So you think you want to move overseas?!

For many people moving overseas to work is a big ambition. As it was for me. Social media can certainly sell us an image of what it looks like, especially recent shows like "Dubai Hustle", but what is it truly like? In this article I hope to give you an insight into the reality of moving overseas, all the things to think about, some of the emotions you go through, and whatever else comes to mind. But first, some background.

I first moved in 2011 when I left the UK for Dubai as a 25 year old. Obviously like all 25 year olds I thought I knew everything...which I find highly amusing looking back now! I had crippling homesickness for the first 2 weeks. I had been living with my girlfriend for the previous 5 years and had a wedding already planned for early 2012, hence we decided for her to stay in the UK until we were married. Living together out of wedlock in the UAE is a criminal offence after all. In hindsight it was a terrible idea to move out 10 days before Christmas! But I was so keen to get started that I just didn't even think and had no inkling it would be so difficult. Would I have had the homesickness if I'd moved after Christmas instead? Who knows. Fortunately my wife has an incredibly strong personality and some choice words by my best friend helped me through that tough initial period.

In 2015 I continued further east as I moved to Hong Kong. Again the first 8 weeks was without my wife as she stayed behind in Dubai initially. But this was much easier this time as we knew what to expect. However, the one thing I didn't think about was packing a towel, cutlery, crockery, etc. which was all sent in the shipping. Lesson learned for next time!

Next time was due to be Australia in 2022! But after 6 months of waiting for my visa with further covid related backlogs meaning it could well be another 10 months the club and I agreed to pull the plug. It's hard to put into words the emotions felt from this. A good friend of mine had unexpectedly died 6 weeks earlier which puts this kind of disappointment into perspective. Nevertheless, it was very disappointing. Deflating. This is probably the best word to describe the feeling. After working so hard to land a dream job at a top club to then have bureaucracy take it away is rather deflating. Not a fun deflating like when you let go of a balloon and it flies around the room! Somewhat more like when an inflatable banner folds in on itself and slowly collapses.

Where am I now? After spending 11 months back in the UK I am about to move to New Zealand. Something I am incredible excited about. But there is still that feeling in the pit of my stomach which nags at me because of my experience with Australia.....will my visa come?! What other feelings?

Apprehension. Anxiety. Overwhelm. Joy. Not to mention a decent dose of what if questions.

With that preamble out of the way. What is actually needed for a visa application for NZ? Don't forget to 2x most of this because the same docs were needed for my wife.

1. Passport (with at least 3 months of validity left after your visa expiry date) - for me this meant a new passport was needed
2. Police checks for all countries lived in (UK, UAE, and Hong Kong)
3. Copies of all qualifications (degree certificates and transcripts)
4. Get degrees assessed by NZ for validity for permanent residence application
5. Visa photos
6. Medical at approved physician (private medical clinic) to prove health. e.g. X-ray for TB, full blood panel, and urine analysis
7. Work references stating title, role and responsibilities, and precise dates worked
8. For my wife's visa "proof of partnership" is needed. Which includes; marriage certificate, proof of shared financial responsibility, joint financial undertakings, travel together, letters of support from friends/family that we are actually in a proper relationship, proof of living together.

Once all of this is submitted it's a waiting game! Albeit once the work visa is approved the process to apply for permanent residency then starts and takes 4-6 months to be approved.

This is probably the easiest bit of moving overseas and just requires a good immigration advisor and good preparation. Word of advice, keep records of everything when it comes to where you've lived, worked, traveled to (my Australian visa application required us both to list every single country we've been to in the past 10 years! Including entry/exit dates!!!), etc. You never know when you might need it. And ask your last landlord for a reference letter, you often need this when renting.

What else goes into a move?

Where are we going to live? Advice from people on the ground as to what are good neighbourhoods with good transport links is super important. It's hard to know this without lived experience. What's your budget? What can you get for that and in which neighbourhood. How easy is it to rent somewhere before you land or do you stay in a hotel or serviced apartment first? If you want to buy are there any restrictions for non-permeant residents or higher deposit minimums?

Will you need a car? Can you buy and insure a car before you transfer your driving licence over to the local one? How long does that take to transfer? Any quirks to buying a car? e.g. when buying a car on finance in the UAE the car is owned by the finance company and you need to purchase insurance that states they are the owner and not you.

Can you open a bank account before you get there? Do you have to wait until you have your visa before you can do this? Can your own bank open one for you if they operate in that country? What about credit cards? American Express offer a global service and use your credit history with them in other countries to open a credit card and you can apply before you get there plus you get to keep your "member since" categorisation. How will you transfer money? Personally I use "Wise" and have found them brilliant.

Shipping. Firstly, I can't recommend PSS Removals highly enough, they've been fantastic with our moves to date. Is it worth air freighting any boxes of stuff that you'll want when you first arrive? How long will shipping take? Any special requirements? e.g. for New Zealand there cannot be a single speck of dirt on anything (shoes, mountain bike, golf clubs...all have been thoroughly cleaned which took a fair amount of time! Luckily a dry day was found). A good removal company will send you all of the correct import documents to fill out...which can be a lot of documents. Plus. What clothes will you need until your shipment arrives? Do you have enough luggage allowance on the flight for 2-4 months worth of living before your shipping arrives?

Then there's the other side of moving. After spending 11 months back in the UK with friends and family, which has been great, it becomes harder to say goodbye, again. When will we next see everyone. How different will our nieces/nephews and friends' children be? Will we see some of our older relatives again or not? These are more forefront when you're moving to quite literally the other side of the world. But we are excited for the move. We loved our experience in New Zealand on holiday in 2016. It really ticks every box for us as somewhere to live. All of this on top of moving to work at the best club in the country as the Director of Golf. We couldn't be more excited. And once the visa comes through proper there will be a big sigh of relief....and a bottle of Champagne opened to celebrate. After all. What's the point of living if you don't celebrate life's best moments?

And an update since I wrote my original draft. I got my visa. My emotions? Excitement, relief, joy, anxiety, overwhelm, anticipation, and no doubt many more that I don't have the vocabulary to accurately express. What was on my to-do list once I arrived you may be asking yourself? It was only 7 days from receiving my visa to being on a plane, so not much time to get things organised!

• Book temporary accommodation (how long to book for?!) - thank god for AirBNB and an Irish cocktail catering entrepreneur
• Book flights
• Find longer term rental accommodation
• Buy a car
• Convert driving licence to NZ
• Obtain an IRD number for tax purposes
• Buy furniture etc. for new house
• Open (well attempt to open) bank accounts and credit cards - this would be a whole article in itself for NZ!
• Make a great first impression!
• Learn everyone's names
• Get to grips with new software systems
• Learn the culture of the club, "how we do things around here" both staff and members
• Wait for my wife's visa and to be able to book her flight...would this be before Xmas? Thankfully, yes it was.

The journey continues. Almost exactly 11 years after I first left the UK I've moved to New Zealand. First impressions? I love it. Any complaints? The UV is rather strong but nothing some sunsleeves, a hat and sunscreen can't fix!