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

[GrahamS2]

Mate of mine (also an engineer) did the his NZ application without doing the IELTS exam. He just got his employer to write a letter stating that they do all their business in English & included a couple of work related emails. Get the okes at Maties to write you a letter stating that you did your course in English. Maybe a letter from your school too. Could potentially get away without writing the test and save a couple of gorillas in the process. 

That would give him an IELTS equivalent score of 5 - all you need is a letter from your school or university stating that you were educated in English. But if you need to claim the points for having superior English (IELTS score of 8 and above), you'll need to write IELTS.

[Lou Zealand]

i am on the North Shore in Mairangi bay. Move into my house on friday!

Nice spot - I was brought up about 15 minutes up the road (Milford). Was going to start a thread about Kiwis coming to SA but decided against it as I thought I may get a bit lonely...

 

Anyhoo, don't be deceived by the lower temperatures - the NZ sun is harsh. Check this out:

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/78363931/new-zealand-overtakes-australia-as-country-with-highest-rates-of-skin-cancer--study

[patches]

WTF? i applied on the 21/3 and am not even listed as yet. Phoned them today and they said it can take up to 20 days.

 

Oh, that sucks. The lady at the counter asked me if I was working already. I said yes. So she wrote "URGENT!! ALREADY WORKING" on the form, and told me they'd call me on Thursday. They called me on Wednesday.

 

I guess they're just a lot less busy in CHCH

[patches]

 

Also, what has everyone else done regarding:

medical aid

pension funds (I am thinking of staying with what I have at PPS for the moment - my work pension fund I will have to take everything from and don't know what I am going to do with that)

insurances (car if bought there, house hold goods, bikes, etc)

 

The lady last night asked me where (area) I want to be placed in for the 1st 4 weeks - she somehow wanted to put me in the city center as she said in her kiwi accent "nice bars and going out options" and I just replied "i would prefer closer to the outskirts where the MTB trails are thanks"....she laughed.

 

Like I told a friend last night - I don't want to get tooooo excited YET because everything is still so unreal. How it all happened (fell in my lap) and I just have a feeling something might just go wrong (the pessimist in me I guess) 

 

Medical Aid: I'm on Southern Cross' Regular Plan. A colleague said he upgraded to the 2nd from top plan at an extra NZ$12pm

 

Pension Fund: As Wayne said, Kiwi Saver is the national one, but without residency one can't contribute towards it. That same colleague that told me about the Medical Aid upgrade is busy building a house and Kiwi Saver GAVE (not a loan or withdrawal) NZ$12 000 towards his new home because he had Kiwi Saver for 3-4yrs.

 

Insurance: I don't have a car yet, and my bikes are still on SA insurance. I need to sort that out soon. But car insurance (as far as I'm aware) is probably 25-50% less than what one would pay in SA. And I have looked into Life Insurance (after cancelling my SA policy), and that works out to about NZ$30pm for NZ$500 000 cover. That's a LOT cheaper than SA.

[nolipoli]

Which date are you and M landing there?

Hayley, we don't actually know yet. We are waiting for our visas before we can book flights.

 

I have had to take a calculated risk on this booking, knowing that it is for more than a month. 

The first week or so (depending on visas) will likely be more expensive and less nice. I just didn't want to be stuck with the leftovers for any length of time.

 

And you? How is the process coming along?

[Ramrod]

Oh, that sucks. The lady at the counter asked me if I was working already. I said yes. So she wrote "URGENT!! ALREADY WORKING" on the form, and told me they'd call me on Thursday. They called me on Wednesday.

 

I guess they're just a lot less busy in CHCH

They phoned me this morning so all good now.

[Wayne Potgieter]

They phoned me this morning so all good now.

They probably read this thread.

[Wayne Potgieter]

They phoned me this morning so all good now.

They probably read this thread.

[patches]

Hayley, we don't actually know yet. We are waiting for our visas before we can book flights.

 

I have had to take a calculated risk on this booking, knowing that it is for more than a month. 

The first week or so (depending on visas) will likely be more expensive and less nice. I just didn't want to be stuck with the leftovers for any length of time.

 

And you? How is the process coming along?

 

Yeah, the visa delay can be a pain.

 

I booked my flight the day I got my visa (for 10 days ahead), and it was up R4000 from when I originally priced it.

 

And accommodation, I found that really nice apartment 3 weeks before I arrived. They wanted tenants as soon as possible so I said I'd pay unoccupied rent from 1st March until I arrive, just to secure the spot.

 

I arrived 17th March. I gave over 1 months rent (to cover March) and a week later I gave another 2 weeks rent. The landlady looked at me funny and said "what's this for, you're already covered. She waived that 2 weeks of unoccupied rent, woohooo!!

[hayleyearth]

Hayley, we don't actually know yet. We are waiting for our visas before we can book flights.

 

I have had to take a calculated risk on this booking, knowing that it is for more than a month. 

The first week or so (depending on visas) will likely be more expensive and less nice. I just didn't want to be stuck with the leftovers for any length of time.

 

And you? How is the process coming along?

 

I am fortunate, the company is booking my plane ticket and accommodation for the 1st 4 weeks when ever I am ready with my visa ...(they apparently have 'contacts' and apparently it will be this place: http://www.questapartments.co.nz/Accommodation/457/New_Zealand/Auckland_Suburbs/Quest_Highbrook/Welcome.aspx)....work is basically across the road

 

They are even sending their shipping company 'contacts' to my house next week to come and look what I want to take with so they know how to pack and when best to pack and send.

 

The only responsibility I have is to get my visa sorted asap.

[hayleyearth]

I just got my IRD Number (Income Tax Number).

 

I applied yesterday (less than 24hrs ago). I queued for approx 5min at Inland Revenue. They just phoned me now to tell me what my number is.

 

Pretty impressive!

 

Oh this is that code I told you about weeks ago - that if you don't have that you will be taxed 45%

 

Ai, I am so smart...hahaha

[niterider]

I am fortunate, the company is booking my plane ticket and accommodation for the 1st 4 weeks when ever I am ready with my visa ...(they apparently have 'contacts' and apparently it will be this place: http://www.questapartments.co.nz/Accommodation/457/New_Zealand/Auckland_Suburbs/Quest_Highbrook/Welcome.aspx)....work is basically across the road

 

So you'll be in East Auckland? Good choice! The best riding is out this way - http://www.trailforks.com/region/maraetai-forest/. Join our club too - http://www.pcbc.co.nz/ & https://www.facebook.com/Pohutukawa-Coast-Bike-Club-117091788315880

Edited March 31, 2016 by niterider

[hayleyearth]

So you'll be in East Auckland? Good choice! The best riding is out this way - http://www.trailforks.com/region/maraetai-forest/. Join our club too - http://www.pcbc.co.nz/ & https://www.facebook.com/Pohutukawa-Coast-Bike-Club-117091788315880

 

Well after my medical this morning lets see if I am even going to get the visa!

 

   

 

The doc heard the "shlosh" sound my heart makes and now he wants me to go for an ultrasound. He thinks it is because like he says "you are super fit" (whahaha! ya I laughed too, but that what he thinks cause I can ride 100km+ for a breakfast ride) but I know why it is, but didn't want to say anything because I don't think it is an issue, but lets see what they find.

 

I am truly so pissed off at this moment though. If all of this that has happened happened just for me to find out that my heart is in a worse condition than I believe it is (not what previous doctors has said "you should not be riding") then I am going to be extremely pissed off with life! It can be SO unfair. Anyway, done moaning for now.

[niterider]

Well after my medical this morning lets see if I am even going to get the visa!

 

   

 

The doc heard the "shlosh" sound my heart makes and now he wants me to go for an ultrasound. He thinks it is because like he says "you are super fit" (whahaha! ya I laughed too, but that what he thinks cause I can ride 100km+ for a breakfast ride) but I know why it is, but didn't want to say anything because I don't think it is an issue, but lets see what they find.

 

I am truly so pissed off at this moment though. If all of this that has happened happened just for me to find out that my heart is in a worse condition than I believe it is (not what previous doctors has said "you should not be riding") then I am going to be extremely pissed off with life! It can be SO unfair. Anyway, done moaning for now.

 

Well that sucks. Good luck with the ultrasound!

[intern]

Just completed the forms for our NZ citizenship. It's been a 5 year journey which looks like it is coming to its logical conclusion 'soon'. Only hassle is that I have to go to Las Vegas in May and may have to wait until after that trip before filing the paperwork, just in case there isn't sufficient time to get the citizenship and the passport before I head to Sin City...

 

Of course, if I travel on the Green Mamba, it means a huuuuge hassle of getting a US visa... 

[niterider]

Just completed the forms for our NZ citizenship. It's been a 5 year journey which looks like it is coming to its logical conclusion 'soon'. Only hassle is that I have to go to Las Vegas in May and may have to wait until after that trip before filing the paperwork, just in case there isn't sufficient time to get the citizenship and the passport before I head to Sin City...

 

Of course, if I travel on the Green Mamba, it means a huuuuge hassle of getting a US visa... 

 

US visa application is pretty straightforward. You book an interview date online, wait for 30 minutes at the embassy in Auckland city, and have a 5 minute interview. Passport with visa should arrive in the mail a couple of days later. The bigger hassle is the $200+ cost