The process of emigrating to New Zealand from the UK is essentially a long series of events that must be achieved before you leave the UK, followed by a completely different set of ‘must-do’ tasks on arrival in New Zealand.

Emigration to New Zealand, or anywhere else for that matter, is best described as a roller coaster ride of emotional highs and lows tempered by successes and disappointments. The single factor that will keep you focussed on your aim to emigrate is determination. You will have made the decision to emigrate for a variety of reasons but the primary one is probably for a better quality of life elsewhere.

Once you have determined why you want to emigrate to New Zealand, the initial decision to go will almost be followed by a ‘what next?’ moment. There is no set starting point in tackling the tasks that lie ahead so where do you actually begin?

I believe there are probably five areas of the emigration process that must be considered at an early stage, which are detailed as follows:

• Submission of an Expression of Interest. There is simply no point in planning to emigrate to New Zealand if you have not had an invitation to apply for a visa from the New Zealand Immigration Service.
• Confirmed offer of employment from New Zealand. This is important as the outcome of your visa application could potentially hinge on the type of job you may have been offered. Alignment with the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) or Immediate Skill Shortage List (ISSL) will have a much greater chance of success.
• Preliminary budget costing exercise. There is much to consider in terms of related costs to the emigration process. You will need to have disposable funding available just to get through the visa application process and must accept from the outset that there is no guarantee it will be successful.
• Whole-family discussion about what lies ahead. A vital element that costs nothing but is a very emotional subject for some families and can have a negative impact on planning unless you gain the confidence and tacit agreement of all those people close to you.
• Timing of the potential move. Sale of your house, school requirements, cost of flights and other elements are all affected by seasonal changes. Trying to align them all is a complicated task and requires careful planning and consideration.

By Steve Horrell author of Emigrating to New Zealand, see www.emigrating-to-new-zealand.co.uk