former colleague of mine had Australian PR and his wife wanted to get her parents over to Aus with them. Her parents still had 2 other children in SA that were able to look after them, so the Aussie government wasn't interested. He ended up moving to NZ just because they didn't have that clause and he was able to get them over.

 

But yeah, as you say... it was all bad before. Now it'll be insane!

Option 2 also costs like $50k per parent.

[patches]

Option 2 also costs like $50k per parent.

 

Ouch!

 

I guess that thins out the application process a bit.

[patham]

Option 2 also costs like $50k per parent.

 

Its still a better value proposition for the risk averse than Option 3. Medical bills in Aus for elderly foreigners (who are not entitled to the medical benefits for residents) once their health insurance limits kick in could bankrupt you.

 

We were thinking of this option for my mother-in-law, but as the way the dice have rolled for the family we do not meet the "majority of kids in Australia clause",  this has fallen by the wayside.

 

I reckon Option 1 is only still on the books as a way for people who don't have cash to be able to say to their folks, "We are trying to get you here, promise". Or maybe for people who immigrate when they are 30, their parents are 50 at the time, and they get the parent visa awarded when the old folks are 75. Otherwise the maths doesn't compute so well.

[GrahamS2]

In Aus there are multiple visa pathways for parents; can be summarised as:

 

1. The permanent "cheap" alternative - gives them full resident rights.

2. The permanent "expensive" alternative - gives them full resident rights but you pay up a hefty fee upfront to cover the government for a portion of their medical expenses they are likely to incur.

3. Temporary alternative. Gives them visitor rights only for up to 10 years of stay - then they need to leave. You need to give them private health insurance for this time.

 

Anyway, last I heard the waiting list for Alternate 1 was in the region of 25 years due to limits on the number they award. And that was in pre-COVID days. Most people seem to go with Alt 2, with a wait in the order of 4 years or so.

 

As an aside: my mom tried to retire in New Zealand in the town where my sister is, she gave it up after a few years as being too boring and limited opportunities. She then followed some friends to the UK instead.

The 10 year option no longer exists. It's now 3 or 5 years only, at a cost of $5k or $10k respectively. Cost for option 2 is very high - close to $50k per applicant