Enjoy the process!

Hello, I'm Alisha. Originally from South Africa, I moved to New Zealand with my husband Shiven and our daughter Mahi, in September of 2022. While it was a dream come true, the move was also financially, emotionally, and physically taxing. Mahi was only three years old at the time. However, it was all worth it, and I will never regret my decision.

Challenges

The most difficult aspect of our move was helping our daughter adjust to her new and unfamiliar surroundings. She missed her family and friends dearly, and it was quite a challenge for her to adjust to a new school and make new friends. However, after about three months, she finally managed to settle in and ended up loving her new environment. It was easy to settle in, as everyone was friendly and welcoming. We made friends quickly and soon called it home.

NZ Shores advisers

We had a great experience working with New Zealand Shores. They provided us with a transparent payment plan and did not require a large upfront payment. Their team worked swiftly on our application, and we were able to complete the process in a timely manner. Our adviser, Manmeet, was exceptional. He was highly efficient and promptly responded to our emails and enquiries. He made the entire immigration process seamless and stress-free. Manmeet went above and beyond to address our numerous questions and concerns and kept us informed at each step of the process. He even followed up with us after we arrived in New Zealand and advised us on when to apply for residency. We worked with Manmeet again in December 2022 for our residency application and were granted residency in April 2023. We appreciate the efficiency and exceptional service provided by Manmeet and the New Zealand Shores team.

First impressions

My impression of New Zealand was that it was clean, and we felt a sense of safety walking around. Systems and processes work seamlessly, for eg. applying for a licence, registering for tax, etc.

What we miss

There are South African shops that have all the things you may miss from home, and Countdown also has an international isle where you can find familiar things. We did initially miss a few things like 5 Roses / Tetley tea, masala for curries, and biscuits, but we found similar products. Everything else is a matter of adapting and making yourself comfortable.

Our advice to new migrants

As an immigrant, I would advise others to conduct thorough research and gain a clear understanding of the necessary requirements and expenses involved in moving to a new country. Our transition to this new country has been smooth and free of many challenges because we prepared well in advance. We researched everything from the cost of daily necessities such as food and furniture to finding good schools and understanding the distance between work and other places. Additionally, we maintained a positive attitude and focused on the reasons for our move, which helped us avoid homesickness. While we do miss our home, family, and familiar surroundings, we keep in mind that our child's safety and future are better secured here.

We are pleased to say that New Zealand has become our new home, and we are grateful for this decision. Additionally, we have recently welcomed a new member to our family, a baby, which has made us a family of 4. Our pregnancy experience was excellent, and we found the hospital to be on par with the private hospitals we had back in our home country. The best part was that we did not need any extra medical insurance, as everything was covered. We live a more relaxed, stress-free life here and encourage anyone who wants to make the move.

I will definitely recommend New Zealand Shores to anyone deciding to relocate, people who you can trust to share your journey with!