thekeltycat

I agree with the post above. Helping someone with immigration forms means nothing if the person cannot find what he/she needs when they get here. And with your own good education Simrat, you should be able to fill out the forms yourself. Gagan, ... Read More

I note you placed an almost identical post on the Scotland forum saying you would like to earn citizenship there too. Have not checked the other forums. Scotland and New Zealand are like night and day (with the exception of the scenery in south ... Read More

No change and not likely to get any better for a long time yet. NZ is one of those countries that is very slow to progress. :( Read More

Only been to Oz on a holiday, but I have to say, I found it cosmopolitan, vibrant and exciting compared to NZ. Although I am sure that would not apply to living in the outback. :cool: Read More

Hi Anne Just as a matter of interest, if you miss all these things in NZ, why do you chose to live in Oz? Read More

We put our house in the hands of a local agent and pay a fee that guarantees our rent even if he cannot find renters. They are also responsible for checking the property is kept up to scratch. And we specified the type of people we wanted. You can ... Read More

Hi expat You will find fellow Americans over on the Expats Exposed site who will understand your feelings and might be able to give you some support. The site certainly shows a side to NZ that is never shown at immigration roadshows. I guess I ... Read More

Yes we did this - but only because we could not sell it before we left. You can claim tax benefits on the income if you live outside the country too. Glad we did not sell it now as we are planning to go home as soon as we can get our nz one sold. ... Read More

Well said Pandolal - I guess I was just trying to be subtle with my reply. I agree about the houses. Ours is only 5yrs old, but these last two winters I have been colder inside than I have been for about 30yrs in the UK. But at least they have ... Read More

If its just you and a partner, then you could always arrive on a work permit then apply for residency from here (if you decide to stay). Many of my colleagues on the skilled shorlist have done just that. My son (unskilled) came over without ... Read More

We were told that those on the skilled shortage list were always given top priority. Our EOI was chosen in the first 'dip'. But even after that it took over a year to get through the system for permanency. Read More

Glad you are settling in Maxine :) We too came for the lifestyle, but we have to work full time with longer hours here just to exist. We are too knackered to have any lifestyle.:( And too skint to afford one. :/ I agree with you about being ... Read More

I wish I could reply, but thats perhaps too big an area to say whats good/safe. And it depends what you want to be safe from. Just like any other place in the world, there are good and bad places in every large town and city. The post about ... Read More

Hi again Scary Bear Well that was a wild guess on my part about sussing out Kiwififer. :D He's not all that bad - honest :rolleyes: The bus link certainly sounds as if it has improved compared to when I was commuting. And I remember seeing that ... Read More

Ha ha Scary Bear Methinks you already sussed kiwififer is an east fife supporter LOL Otherwise you would have no reason to mention Raith Rovers when all Jess2010 asked was whether Kirkcaldy was a nice place to live. Don't think she mentioned ... Read More

Whether you prefer one country to another depends on your age, cultural values, ethics, social preferences, previous standard of living etc. As a woman in her 50's, my experience is very different to that of my sons who like totally different ... Read More

Mark I think it is important to hear both sides of everything before making a lifechanging decision. Having said that the following site seems very harsh - but they seem genuine in their beliefs - expatexposed.com Read More

There is no such thing as easy commuting to Edinburgh if you live in Fife. Try two hours traffic jam trying to get over the Forth Road Bridge, and the same back at night. If you are determined to live in that area of Scotland, why not look at the ... Read More

Although you can get some great deals on Trade Me (same as Ebay) it might be time consuming waiting for bidding to end - and you could still end up with a dodgy car if you have not checked it out first. Selling via trade me at the end of your ... Read More

Just read the expats exposed Pandoral. Wish I had seen it before I came here. :( Read More

Simrat We got permanent residency, a good job, so bought a house and moved our belongings over here. Now my husband has lost his job due to the recession with little chance of any in the near future because the government is about to make major ... Read More

Not sure if I can answer your question either but I will give it a try. Hubby and I were on the skilled shortage list (healthworkers) and applied for permanent residence. It took over a year and cost a fortune. Hubby is now unemployed (so much for ... Read More

Hi Mike My husband and I are both mature health professionals from Scotland and have been here for almost 2 yrs in North Island. As a lecturer in a specific subject, I have no idea how easy it would be for you to find work, simply because there ... Read More

Been here almost 2 yrs. Can't say I am enjoying it yet but that is probably because I am 'mature' as they say and it is harder to adapt at my age to a whole new culture. My 37yr old son is reluctantly heading back to scotland soon after 3 years, ... Read More

New to this and my first post, but a Fifer who has been here just over a year. Try not to stress out too much over the EOI. You will have plenty time to stress when you progress to the next stage. If he is on the skilled shortage list, refer to ... Read More