A reader recently asked,

“Me and my family want to move to New Zealand and are going through an agent at the moment but have now sold our house and want to move faster . Could we just go and get a job and apply out there without returning to the UK?”

My answer:

Yes, you can simply move out to New Zealand and apply for a job and attain a work visa later. However, it is a little risky. NZ has a visa-free condition of about three months for people living outside the UK—if you’re coming from the UK, it’s six months. After that time period, you must then apply to stay longer–which means you must also adhere to their conditions of extension.

From the immigration website, I pulled this info:

You will need to show us:

* A passport that is valid for at least three months past the date you are to leave New Zealand.
* Proof that you have plans and the means to leave within the period of your permit. Suitable proof may include:
o confirmed or open-dated travel tickets out of New Zealand, or
o enough money to buy a ticket within the period of your permit.
* Proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay. This means:
o NZ$1000 per person per month of the visit, or
o NZ$400 per person per month if accomodation has already been paid for – we will require proof of prepayment, such as hotel prepaid vouchers.

So, all in all, you’ve got about nine months to get yourself situated, land a job, and grab a visa. If you think you’ve got the skills to quickly set yourself up, go for it. You wouldn’t be the first person to move first and apply later.

Have a question? Email me at: michael@groovygreen.com