# Considering move to NZ - complications



## thomasjones1989

Hello all,

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I've been here many times in the past and everyone's been a great help. I'm going to waffle a bit at the start so if you want to get straight to my point, I'll bold where my real query begins.

I apologise in advance that my post isn't as serious as other peoples. I know many people come here who are in distress and at their wits end because there family have been separated. i've been there, only a few years ago and it was a dark time in my life.

So it may sound a little selfish that after getting my family together finally and living together in the UK that we're considering moving to NZ. I understand how grateful many people would be just to be together as a family, and I am finally - but we're looking at what we really want in our future and where we want to live permanently as a family.

*My wife is American, I'm British, we spent a year in New Zealand (purely to spend time together because of VISA issues) and my daughter was born in NZ. It has a very special place in our hearts. We returned after our year working holiday VISA only to hit issues with VISAs (I spent a year apart from my wife and daughter while they were in the US and I worked hard to obtain my wife a Spousal VISA)

We both would really like to go back to New Zealand and start a life there, however my wife is 2 years into her 2.5 year UK spousal VISA. I'd love her to get residency. It'd be great for her to be legally allowed to visit, live etc here should we decide to ever come back or backtrack (should anything go wrong with our move). The uncertainty of living together has always been a cloud over our relationship (I currently don't have any right to live in the US either).

However, it's my understanding that she can't apply for permanent residency until she's spent 5 years here. (only after a further 2.5 year extension). Based on that, would people advise us staying in the UK for the full 5 years before even considering a move abroad? Our daughter is 3.5 years old and I'd really love to settle down permanently (hopefully in NZ) before she gets settled into a school, before we become home owners etc.. For that reason I'd rather make the move sooner rather than later, but need advice on whether it's worth just staying put for the short-term future.

With all respect to the UK and its citizens, it's not where we ideally want to spend our lives. Our dream is to go back to New Zealand and live as a family there. We fell in love with the country and new "this is our future home". However, I don't want to jeopardise the VISA I've managed to obtain for my wife and our ability to actually live together as a family. We've undergone hardships simply living together in the past and at the end of the day that's my number 1 priority. I'm really just after advice from similar individuals who maybe underwent the same experience. 

Should we abandon our NZ dream and spend another 3-4 years until my wife gets citizenship in the UK? Or should we pursue it while we're young (I'm 27 in December), before my daughter gets into full-time education etc. I'm concerned that putting it off longer and longer may kill the prospect of ever moving altogether. We currently don't own a home etc (living with parents) and have nothing really tying us down. In an ideal world we'd love to move to New Zealand but still get my wife permanent UK residency as a safety net. 
*

Thanks, sorry to waffle and I appreciate everyone's time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## thomasjones1989

Also, please ignore my "Expat in usa" in my header. That is wrong and I have no idea how to change it


----------



## escapedtonz

Only you can answer those questions. Nobody will be able to guide you on the correct route to take as there'll be pro's and con's for both.
Seems to me that you have answered your own question a couple of times and you are seeking assurance it's the right thing to do, but only you can be certain of that.

This isn't the right forum to be asking questions about UK Spousal Visas and UK Residency - you'll need the British/UK section of the forum if you seek answers to that.

All I'll say is you are still just a pup and have many years ahead of you. Time is on your side from a lot of perspectives. Your "In an ideal world" scenario is achievable so why not explore it? Why rock the boat? You'll still only be 29/30 years old by then, will have a couple more years relationship history, a couple more years experience, wife may be a UK resident.
I for one look ahead of our (mine and the wife's) wants and needs for the future so the things I think about and the decisions I make are based with more emphasis on my children and opening up doors for them for when they become young adults, so when we came to NZ, we came to provide a safer and more outdoorsy environment for them, to live near the beach and have it as part of their everyday life, to explore the world a bit and change the family history by going off on a tangent and living on the other side of the world. Next year we'll all get NZ citizenship which means the kids can live in UK, NZ or AUS.


----------



## thomasjones1989

Thanks, I appreciate your response. You are right, I am still young and personally know people who have relocated themselves (and their family) to New Zealand at the age of 40+ so I know it's silly to think that at the age of 26 I'm running out of time. 

The safety and the more outdoor friendly climate of NZ is certainly one of the most appealing factors to me now I have a young daughter. Having been to NZ, I firmly believe her upbringing will be better off in NZ than it is here in the UK. She's only 3 and a half so I agree that we have time on our side.

Thanks again for your response!


----------



## Lee1974

you have to pick and choose, 1. how important is it to have the UK Visa for your wife? Are you thinking that NZ won't be as good as you hope it will be? If it's where you truly want to live, then the need for the UK Visa for your wife won't be needed or an issue. 2. you have to decide what is more important, living in NZ in the end, or being together as a family and where you live is secondary.


----------

