A nurse’s move to the South Island

Kate Hodgkison and David Fisher found in New Zealand the life that they had long been looking for.

The couple visited New Zealand on a family holiday and, after falling in love with the country, decided to go back home to Cheshire, in the UK, and do some research on life down under. “We loved everything, the relaxed attitude, the friendly people…,” recalls Kate.

Attending the Opportunities New Zealand Expo in Birmingham was the first real step into their journey abroad. “The expo gave us the confidence we needed to make the move,” says the nurse, adding that the couple “took a pad with questions and did some homework before attending”.

Kate had already emailed a few hospitals in New Zealand, hoping to be able to continue her nursing career in the country. At the Working In expo, she met Accent Recruitment and, through them, found a job at Christchurch hospital.”

Kate and David used the help of an immigration consultant who guided them through each step of the visa application process. “We were going to apply under the Work to Residence programme, but then I got the job offer so we decided to go straight to residency.”

Kate registered her nursing skills in New Zealand directly from the UK about one year prior to the couple’s arrival. “It was very easy to register as a nurse. I registered one year prior to coming, which was really good.”

The couple landed in Christchurch on 7 September 2009, about 18 months after they started dreaming about a new life in New Zealand. “We’re settling in perfectly,” assures Kate. “We got a really good flat in a really nice area, and we’ve made friends.” The couple plans to stay in New Zealand permanently and uses Skype to communicate with family and friends in the UK on a weekly basis.

Kate’s advice for potential migrants is to “definitely use an immigration consultant. “Even if you do your own research, you can get overwhelmed by it all.”