New Zealand Immigration

So a few years ago I started entertaining the notion that the world was in big trouble. Okay I was helped along and let me leave it at that. You know the story - oil oil oil. With the huge oil price spike we saw a while ago and the crushing recession that was to follow - all driven by some pretty far out economic policies and greedy people in banking and government... it seemed like as good a time as any to get moving.

So I sent in my Expression of Interest the the New Zealand Immigration people about 6 months ago which they accepted, and I've been collecting paperwork since then. The hardest thing by far was the South African police clearance certificate. My goodness did that drag and drag. Nearly 3 months from start to finish. The final straw came when the couriers tried to deliver it to the wrong address, and then didn't do anything fo 2 weeks while we waited around.

Well the good news is that I've sent everything in! Yes the official application is in and now we sit tight and wait. I'm not expecting to be turned down - me and Bing are surely just the type of people they want there. Well educated, employed / employable young couple wanting to settle down.

So as much as I enjoy working here at the BBC, and I've met a lot of great people in this country some of who are now friends... it's time to settle down and from the beginning I never saw myself settling down here. In fact from the beginning I never really meant to stay in England. I was on my way to Canada but thought I'd start off by living in the UK for a year or two since I had a good friend who was already living in London. He left a long time ago and here I am :P It all turned out well though - I wouldn't have met Bing otherwise and who knows how my life would have turned out.

So if all goes to plan then in a little over a year we might very well be in New Zealand! Starting from scratch in a new country is always a bit painful but luckily I have my brother and his family, as well as an old friend already down there so it won't be totally from scratch.