Five key questions about relocating to New Zealand

So you’re thinking about moving to New Zealand.

The land of the long white cloud can offer many things to expats – a generally temperate climate, beautiful scenery, and an often more relaxed way of life, to name a few.

But how does moving down under work?

Here we answer some of the main questions that potential migrants may have.

What are the visa requirements?

Many people who move to New Zealand secure a job offer first.

New Zealand has a skills shortage in many areas. If your occupation is on the “green list” of in demand roles, it can make the process of getting a visa a lot easier.

The green list sets out the roles that New Zealand employers are finding hard to fill. They are divided into “tier one” – the most critical shortages, and “tier two”.

If you are in a role that is tier one on the green list, you could apply for a “straight to residence” visa, which means you do not need to spend any time on a work visa. Green list roles include everything from ambulance paramedics to engineers, farmers, and teachers.

Roles that are tier two or in specified sectors may qualify for a work to residence visa, which makes the process of progressing from a work visa to a residence visa a lot smoother.

The Government administers the green list and adds and removes roles as required. An update on April 8 added six roles to the green list.

If you’re under 55, a skilled migrant visa could be another option.

If these don’t fit? There are other visas that could help you become a resident.

Partner of a resident: If your partner is a citizen and you’ve been living together outside New Zealand for five years or more, you may be granted a permanent resident visa. This needs to be applied for while you are both overseas, or within three months of your partner arriving in New Zealand.
Parent retirement resident visa: People who have adult children who are New Zealand citizens or residents can use this visa as a pathway to permanent residence. They need to have at least $1 million to invest in New Zealand, another $500,000 or more on top of their investment funds, and an annual income of $60,000 or more. Permanent residency can be applied for after four years of the funds being invested in New Zealand. If you want to come to New Zealand to check out the investment options before committing, you’ll need to do this on a work or visitor visa.

You can also have your adult New Zealand citizen or resident children sponsor you via the parent resident visa. To do this, they need to meet income requirements, which are set at one-and-a-half times the New Zealand median wage for one parent, and half the median wage for each additional parent.

Active investor plus visa: If you have more than $15 million to invest, or the weighted equivalent, this may be an option. You have six months to transfer your investment once you arrive in the country.

What are the housing options like?

Migrants have a lot of options when it comes to where they live. Most of the population is in the North Island, and concentrated in Auckland, the biggest city. But there are options throughout the country to live rurally, by the beach, in a small town or a city. You may notice that New Zealand has more standalone houses than you’re used to, and it’s a lot more common here to build new than in some other countries.

You may need to rent a home, at least at first. Only New Zealand residents or citizens who have lived in New Zealand the last 12 months and been physically present at least 183 days of the last 12 months can buy a property.

Property market reports provided by organisations such as the Real Estate Institute could be helpful to keep up with what is happening in the market while you’re deciding where to buy.

How does healthcare work?

If you’re on a work visa for 2 years or longer or are a resident, you’ll have the same access to the public health system as a New Zealand citizen.

This is generally seen as an acceptable method of treatment for acute and urgent conditions, but some people choose to take out health insurance to give them the option of private treatment for conditions that might come with a waiting list in the public system.

ACC will also be available to you to cover injuries and accidents.

If you’re on a visitor visa, and have come from the United Kingdom, a reciprocal agreement is likely to apply, which will allow you to access treatment for conditions that require prompt attention.

What are the employment opportunities like?

The post-pandemic labour shortages have eased but there is still demand for people in a number of roles, particularly healthcare, caregiving, and other essential jobs such as engineering and teaching.

New Zealand has a lot of small businesses, where you may find you’re employed directly by the person who owns the firm.

There are a number of recruitment sites that advertise jobs, and some would-be employees have success by connecting with people in their fields and tapping into their local networks to find out about opportunities.

What expat communities are there in New Zealand?

Most parts of the country have local groups of expats who meet from time to time and can be a valuable resource when you’re settling in.

The Facebook group British Expats in New Zealand has thousands of members. Many councils also have teams that are dedicated to helping new arrivals find their feet.

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