# Stay or go: Leeds vs Auckland



## Jarrv (Apr 8, 2016)

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Im having a personal dilema im hoping someone with similar experience can shed light on.

For about the last 10 years ive had the urge to move to NZ, back in 2010 i spent a couple of months backbacking around the country and loved it.

Last year i applied for a bunac 1yr working holiday visa as a possible way of entry for which i thought there was a 12 month activation date but infact its only 6, this runs out at the end of the month.
With this in mind i applied for a few roles, and have been successful in securing at least 1 if not 2 jobs based in Auckland.

Until now this has always been a bit of a pipe dream, now its an actual reality im getting a little scared.
If i was 25 and single i would jump on a plane tomorrow but there are a few things holding me back.

1) I have a gf who i own a house with, i have spent the last few years trying to pursude her to come to NZ but no avail.

2) Slightly elderly parents 

3) Cost of living, can i afford to live in Auckland?

Now this is my last spin of the dice as it were, and im struggling to make a decision......Should i stay or Go?
(i know this is ultimately a personal decision)


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Hard decision to make for sure.

Unable to help with decisions you have to make with respect to your gf, house and parents....only you can figure that out.

In comparison with the UK, the cost of living is high all across NZ and more so in Auckland being that is where the majority of the population live and work. Whether or not you can afford to live here depends on a few factors, for example :-
(1) How much funding you have access to
(2) What sort of salary you can make
(3) How you control your living costs

As you say, 25 and single even I'd jump at the chance but with responsibilities that tie you to the UK then it's a whole different ball game.


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## Jarrv (Apr 8, 2016)

Thanks for the reply escapedtonz, much appreciated.

Regards finances.
I have $40k worth of savings 
Salary is $95k.

Think I'm starting to lose my mind weighing up what to do.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Jarrv said:


> Thanks for the reply escapedtonz, much appreciated.
> 
> Regards finances.
> I have $40k worth of savings
> ...


Yip I'm sure you are. I can only sympathize with your situation.

You certainly have sufficient savings to set yourself up on first arrival - i.e. usual costs for a rental property and maybe a car, insurances and a mobile phone etc etc.
You will also be earning a sufficient amount to afford to live here on your own and with that salary I'd even say you will earn enough for 2 adults - even in Auckland. If you also had kids involved then you'd need way more to afford to live comfortably.

With a gross annual salary of $95 000, you will earn and pay out the following :-
You will pay around $22 270 in income tax
You will pay around $1377.50 in ACC contributions
This will leave you with :-
$71,352.50 per annum
$5,946.04 per month
$2,744.33 per fortnight
$1,372.16 per week
Pay here is usually fortnightly which is way better than being monthly paid.

In addition to this and depending on your visa status, you may have to pay in to Kiwisaver which will become a mandatory savings scheme for retirement years. Minimum investment will be 3% of salary so also factor this in to the mix as a further deduction as follows :-
Kiwisaver deductions on same salary:-
$2,850.00 per annum
$237.50 per month
$109.62 per fortnight
$54.81 per week
This will leave you with :-
$68,502.50 per annum
$5,708.54 per month
$2,634.71 per fortnight
$1,317.36 per week

Rent will be your largest outgoing. Cheapest accommodation would be a backpackers hostel (like Youth Hostel accommodation in the UK) or just renting a room in a shared house with students or other young professionals. You can see the weekly costs of rental properties and rooms to rent on Buy online and sell with NZ's #1 auction & classifieds site | Trade Me which is a site where the majority of rentals will be advertised. Unfortunately you will be unable to register as you have to be in Australia or NZ to do that as they check your IP address when you register. You'll need to be registered to see advertisers details so you can get in touch with them. As a comparison a modest 2 bed house/flat in a nice area around Auckland city will probably cost you $500 a week.
Groceries for 2 x adults maybe $200-$300 per week. You have to shop seasonally here as one minute an item can be cheap as chips and the next it's 3 or 4 times the price as it's out of season.

Just convince the gf to try it for a year / 18 months, like an extended holiday. Promise her a cat for her troubles 
Maybe both apply for a career break from work instead of resigning and rent out the house you have together so you have security should you need to return. Always keep enough cash back so you can buy travel tickets and return to the UK.
Mulling and stressing out over this dream will make you go mad. If you truly believe it's something you must do, then you must do it or you'll be miserable. 
We only live once and even if it turns out to be a mistake...so what? It doesn't have to be forever.
What I will say though - if you are coming out together, you MUST have a strong bond between you both. If you give this a go, you will be living in each others pockets from day one without any friends or family. The need for personal support during those early days/months is intense and the road can be rocky for quite a while until you start to settle and get used to life here. Just don't underestimate this. If your relationship isn't totally strong then an emigration trip when one person isn't really in to it will doom it to failure. 
Just seen it happen to a colleague. She managed maybe 5 years but has moved back to the US. He's stayed here so they are now getting divorced.


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## Jarrv (Apr 8, 2016)

Thanks for the very detailed and incredibly useful post escapedtonz 
Lots to digest!

I have looked at the cost of living on a few websites and they all suggest Auckland is about 20% more than Leeds so after all expenses i would be around $500 a month better off if i take the job in NZ.

I currrently have a Bunac 1 year visa, when i applied i was under the impression i had 12 months to enter NZ (as this is what it has always been). 
However it seems they recently changed this to 6 months which has scuppered my original plans.

Regards a more permanent visa, i have looked at the Skilled Migrant Visa.
According to the online calculator i have 95/105 points without a job offer, but with an offer it would push me over the 140 threshold.

Now if i was to let my bunac visa expire and apply for a Skilled Migrant Visa with a job offer, what costs are involved?

EOI $530
Levy $393

Are there any additional costs?

Would i be likely to get some sort of accreditation/sponsorship?

Im an Analyst programmer with 10 years experience in the ICT / Banking sector.


Im having another discussion with the gf this evening, so crunch time... wish me well


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## jawnbc (Apr 28, 2012)

As long as you have 100 or more points with a job offer, you should get an ITA (Invitation to Apply). 



Jarrv said:


> Thanks for the very detailed and incredibly useful post escapedtonz
> Lots to digest!
> 
> I have looked at the cost of living on a few websites and they all suggest Auckland is about 20% more than Leeds so after all expenses i would be around $500 a month better off if i take the job in NZ.
> ...


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Jarrv said:


> Thanks for the very detailed and incredibly useful post escapedtonz
> Lots to digest!
> 
> I have looked at the cost of living on a few websites and they all suggest Auckland is about 20% more than Leeds so after all expenses i would be around $500 a month better off if i take the job in NZ.
> ...


Hey, no problem.

We too researched the cost of living to death before coming over but in reality it was 10-15% more on top of what we thought it would be so take the results of your research with a pinch of salt. The research that you have reviewed won't be bang up to the minute - probably at least 12 months old, The cost of living here, plus everything from materials to labour and everything else in between has risen recently.
If you wanna know costs of anything specific just ask.

As you say, you have a BUNAC visa for a period of 12 months. If you are then considering other visa options to allow you to remain longer or permanently then you'll be pushed for time to land the skilled migrant category resident visa.
As you know you must always hold a valid visa to allow you to remain in NZ within the conditions stated on the visa so you can never let any visa expire before applying for something else. You should always leave the country before a visa is to expire or make arrangements to secure another visa or extend the visa you already have if possible BEFORE the expiry date of the visa you are using. If you don't have a valid visa then your are classed as an overstayer and are an illegal immigrant.
If you come over here on the BUNAC with the intention of applying via the skilled migrant category with a job offer then you'll have to be quick getting that application in as they take a while to process and secure plus there's a lot of work involved, even with a job offer....minimum 6 months and more likely 9 months. Without a job offer at least 1 year.
Another option would be to apply for a temporary work visa like an essential skills temp work visa or a work to residence temp work visa once you are here with a job offer (assuming the employer, job, responsibilities, salary etc meet the criteria) which can be secured for up to 5 years which'll give you some breathing space. If you go this route as an interim measure ensure it is for at least 2 years as you them qualify for all the benefits as a resident or citizen would with respect to health care, ACC and Kiwisaver etc.

Just as Jawnbc stated, so long as you have minimum 100 points and a job offer, the EOI should be chosen from the pool going off current history. 
If you don't have a job offer there is no point submitting EOI with anything less than 140 points as it simply will never be chosen.

Skilled migrant costs:-
EOI $530
Resident Visa - SMC $2470
Migrant Levy $310

In addition to this, you may have to have qualifications assessed by NZQA which is minimum $800 per person for IQA assessment. If you initially go the PAR route which is the minimum requirement for EOI submission this'll cost $300 per person but you'll still have to have the IQA assessment later. Check the exemption documents on the INZ website relating to recognized qualifications.
Medicals per person minimum $250 in NZ....£500 in the UK!!!
Police reports from every country you have lived in for at least 12 months around $50 each country approx.
Courier fees to get documents securely to and from NZQA and Immigration maybe another $60 in each case ?

Unlikely you'll get any sponsorship. Slim chance if you are brilliant at what you do and an employer sees the potential in you and wants to keep you here, but otherwise you'll be paying out your own pocket so must have the funds to do that. An employer is likely to assist with further costs you may incur with respect to a more permanent visa and maybe even relocation costs but thats as negotiated and at their discretion so I wouldn't bank on it.

Good luck this evening. You can only lay your cards on the table and hope she wants to play


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