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Moving to New Zealand as a family: 6 Tips for parents

Sunday, 26 June 2022 by Intergate Emigration

moving to new zealand as a family

Remember the last time you tried to get your toddler to eat something new? It didn’t necessarily go down well, did it?

Children don’t always take to change immediately.

Now imagine the moment you tell your child you’re moving to New Zealand. That’s a change so much bigger than a new menu item.

Don’t worry, though!

While moving overseas with kids is not easy, it’s not Mission: Impossible either. As parents, you can make it a pleasant (even enjoyable!) experience for children of all ages with these six tips:

1. Breaking the news

Tell your children you’re moving to New Zealand as soon as you’re confident it will happen. Don’t wait until it’s time to pack up the house! Your children will need time to process the news and get used to the idea.

Get them on board by explaining the reasons for the move and sharing information about New Zealand.

Focus on things that would get your children excited. Do you like going to the beach? Tell them about New Zealand’s beautiful beaches. Even better – show them using Instagram or YouTube videos.

Encourage your children to ask questions, too! Give them honest answers in return. You must create a safe space for your children to communicate their concerns, fears, and curiosity right from the start.

Finally, make it clear that the family is doing this as a team and that you’ll need to work together for a successful and happy move.

2. Continue to communicate

It’s vital to check in with your children throughout your emigration. Find out how they’re feeling. Your kids are going to experience a range of emotions!

You can keep it casual. For example, have conversations at breakfast. It might also be a good idea to have one-on-one conversations. Children often open up more when talking to dad or mom alone.

Whatever your children’s emotions, let them get it all out. Your job is to listen and let your kids know you are there for them throughout this adventure.

3. Let your kids explore New Zealand

Unless you’ve already been to New Zealand, your children won’t know what to expect. That could make the prospect of moving daunting!

Introduce them to your soon-to-be-home as soon as possible with online guides, YouTube videos and age-appropriate books. You’ll also find many articles online with facts about New Zealand specifically for kids.

Once you know where in New Zealand you’ll live, research the city and neighbourhood together. You can ‘walk’ through areas with Google Street View.

Let your children guide the research. Ask them what activities and fun places they’d like to visit. These include parks, libraries, museums, zoos, and swimming pools.

Once your children are familiar with the sights and sounds of the city, ask them where they’d like to visit first. Set a date for soon after you arrive. That’ll give your kids something to look forward to.

4. Make your children feel involved

Making your children part of the planning process as much as possible is essential! It helps them feel valued. It also gives them a connection to their new home.

For example, let your children decide how they want to decorate their bedroom. You can also let them decide which of their belongings they’d like to pack or leave behind. Give some input but don’t control the process.

You can get teenagers involved on a larger scale. Get their input on the neighbourhoods where they’d like to live, what schools they’d like to go to, or show them houses you’re considering.

You don’t have to let them make the final decision about any of these, but consulting teenagers on decisions that’ll affect them (and taking their feedback on board) will foster goodwill.

5. Make time to say goodbye

Let your child have plenty of play dates with their friends before making the big move. Let them see grannies, grandpas, and other beloved family members often.

It’s important also to let children understand that their friendships and relationships with family aren’t at an end. Explain that they can stay in touch and do so once you’re in New Zealand.

Before you go, organise a farewell party with friends and family. You could do one big farewell or separate ones for the adults and kids.

Farewells will allow everyone to say goodbye before you leave. It’ll create great memories too! Take lots of photos and put them up in your new home.

6. Make the big day exciting

Kick off your family’s adventure on a high note by making the moving day special! Here are some ideas:

  • Camp out together as a family in the lounge the night before. Watch movies on a laptop and have everybody’s favourite snacks ready!
  • Prepare a special breakfast or go out to your favourite café one last time.
  • Take a family photo in front of your house and frame it.
  • Let grandparents drive you to the airport to give everyone extra time together.
  • Ask everyone to share what they love most about where you’ve lived and what they’re most excited about your new home on the way to the airport.
  • Pack an activity pack for each child, and hand them to your kids at the airport.

In summary

When you’re moving overseas as a family, open and regular communication with children is critical to address their feelings and concerns. Listen more than you talk!

To get your kids on board and looking forward to what lies ahead, involve them in the process and let them explore their new home online or through books. It’s essential also to give your children the chance to say goodbye to their friends and family. Don’t leave without doing so, or you’ll have unhappy children!

The final step to success is making the moving day special. There’ll be no time for tears when everyone is excited about the family’s new adventure.

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  • Published in Family Immigration, Latest posts, New Zealand Immigration Advice
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New Accredited Employer Work Visa goes into effect on 4 July 2022

Wednesday, 22 June 2022 by Intergate Emigration

New Zealand is introducing the new Accredited Employer Work Visa on 4 July 2022.

With this visa, Immigration New Zealand is streamlining the immigration process while also addressing skills shortages in the country.

Here’s everything you should know:

1. The Accredited Employer Work Visa streamlines the immigration system

New Zealand is excited about its “rebalanced immigration system” that’ll incentivise and attract highly skilled migrants while simplifying the immigration processes for businesses.

At the centre of this rebalanced immigration system is the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). The AEWV streamlines the system by replacing six work visas that were previously available:

  • Essential Skills Work Visa
  • Essential Skills Work Visa — Approved in principle
  • Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa,
  • Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
  • Silver Fern Job Search Visa (closed to new applications on 7 October 2019)
  • Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa

There is no need to panic if you live and work in New Zealand on any of these visas. You can continue doing so until your visa expires or you no longer meet its conditions.

If you want to live and work in New Zealand after your visa expires, you may apply for the AEWV if you meet the requirements. If you don’t, you’ll have to explore other visa options.

2. There is a new Green List of occupations under the AEWV

Immigration New Zealand has issued a new skills shortage list called the Green List with 85 hard-to-fill roles in critical sectors of New Zealand’s economy.

You don’t have to work in a Green List occupation to apply for an AEWV, but it does offer three distinct advantages:

2.1. The Green List offers a fast track to residence

Migrants who qualify can come to New Zealand on an AEWV and apply for residence from September 2022.

Occupations on the Green List that offer a fast track to residence are in the following sectors:

  • Construction
  • Engineering
  • Health and social services
  • Primary industries and sciences
  • ICT, electronics, and telecommunications

2.2. The Green List also offers a work-to-residence pathway

The Green List offers a work-to-residence pathway to skilled workers with occupations in:

  • Health and social services
  • Trades
  • Agriculture

AEWV holders who qualify for work-to-residence cannot apply for residency immediately but can do so after two years of working in New Zealand.

2.3. PLUS, employers hiring for Green List occupations don’t have to advertise for the job check

New Zealand employers who want to hire a migrant on an AEWV in an occupation on the Green List do not have to advertise for the job check. The proviso is that the criteria for the role must at least match the occupation’s minimum requirements as it appears on the Green List.

3. The AEWV is valid for up to three years, and you must earn at least the median wage

You’ll get a visa valid for the duration of your employment, up to a maximum of three years, if your application for an AEWV is successful. To get the visa, you must earn at least the New Zealand median wage of NZ$27.76.

However, applicants from specific sectors, including construction and infrastructure, tourism and hospitality and the aged care sector, will be exempt from the minimum salary requirement.

Immigration New Zealand will issue two-year work visas for these exception categories instead.

After holding the visa for two years, migrants will have to spend 12 consecutive months outside of New Zealand before being allowed to apply for another AEWV.

4. Most dependent spouses or partners must apply for an AEWV in their own right to work in New Zealand

Your dependent spouse or partner will get a visitor visa to enter New Zealand. Most spouses and partners who then want to work in New Zealand must apply for an AEWV in their own right. These applications open from December 2022.

5. There are three steps to the AEWV process

To hire workers from overseas under the AEWV, New Zealand employers must have accreditation and pass a job check unless it’s an occupation on the Green List.

The job check is in place to ensure there aren’t suitable New Zealanders to fill the role that the employer is advertising.

Without accreditation and a job check, the employer can’t hire from overseas, and you can’t apply for an AEWV.

The three steps to the AEWV are thus as follows:

  • The employer applies for accreditation, and Immigration New Zealand checks their credentials
  • The job check, which is the assessment of the job details and any job advertising
  • Your AEWV application, during which Immigration New Zealand assesses your credentials

Employer accreditation opened on 23 May, and Immigration New Zealand (INZ) estimated it would take 10 working days to process accreditation applications. Job check applications open on 20 June, and INZ expects to process those applications in 10 working days.

Contact us if you need help applying for an AEWV

There will surely be a rush of applications for the Accredited Employer Work Visa as soon as it opens on the 4th of July.

While Immigration New Zealand has said that it’ll process applications within 30 days, there is no telling if it’ll be possible to stick to this timeline.

Our advice to you is thus to submit your application as soon as possible! You can get started by booking an obligation-free consultation call with our licensed advisor to determine if you qualify for the AEWV.

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  • Published in Latest posts, News, Work Visas for New Zealand, Working in New Zealand
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