New Zealand mamas! Info please! :) - Page 4

[Spring Sun]

Thanks Tiffani! We will have two US incomes, plus dh is thinking about getting a NZ job. I will also be doing photography. We understand we won't get paid much, but we both want to work anyways.

We do want to hire someone to help us do all the paperwork for getting there. Does any one have a referral for a immigration service?

[accountclosed3]

i meant that the US dollar was strong comparatively, and therefore our purchasing power based on what we would bring with us increases (basically doubles right now) as would anything else that we roll over (eg, 401k).

our plan is tolive off of my husband's income exclusively while i use my income to pay off all debt here. i know that it means that if i make $50k NZ it equals $25k US right now. that can go up, of course, as two years ago it as .85NZ to1US, which could mean that in a year or two, the NZ$ is worth more (though still less than the US$, but it's all good.

that is, i've made arrangements for how to pay off US (school) debt.

my biggest concern right now is taxes. i'd have to pay taxes in the US and in NZ. now, i don't have to pay NZ taxes on US income for 4 years, but any ncome that i make as a US citizen is taxed by the US gov't if i'm earning over $11k US. which, i'm sure we will be. so, that's a lot of TAX!

but, we are planning on it anyway. ryan has applied for a number of jobs, i'm still in contact to buy a holistic business, and we hope to make the journey there in June at the earliest and Sept at the latest ---that's for the scouting trip--and then moving whenever after that.

[tiffani]

ok zoebird, that makes more sense! we're paying canadian and NZ taxes this year too... we'll definitely be hiring an accountant this year!!!

sorry spring sun, all our immigration stuff was handled by my dh's company, who imports many, many foreigners, so they know their stuff!

best of luck to everyone in your immigration journey!!!

[Spring Sun]

Well, I want to do the same thing. We will have $3500 of US income per month. That will be a okay living there? I will have to stay home a lot with a new baby, but could do photography a little too, and then use that money to start paying off my debt.

I think the thing I am most worried about is housing. It all looks so little and shabby over there. We have always been testy with each other in tiny spaces. And we want to lower our standard of living, which means we will get a rental in Auckland for like $400/week. I need to just get out there and see how it really is like.

[accountclosed3]

yes, housing in NZ is considerably different. the homes are smaller and they are not insulated and up to the sorts of codes that we have here.

it's definitely worth while doing a scouting trip.

right now, it's $1US =$1.77NZ so at $3500US per month (and for 4 years, that won't be taxed in NZ, only income in NZ will be taxed in NZ) would currently equal $6195 per month, or $74k per year. that's a good income. the immigration web site has a calculator though. it's really good to check out.

[tiffani]

I would absolutely recommend a scouting trip to anyone considering moving here, though it is an added expense...

I find NZ to be a little less progressive in a few ways... the vast majority of people who homeschool here are Christian (which is only indicative of the fact that it is more for religious reasons than educational/philosophical reasons... very few unschoolers, though I think in the younger group that's just starting to get to school age there might be a shift starting to happen...)

if you're not planning to homeschool, really check out the schools, as I've heard very mixed reviews, and have heard that bullying is still a pretty big issue, just starting to get some attention. that could be just in our area though, I don't know... things like organic food, recycling, and general "greenness" are still in the early stages, at least in Wellington, at least in comparison to vancouver, canada. Among the homeschoolers I've met, a few have had homebirths, so I think that's certainly a possibility in the Wellington region, but I think most people would look at you like you had two heads if you mentioned unassisted birthing -- though that's pretty well the case all over the world! I know one woman here who EC's, and someone was mentioning that there is a group for this here I think? I think that since my kids are older, we're not as in touch with a lot of other crunchy folks -- I'm beginning to suspect that the real unschoolers must exist here, and perhaps they don't connect with the main homeschooling population here in wellington, so they just don't crop up on my radar at all...

anyway, I'm just trying to throw out what I've noticed about MDC type subjects, take it or leave it! It is beautiful here, and very laid back, but not as crunchy as you might think -- I think a lot of people have an image of NZ being very hippie-esque, and there are certainly pockets of that (Nelson seems to be more crunchy??) but overall it isn't really a green/AP mecca at all, and depending on what your current area is like, you might be pleasantly surprised or a little disappointed, and it's a pretty HUGE move to make to end up disappointed. Some people are pretty thrown off by the fact that there are a lot of things you just can't get here -- cheerios, for example , and they often run out of things, and there just isn't the variety that you find in north america. food is also really expensive, but I suppose that's the case all over too!! most of the food is fairly local, though, so that's nice...

One thing I love is the size of Wellington -- it's big enough for there to be lots to do, but small enough that it feels cozy and homey. I don't know anything about Auckland, as we haven't been there yet. I love that the ocean is not too far in any direction, and there are so many beautiful places to explore.

[Spring Sun]

Thanks! I am not into UC, home or unschooling, or EC. I just like to birth with a midwife, breastfeed, babywear, etc...and I doubt that would be strange there. We do want to make sure that our children are in good school-are the private schools there ok?

[accountclosed3]

we're going to check out the waldorff school on our trip out.

perhaps it's because of my job (teaching yoga), but i tend to attract a lot of crunchy people to me. well, in general, i tend to attract people whom i like. LOL and yet i'm a loner. it's a strange dichotomy.

i stayed in nelson for 6 wks back in 07, and it was a crunchy town/area. it's a beautiful place too. i really liked it, but felt that the town was too small, and obviously there wasn't a film industry there for DH. we LOVED wellington.

i was surprised at how liberal people were or seemed to be--but that might have just been my crowd. i knew a couple of pregnant gals and when i met them, other folks brought up UC and EC. Also, a number of my friends were homeschooled by their parents (though two because they were raised on a boat travelling the pacific, and once in high school when to private quaker schools in the US). i was actually surprised that they'd even heard of these things.

[accountclosed2]

Spring Sun, you'll be quite mainstream here! It is only the babywearing thing that is less common, unless you've got a BabyBjörn(or possibly a Nature's Sway ringsling), which is why it is unusual to see people carrying babies over 6 months. I have only had positive comments to carrying my 1-y-o in an Ergo (people just think their own babies are too heavy).

Regarding schools, of course there are private schools, but I'm not sure if, in general, they are better than the good public schools. Public schools have a ranking system from the government 1-10, where Decile 10 is "the best". This only means that the parents are richer and mainly NZ European (caucasian?) Decile 10 schools get the LEAST from the government, but are usually doing quite well out of the parents (school fairs, donations, sausage sizzles etc), and therefore are quite rich schools. Decile 1 schools, on the opposite end, get very little out of the parents, but quite a lot from the government. I'd be more wary of the decile 5 schools. Anyway, some schools have a really good reputation - "everyone" just knows. So people move into the school zone they want to be in, so their children can go to a particular school. Also know, that parents have quite a lot of pull with what schools do, how they teach or treat your child, how much homework etc. And they use mainly positive discipline (stickers, lollies, certificates, house points ad nauseum). Punishment may be to go talk to the principal or spend some of lunch hour sitting outside the office. (I am a teacher, but I haven't worked in a school in the last 2 years)

[Castle]

Originally Posted by zoebird

right now, it's $1US =$1.77NZ so at $3500US per month (and for 4 years, that won't be taxed in NZ, only income in NZ will be taxed in NZ) would currently equal $6195 per month, or $74k per year. that's a good income. the immigration web site has a calculator though. it's really good to check out.

You are probably already aware of this, but to clarify for others reading... If you're living and working in New Zealand, even if working for and being paid by a US company, that's considered New Zealand income. You would have to pay New Zealand taxes on it.

The 4 year tax exemption on overseas income is for stuff like rental income from a property overseas or interest income from foreign bank accounts. Here's the IRD web page that describes the exemption.

[accountclosed3]

thanks for that clarification. i was looking for that information specifically--if it had to do with active or 'working' income vs passive income such as renting out one's home, which is an option for us.

we are considering it; we'll see how that goes.

[Ziggysmama]

Originally Posted by Spring Sun

Thanks Tiffani! We will have two US incomes, plus dh is thinking about getting a NZ job. I will also be doing photography. We understand we won't get paid much, but we both want to work anyways.

We do want to hire someone to help us do all the paperwork for getting there. Does any one have a referral for a immigration service?

I personally would totally reccomend getting someone to help you with the immigration paperwork. It can help you feel not so overwhelmed and such.
There are immigration service but I would reccomend hiring a laywer to help you instead. It does work out cheaper in the long run.
We go through Vallant Hooker in Auckland. Google them. They are awesome.