Home Is Where…

Usually that sentence ends with “where the heart is” and I am certain that is true for most, but for the potential migrant to New Zealand, home is usually wherever the job might be and in the current climate, being able to pick and choose your end destination in New Zealand is becoming less important (and less likely).

Usually when I consult with a hopeful migrant, they have a fairly clear idea as to where they want to be, and usually that destination revolves around somewhere they might have visited previously or where their family or friends might be. That makes perfect sense, when you consider a move like this, then naturally you will look for a comfort zone.

Finding your comfort zone in New Zealand and having a set destination in mind is perfectly logical, but the real question is whether it is practical. When a job offer is the key to your visa success, and you really dont know where that job offer might be, location can become less important. After all, no where in New Zealand is that far away and if you get the right job, that gets you the right visa, it pays to be flexible.

There is also more to the location question than just being in your comfort zone. Depending on what you do for a living, certain areas in New Zealand may offer more or less opportunities and then of course you have to factor in the cost-of-living as well. So understanding how to tackle this location question is actually a pretty big part of your overall move.

Location, location, location…

I consulted with a couple a few years back and she worked in a very specialised field, but had a sibling living in Hastings. She was adamant that she wanted to live nearby and I was not sure if she would land such a specific role in an area with a relatively small labour market (compared to somewhere like Auckland). Of course at the time, there was a dire shortage of good skilled people and such a shortage that she managed to pull it off.

You don’t know, till you know

Until you live here, you wont know the difference between life in Auckland, versus life in Wellington…and yes they are quite different.

That was obviously a fantastic outcome for the family, given they were very keen to ensure that everyone remained together in the same location. My client’s brother had moved many years ahead of her and so there was a clear desire for everyone to be in the same place. They moved over successfully and settled in. A few years later however, my client was living somewhere completely different and when I inquired as to why the move, it came down to Hastings not really being the “right fit” for them. She was also able to secure a more lucrative opportunity further north and so the family had moved once again. I did ask about splitting up the family (leaving her brother behind) and her response was something I tell a lot of my clients…it is still better being three hours away, rather than 27 hours away and on the other side of the planet.

Many migrants fixate on a location for reasons of having family there or having visited that spot before, but until you live in a place (and I mean really live in a place) you wont know the difference. You might be set on living amongst the Hobbits in Matamata (it is actually a lovely spot, but with no Hobbits), only to find that your work opportunities are far better in Auckland. What you think a place might offer, in terms of family connections, lifestyle, education and so forth will differ greatly to that which you actually experience.

The key to this is to understand that where you want to live and where you might up are probably going to be two different things and most of that decision is dictated by the location of the job offer (which is the key for most migrants to qualify). If you are set on snow-capped mountains down in the South Island, but are offered a job in the sunnier (usually) north, you would be mad not to consider it.

Also remember that sometimes the initial location is a means to and end and once you have traversed the visa process, with Residence in hand you are free to then move about to wherever you like.

Finding Your Comfortable

Another client that springs to mind in this discussion is one I helped many years ago to make the move from South Africa. The family consisted of husband (main applicant), wife and two young children. The husband secured a good job in the West Coast of the South Island in a fairly small place, which might not be the first choice for many migrants.

Finding your comfortable

Finding your comfortable in New Zealand is often less about being close to family (because they are never far) and more about finding somewhere to call home.

They took a bit of time to consider the role, but in the end decided they would take up the offer and move to this spot…although it was very clear that they were not going to stay there. In fact the wife was adamant that once they had their Resident Visas in hand, they would be packing bags, saddling up and heading north to warmer climates (they were from Durban, so it was understandable).

We secured the temporary visas for them to make the move and then set about organizing the residence application - that took almost a year to complete, given processing times back then were pretty slow (they still aren’t lightning fast). When it was all done and dusted I remember asking the wife, if the bags were packed and she was ready to go…she commented (very quickly) that there was no way they were moving and that they were in the place they were meant to be.

Funny how you can acclimatise pretty quickly when you are working, kids are in school and you get to know your neighbours. Finding what is comfortable when you migrate is exactly that - you have to find it. It wont necessarily be what you first imagined and it might not be in the same location or with family over the back fence - but in time it will become home.

There is also a lot to be said for small-town New Zealand and whilst the job opportunities might be more challenging to find, there are often less people competing for those roles as well as a lower-cost of living, cheaper accommodation and less traffic.

The point here is that until you live here and experience life in New Zealand and all the usual daily routines, you wont really be able to pick the perfect location. Friends and family will experience their level of comfort quite differently and where they call home might not suit you. You find that over time but be open to the possibility that it might be somewhere very different to that picture of New Zealand you have on fridge.

Be Flexible

While New Zealand battles with a slowing economy and an increased cost of living, the challenges of finding employment are even more present. Don’t get me wrong there are still jobs available for the right people, who tackle this process in the right way, but like many other countries, we are struggling to get back on our feet post-Covid.

However understanding those challenges, which are ever-present for the migrant job-seeker with no Work Visa in hand, it is now more important than ever to be flexible in terms of where you might end up living. Even if your family are pulling you in one direction, just remember that if you end up living in a completely different city to them, you are still a lot closer than you would be on the other side of the globe.

Of course it doesn’t hurt to have a goal in mind and if Hobbits are your thing and Matamata is first prize then keep that in mind, but also be open to the fact that the right job and the means to secure you the right to live in New Zealand permanently could land you somewhere very different.

Until next week!