Fed up with the UK, the Brooks family decided their future lie away from the UK. Here Lyndsey Brooks tells us in her own words why New Zealand has proved to be the perfect destination for her family.

“We are a family of four who found ourselves looking for somewhere to live that had more to offer us than the UK. It was the desire for a better lifestyle that really prompted us to look into emigrating. We wanted to escape the unpredictable UK climate, leave behind the ‘Rat Race’ and the work to live mentality that has become part of the British way of life in recent years and, most importantly, live in a country that would fulfil our dreams of combining a spectacular lifestyle with an environment that our children would love and be able to thrive in.

In New Zealand we believe we have found it. While the land of the long white cloud was always a top contender for us when we were deciding where we should move to, my heart was initially drawn to South Africa – the country in which I grew up.

After a lot of thought, however, we realised that South Africa couldn’t offer us exactly what we were after, whereas NZ most certainly could. Simply put, New Zealand seemed to have everything that I wanted for us as a family – safety away from terrorist action, an outdoor sporty lifestyle, and a slower pace of life. I took a whirlwind ten-day trip to New Zealand at the beginning of February 2010.

During this trip I looked at potential areas to live in along with the cost of houses and food prices. I found the whole trip informative and all the Kiwis I met were very friendly and couldn’t do enough to help me. Although some people might say that ten days is hardly enough time to make a life changing decision, for me any lingering doubts that I may have had about moving to New Zealand disappeared. I loved it here straight away. What’s more, it was also on this trip that I met my future employer.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Obtaining a job offer in what is deemed a very small county can seem scary. But the opportunities are there – it’s up to you what you make of them. We wanted the move so badly that I immediately started contacting veterinary clinics around New Zealand, but was drawing blanks to begin with. It wasn’t until I looked on a recruitment website that I found my perfect job advertised. I applied and the rest, as they say, is history.

After my visit in February 2010, my then future employer was willing to wait until my residence visa was finalised. Making a good impression can go a long way so don’t be afraid to ask them to wait for you – I did and it paid off! As long as you are flexible, willing and able, work opportunities should show themselves. Within four months of returning from my fact finding trip we had emigrated, and after a shaky start in Christchurch, we eventually moved to Auckland, where we are now living our dream – and, I’m delighted to say, loving every second of it. And although we are living in Auckland, which is easily the largest and most populated city in New Zealand, it is by no means ‘busy’ by UK standards.

LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND NOW

So has life here lived up to expectations? You bet it has. We are loving our new life. It is simply the best country in which to bring up children. The boys are always outside getting up to mischief, they are happier than we have ever seen them and healthier looking. They are getting into fishing and simply thriving in the outdoor lifestyle. We have a beach just three minutes drive away, where we can swim safely and also go kayaking in the bays. None of these activities would have been available to us in the UK.

It scares me to say it, but the boys would probably have become computer addicts had we stayed in Britain, rarely playing out in the fresh air. For Mathew and I, we love our new jobs and we are working with some really great people. As a family we feel settled and content and our plans for the future include extending our home, involving the children with some sports clubs and to continue enjoying living in this beautiful country.

Of course, moving away from friends and family is never easy, but having Skype has made it easier to keep in touch with our loved ones and hopefully we will soon start to get a steady flow of visitors coming to see us.

If you have the desire and opportunity to emigrate, definitely do it, it will be the best decision you’ll ever make – as long as you don’t expect it to be like wherever it is you’ve come from. You need to embrace life in a new country for what it is and don’t keep looking back on your old life. Get on with your new life. Follow your heart and live your dreams. You have nothing to lose. New Zealand is a piece of paradise. The decision to emigrate is one that we have not regretted making. Ever.”

USING MIGRATION ASSOCIATES

“In order to get to New Zealand it seemed like we had to climb a mountain”, writes Lyndsey. “We wanted to use a licensed advisor to assist us through the daunting process. In November 2009, we met with such an advisor and immediately felt that he was the person to help us achieve our dream. If it wasn’t for his advice we would probably be facing delays and getting frustrated with the process rather than already living the dream. “

“We were advised to apply through the Skilled Migrant Category, but first I needed to get my veterinary nursing qualification assessed and to obtain an offer of employment. We overcame these two hurdles and in January 2010 our adviser submitted our online Expression of Interest. A week later we were selected from the ‘Pool’ and by the end of January 2010 our invitation to apply had arrived.“

“We were advised as to the documentation required to lodge our application, which included collecting evidence of our relationship, providing proof of joint financial obligations and gathering a full and comprehensive history of my working career. We also needed to undergo medicals for the whole family and a police report for Mathew and myself.“

“All the required documents were gathered and on 16 March 2010 our application was submitted. All that was left now was to wait for a decision to be made by Immigration New Zealand. Luckily for us we only had to wait ten days before our adviser informed us that our application had been approved in principal. By 12 April 2010 we had been granted our permanent residency.”

“Getting our passports back with the endorsed visas was an amazing feeling. We had done it – we were on our way!“

The Brooks family used Borey Chum from Migration Associates as their licensed adviser: www.migrationassociates.com. They encourage others to obtain assistance from a licensed immigration adviser to assist them with their visa application.