Moving to New Zealand?

ABOUT NEW ZEALAND

Home to around 5 million people, New Zealand is world renowned for its breath taking scenery, relaxed lifestyle, indigenous Maori culture and of course, the three time world champion ‘All Blacks’ Rugby team.

New Zealanders are well-known for their easy-going approach to life and welcoming nature to people from all cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds. Our varied climate means you can enjoy a wide variety of outdoor pursuits including kayaking, fishing, mountain biking, skiing or snowboarding – sometimes being able to do several activities all in one day!

In the North Island, Auckland is our biggest city and the most popular destination for migrants as it is our largest gateway to the world. This is closely followed by Wellington, which is our capital city and the home of the New Zealand government. Hamilton and Tauranga are not too far behind and are regarded as some of the fastest growing regions in the country. In the South Island, Christchurch and Dunedin are two the major cities, with the popular winter resort town of Queenstown situated in between and a great place to visit at any time!

We pride ourselves on being a very ethnically diverse country with government initiatives actively supporting and promoting diversity at work. Our country’s economy rely heavily on our migrant workforce and as such, we welcome talents from all over the world to contribute to our success.

THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR IN NEW ZEALAND

21,000

New Zealand companies that identify as being in the technology sector

 

108,000

People employed by technology firms (6% of NZ workforce)

 

$16.2 Billion

The amount NZ technology firms contributed to GDP (8% of NZ GDP)

 

Source: NZTech Annual Report, 2019

From a technology perspective, Auckland and Wellington have the vast majority of job opportunities for migrants with IT skills. A large number of corporate businesses have their head offices in Auckland, whilst Wellington is dominated by primarily central government agencies and related entities. Both cities have a vibrant technology start-up and software development scene, so you can find great jobs in all different types of organisations. Overall, there’s strong demand for competent, highly skilled technology and business transformation people in both locations. For more detail about life in Auckland or Wellington, check out their websites: www.aucklandnz.com or www.wellingtonnz.com

Regional centres and cities like Hamilton, Tauranga, Christchurch and Dunedin tend to have much smaller technology footprints than the main two centres and often the opportunities available in those places are with smaller, innovative software organisations, rural agritech companies or regional offices of larger employers.

HOW TO START YOUR JOURNEY

If you are thinking of making the move to New Zealand, it’s best to have done your research on what it takes to get a work visa or permanent residency and have asked yourself a number of questions before you start the process. Here are some sources of information which may help you in the initial stages of planning.

The first thing you should consider is whether you are eligible to live and work in New Zealand. We encourage you start by visiting the Immigration New Zealand website – the Government’s official agency which manages all facets of immigration to New Zealand. On this website, you’ll find all the information you need on the variety of different work visas you may be eligible for, what steps you need to take to apply, the technology skills that are currently in high demand in this country and what documentation you need to produce in order to progress your application.

We’d encourage you to check out the New Zealand Now website which is a great, easy to read magazine style resource which provides a full guide on living and working in New Zealand. This site gives you a wealth of information on why you should choose New Zealand, how to move here and what living and working in New Zealand is like. Make sure you take the time to work through all of this information with your family to make sure the decision to migrate is the right one for all of you. In addition, a checklist has been sent up by Immigration New Zealand called NZ Ready. This is a great, handy planning tool which covers everything you could possibly think of when preparing for a move.

FINDING AN ACCREDITED IMMIGRATION ADVISOR

If you are looking for specific advice around immigration, we recommend engaging the services of a licensed immigration advisor to help with any aspect of your journey to New Zealand and ensure a seamless application process. The Immigration Advisors Authority is the government agency responsible for all registered advisors, protecting the interests of all people receiving New Zealand immigration advice. To find a licensed advisor, go to their Public Register:  IAA Public Register