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17 September 2010

NZ Time: 16:12

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Melissa Taylor Registered nurse from San Diego enjoys her job by the beach Melissa Taylor is a registered nurse from San Diego. For some time she had New Zealand at the top of her must-see travel list and hoped the dream of visiting would come true one day. Melissa had been actively searching for travel nurse positions around the US, but had a hard time finding the job she wanted.

Register interest in and workin New Zeal

One chilly night in March whilst surfing the net, she thought about working further afield than the US and googled New Zealand. Melissa says, “After some browsing and exploring on the Immigration New Zealand website, I came across a link for working and living in New Zealand…brilliant idea!” She got in contact with a medical profession recruitment agency – Accent Health Recruitment - in New Zealand that offered enormous assistance. “I got great advice on what I needed to do and what to expect. The agency also helped ensure my registration was accepted by the New Zealand Nursing Council.”

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Today Melissa lives in Napier -- an art deco town situated alongside beautiful beaches – working nearby at Hawkes Bay Memorial Hospital. “It’s even more beautiful than Southern California but without the crowds or the traffic!” enthuses Melissa. From the time Melissa first registered her interest on-line and started looking at job sites until the time she arrived in New Zealand was just months. “In fact, I had a call from the recruiter just minutes after I had left my name. After that, things happened very quickly.” Work is good, but with less stress than Melissa was used to. “The people I work with are great.” She does note the nursing system is different than in the US. “Here nurses are required to take course work to do treatments and protocols that I’ve already been trained to do in the US.” “Overall, I find nursing far less full on as it is the US. But I like that. It’s much more hands-on here.” Melissa’s husband Lee is a web developer and designer, and works from New Zealand with his partners in the US. “Even that works well for us,” she explains. “He too was eager to see some of the world and I easily convinced him to come to New Zealand.” Even though neither Melissa nor Lee had been to New Zealand, “we’re loving it here.” “Truly, the best thing about this country is the people. They take the time to help each other.”

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Business Analyst from India making a home on the West Coast Originally from India, Krunal Shukla had been living in Edinburgh, Scotland for six years when he and his wife started to consider other countries to raise their two-year-old son. “We wanted our son to grow up in a place where he’d have a lot of recreational activity. Canada was too cold and we weren’t keen on Australia so we started to look into New Zealand. “After receiving our visas, we arrived in Auckland in March 2009 without much of a plan. I found the job market to be difficult at the time. I have a Masters degree in Accounting and Finance and several years of experience as a manager in the financial sector. I would spend about four to five hours a day applying for jobs when we first arrived. “After several months of searching, I approached the Auckland Chamber of Commerce where I met New Kiwis Employment Liaison, Sheeam Achmat. She gave me a lot of guidance and helped me to target my job search. Sheeam also coached me through the interview process and within a week I secured a couple of interviews.” Krunal accepted a job offer as Business Analyst in the Finance Department of West Coast District Health Board in December of 2009. He and his family packed up and moved to Greymouth in the South Island. “We found housing quite easily and were amazed at how social the community was. In the first week neighbours were coming over and introducing themselves – extremely different to the UK where I barely knew my neighbour who lived next-door to us for six years.” Krunal is currently on a visa sponsored by his employer and eventually wants to apply for Permanent Residence. “I love my job and it’s been an exciting challenge working in the health industry. I’ve spent years in a commercial setting so I’m learning something new every day. My colleagues have been extremely helpful and welcoming. My family has settled in well and we enjoy raising our son in such a safe and secure environment. New Zealand is a beautiful country with plenty of opportunities for young families.”

Engineer from Rhode Island, USA, puts wind technology to work in Christchurch John Arimond was 45, had studied at Harvard and MIT, and had worked for 20 years for a US corporation when he and his wife Amy decided they wanted to start a family. But, as John points out, at that time his work life balance was "lousy" and he was disillusioned with what was happening in the US in regard to terrorism. "We were weary of the non-stop fear-mongering that pervaded the US, and of how the whole situation was being handled. We were ready for a change," he says. John and Amy had travelled extensively, and during a 2-week holiday in New Zealand in 2004 they were moved by the warmth and friendliness of people they met. Now, with plans for a family and dreams of a better way of life, John and Amy decided to move to New Zealand. Having a baby? No worries John submitted an Expression of Interest under the Skilled Migrant Category and received a positive

"I was immediately told 'no worries' about the planned pregnancy, that we would be welcome to socialised health care on arrival as Permanent Residents." As soon as the couple's pregnancy was confirmed, John asked if their application could be expedited so that they might immigrate before the baby was born. "Within 24 hours my case was kicked up to a supervisor, and within about a month my application was accepted." But, despite the best efforts of NZIS, the couple weren't able to move quite as quickly as they hoped. A shortage of midwives in the Wellington region, where they were planning to start out, meant they delayed their immigration until their baby daughter, Corina was nearly 5 months old. Finding the right job With a new baby in the house, John was keen to find a 'dream job' where he could utilise his skills and experience, but not be working the long, long hours he had put in back in the States. Before arriving in New Zealand, John screened the country's head-hunters based on their websites, and contacted two who gave him good advice before beginning immigration. One of the key pieces of advice he received is that it is a lot easier to secure employment once your commitment to immigrating is demonstrated, as employers are reluctant to waste time interviewing faraway candidates who say they plan to move to NZ. "So I waited until we arrived," John explains, "and toured the country for a few weeks to decide where we wanted to live. We decided to avoid the rainy west coast, and to target Tauranga and Christchurch." John wanted to find a job in wind energy and found it as engineering manager at Windflow Technology, a global innovator in wind power turbine design, development and manufacturing, which is based in Christchurch. "The work life balance here is great," says John. "I typically work about 45 hours per week, which is not much by US standards, but I feel among the 'workaholics' in NZ. Salaries are considerably lower here than in the US, but I'm happy with the tradeoff we chose." Dogs at home here too Looking back over the process of immigrating, John continues to be impressed with the government systems in New Zealand. Even the challenges of bringing his two dogs to New Zealand is seen as a positive. "We found the MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) process was more challenging than the NZIS process," laughs John. "But it's understandably so, as we are glad that NZ is and shall remain rabies-free." John also comments that they have been very happy with the quality and accessibility of health care, and "the blessed absence of red tape - the billing and insurance paperwork that dominates 'managed' healthcare in the US." John and his family, which has grown to include a son, Declan, who was born in New Zealand this year, have also found most people to be warm and friendly. This includes the people next door, in their toddler's playgroup, at work and church. And they appreciate the high level of common decency evident around the country. Above all, John has high praise for the people they dealt with at NZIS during the process of immigrating to New Zealand. "We've been delighted with the service and help NZIS gave us," he says. "Really, they were fantastic."

Contract Manager from Scotland living at the beach near Auckland George Pirie and his wife Sharonn have always lived in the countryside close to a city. They're doing that in New Zealand too, but with the added pleasure of being at the beachside.

found at Clarks Beach. "It's even easier with kids," he says, "because you meet people right away when you take them to school, kindergarten, and sports. "But what we've really enjoyed here is how friendly the neighbours are. They've become friends very quickly." Clarks Beach is a small coastal village on the Manukau Harbour. It offers safe swimming, fishing, lots of sports facilities and a laid back lifestyle that's not too far from the city. George and Sharonn made the decision to come to New Zealand once they had children. "We had always enjoyed travelling but, with children, it makes more sense to be based somewhere and do short trips. "We've always been keen on the islands around the Pacific, so living in New Zealand makes trips there very accessible." Having made the decision to move to New Zealand, George wasted no time. It took just one month to sell the house, pack up, organise visas, a job, transport for the two cats, and get on the plane. "I just went on the internet and sent out my CV to every New Zealand company in my field. In days I had six job offers. The hard bit was deciding which to accept." After talking to the companies by phone, George accepted an offer from Electrix. It's been a good choice. "It wasn't so much the salary or the relocation package," he says, "it was more that, although they're a big company in this part of the world, it's actually a smaller organisation than where I've been before. And that means I get much more involved in all areas of the projects I work on and have more chance to step up the career ladder." Commenting on the immigration process, George says it was much easier than he expected. Because the company was in a hurry for him to start, he travelled on a holiday visa and applied for his 2 year work permit once he got here. "I knew it would be okay because Electrix is an accredited company with New Zealand Immigration," he says, "but my timing was a bit out as there was a rush of applications at the same time as mine, so we had to take a few weeks holiday while it was processed." Asked if he has any advice for other people thinking about moving to New Zealand, George says not to worry too much about the paperwork. "It's not hard. It might take a bit of time. But it's not difficult." And as for life in New Zealand, George says his children Finlay, aged 6 and Rowan aged 3 already think of themselves as Kiwis. The cats have settled in to life at the beach too, and George laughs that they cost more to bring here than the kids. George and Sharonn are very glad they made the decision to move here. "We've got a far better balance of work and lifestyle than we ever could have had in Scotland."

Architect from Tennessee now in Wellington “Getting a job before I left worked like a dream.” “I’d never heard of New Zealand until I saw a travel documentary on TV in the States – and I was hooked,” says systems architect Heather Simpson, formerly of Knoxville, Tennessee. Heather is now living life to the full in Wellington. For Heather, arriving in New Zealand without a job was not an option. “I was going to be migrating by myself, so I wanted to get the stress of job hunting whilst house hunting out of the equation.” Heather gave her resume to a number of personnel agencies in New Zealand but it was finding a vacancy on an on-line employment site that really got the ball rolling. “It only took two months from applying for a job to arriving in New Zealand. That’s fast!”

Teacher from Northumberland now on the West Coast Farming has been a large part of English teacher Paul Jackson’s life. But when he left the farm in the village of Ponteland, just outside Newcastle in Northumberland, which his family has lived on since 1649, he wasn’t to know he would eventually settle on another farm on the South Island’s West Coast. Paul had been to New Zealand during his travels as a young man, and his first impression was that the country was much like the UK in the 1960s. Now he describes life in New Zealand as “a wonderful lifestyle, and I just can’t get over how lucky we are.” At the age of 30, married to Jacqui and with two small children to support, Paul was teaching at a school for profoundly handicapped and autistic children in Manchester. But he and Jacqui knew they were not going to spend the rest of their life in the UK and decided to emigrate to New Zealand. A job in a minute A break came when Paul saw an advertisement for teaching jobs in New Zealand. “I got on the internet that night, and applied for eight jobs. Within a few hours the principal of one of the colleges, Bishop Viard College in Porirua, was on the phone. From that moment, things happened very fast. The principal faxed a letter to the New Zealand High Commission in London saying that he’d offered Paul a job. Paul sent his passport to the High Commission and got a one year work permit straight away. “I was on a plane as soon as I could book a flight. Two weeks after being offered the job, I got off the plane on a Monday morning and was teaching that afternoon.” Contrasts and surprises Jacqui and the two boys, Harry and Robert, flew out over four months later, and the family bought a house in the seaside village of Pukerua Bay, north of Wellington. That experience was one of the first that showed them how different New Zealand can be from the UK. “It was so easy to buy a house over here compared to the UK It’s also more affordable than in the .UK We paid just over $120,000, or £40,000, for a detached house with lovely views in a coastal village. That wouldn’t have bought a terraced house in Manchester.” Career opportunities By the end of four years, Paul had been promoted to head of a department and manager of curriculum change for the whole school.” However, he was then lured to the West Coast by Greymouth High School, to build a new technology block. After five and a half years in New Zealand, Paul appreciates his Kiwi students. He says they are more laid back than students in the UK, and they aren’t as aggressive. “I also think the curriculum here is much better,” says Paul. And Paul’s advice for teachers wanting to work in New Zealand? “Jump on a plane and come over. We need more teachers, especially technology teachers. We’re desperately short of them.” A wonderful lifestyle Home is now a 40 hectare deer farm near Hokitika, on the West Coast, on the historic stagecoach route from Hokitika to Christchurch. Paul describes it as remote, although they have neighbours only 50 metres away on either side. “We farm 60 hinds, and also have some pigs and hens. “We have a wonderful lifestyle. We wake up every morning to the calls of tuis and wood pigeons. It’s a stunning place, and I just can’t get over how lucky we are.”

Top Reasons Why the Working Holiday Scheme Offers You the Best of New Zealand

"It's exactly what I needed!" Kasey O’Laughlin, 22, hails from Boston, Massachusetts – and after a semester studying at the University of Auckland in 2007 decided she wanted to return and spend a little longer exploring New Zealand. “I went to the Immigration New Zealand website to look at visa options. I wasn’t looking for permanent work – just the ability to stay in the country for a year or so to travel, make friends and perhaps get some work experience. “The Working Holiday Scheme is exactly what I needed – and I was able to get the visa virtually overnight! It was so simple to get my application approved.” Since arriving back in Auckland in 2009, Kasey has had three different work experiences that she feels will assist her future career options. “In fact, I’ve had an unpaid internship at one international nonprofit that taught me a lot. And now I’ve got an exciting – and paid! – job at an advertising agency that’s giving me great experience I wouldn’t have even been able to get at home. “Because of all this, plus the great people I’ve met, I’ve recommended the Working Holiday Scheme to many of my friends. It’s an easy way to get overseas, travel, and make money too. Everyone should do it!”

"It's worth the adventure" Michael “Mick” Pickard-Lupton, from rural Bradford, England was looking for a little adventure and a potential place to call home. Along with wife Joe, they decided to investigate the option of working and living in New Zealand. With an open mind, they applied for visas under the Working Holiday Scheme – and looked forward to trying something new in a place they’d never before visited. At 29, Mick had already established a career for himself as a specialised printer. Knowing that it might take some hard work to find a job, Mick sought an employment agency to help him out. “I went to an agency and that day they found me a job. Everyone here is extremely friendly which made it easy to make friends. Of course, it was difficult at first to figure out how to get around and getting used to life in a new country. But you just have to get a map and go for it!” Coming to New Zealand on the Working Holiday Scheme allowed Mick and his wife to integrate into New Zealand society and have a bit of fun and adventure along the way. “We’ve done a lot of trips throughout the country. We flew over the Bay of Plenty, visited Cape Reinga, travelled around Queenstown and have had a couple of weekends in Wellington. The most adventurous activity was canyon swinging in Queenstown.” “Auckland has been a great city to live in. Just ten minutes outside the central business district you can find homes amongst beautiful countryside. If anyone is thinking of coming to New Zealand on the Working Holiday Scheme I’d say: come, give it a year, see what you think – enjoy it!”

"It's allowed me to experience the Kiwi lifestyle" Christina Neale heard a lot of great things from New Zealanders travelling in her home of Vancouver, Canada. Intrigued and interested in travelling, Christina decided to look into the Working Holiday Scheme. She checked out Immigration New Zealand’s website and applied for the Working Holiday Scheme visa online. Within 24 hours she was accepted and began planning for the big trip. “I arrived in New Zealand in December so I’d experience the North Island’s warm tropical weather I’d heard so much about. When I landed in Auckland I headed to a hostel I had booked ahead of time, set up a bank account and bought a cell phone. All the resources here seemed to be at my fingertips. Everyone who helped me respected the fact that I was on the Working Holiday Scheme visa and never turned me down.” The 29-year-old swam with dolphins, visited Queenstown, bungee jumped off the Auckland Bridge, went tramping, surfed at Cape Reinga and took plenty of road trips throughout New Zealand. In an effort to find a job after travelling for the first few months, Christina dropped off her CVs around Auckland City. She found a part time job at a gelato shop and found it to be a really easy way to make some money while on the Working Holiday Scheme. “Once I felt I had my feet on the ground, I began to look for a more stable place to live. After searching online for places, I ended up flatting with people from all over the world – Greece, Poland, Sweden. I met many wonderful people throughout my travels. After working at the gelato shop Christina worked as an Archaeologist with a local consulting firm. Eventually a temp agency found her another job at the National Library. “New Zealand offered me a wide range of employment opportunities where I gained invaluable experience and ended up developing my career.” “New Zealand immediately felt like home. I’ve always felt comfortable here and despite the dissimilarities to Vancouver, I’ve never felt out of place. I’m always recommending NZ to others– it’s something different and can provide you with amazing experiences.”

"It's provided me with amazing travel opportunities" Brendan O’Ceallaigh, from Dublin, Ireland, had a great job at home but was itching to do a bit of travelling. After hearing great things about New Zealand from family members who had visited, he decided to look into the Working Holiday Scheme. Upon arrival in New Zealand, the 25-year-old was immediately impressed with the laid back lifestyle. “I flew from Auckland to Hawke’s Bay where I was picked up by my cousin’s husband – they live in Napier. Greeting me in a t-shirt, shorts and barefoot, I was shocked he had arrived wearing no shoes! In Ireland you’d never find anyone walking around barefoot in an airport. His relaxed attitude and the friendliness of everyone I met, quickly made me realise how accommodating and comfortable Kiwis are.” Primarily, Brendan worked in the central Hawke’s Bay region. After meeting a local farmer, Brendan spent 2 months farming and eventually worked as an apple picker. “I spent six weeks living in a caravan on the orchard. The weather was great, and I met a ton of fellow travellers who were on the Working Holiday Scheme visa. We became great friends and travelled around the country. I’d encourage anyone to be a fruit picker – you get to experience the heartland of New Zealand and meet people – you really get the full experience.

“If someone’s thinking of coming to New Zealand on the Working Holiday Scheme I’d say to do your research, see as much as possible, don’t work too much and try to make it to both Islands.” Since completing his Working Holiday Scheme, Brendan’s found employment and now lives and works in Wellington in the IT sector.

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