My Name is Jeremy, I am a Physiotherapist. I came to NZ on 14 March 22 from Singapore. The process to come to NZ took me about 1 year from applying for registration to the Physio Board to getting here.
The easiest part of the process was getting a visa after getting a job. The most challenging part of the process was getting all the documents required for professional registration and waiting for registration to be done!
My first impressions of NZ when I came to visit in 2018 was that it was drop-dead beautiful! Kiwis are so blessed to have nature right at their doorstep in many areas and to have such gorgeous places to exercise, walk, run, or bike!
I think the best parts of NZ are the people and of course, the nature. Kiwis are such considerate, welcoming, and friendly people and they make the country one that is so respectful, safe and secure to live in. The scenery, how well-preserved the nature is here, and the freshness of the air all speak for themselves.
I plan to visit Queenstown, Dunedin and the various other parts of the South Island to explore the different things the towns/cities have to offer compared to where I live in Christchurch. Christchurch is awesome in that there are various landscapes nearby to suit different "tastes", you have mountains and beaches within 30 minutes from the city and driving just a few hours away from the city has a complete change in scenery as well. It's not as busy as Auckland and Wellington so costs and traffic congestion is lower, while still having everything within reach -- including the international airport.
What I miss the most is family and friends in Singapore and cheap hawker food! Being able to leave work at work, and to leave work on time or even earlier when there is no patient booked in has been life changing. There is so much more time to exercise, cook, explore, and enjoy life.
I used to work in an outpatient setting in a hospital compared to being in a private clinic currently, the main difference is seeing more acute injuries compared to back home, especially with the ACC system in place. It is taking some time to get used to the way ACC runs here and referrals etc., but it is very well set up. I am so impressed with the documentation and clinic management program Gensolve Practice Manager that does so much in itself compared to the software we used in Singapore.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to make sure you have enough for immigration costs, and that you are prepared for the increased cost of living from rent and groceries. Having some extra will be so helpful in easing into the country while you start working a new job! Also start getting used to the local slang and accents -- listening to New Zealand radio stations or watching some NZ TV programs before coming would help!
ACCENT and Hayley has been so helpful in guiding me through the processes involved in getting over to New Zealand, in helping to contact employers and setting up interviews and the like. Hayley has been checking in with me throughout the process and every now and then after I've started working here, which is really nice. Being linked up with other new arrivals has been cool too, being able to support one another in this journey.
The easiest part of the process was getting a visa after getting a job. The most challenging part of the process was getting all the documents required for professional registration and waiting for registration to be done!
My first impressions of NZ when I came to visit in 2018 was that it was drop-dead beautiful! Kiwis are so blessed to have nature right at their doorstep in many areas and to have such gorgeous places to exercise, walk, run, or bike!
I think the best parts of NZ are the people and of course, the nature. Kiwis are such considerate, welcoming, and friendly people and they make the country one that is so respectful, safe and secure to live in. The scenery, how well-preserved the nature is here, and the freshness of the air all speak for themselves.
I plan to visit Queenstown, Dunedin and the various other parts of the South Island to explore the different things the towns/cities have to offer compared to where I live in Christchurch. Christchurch is awesome in that there are various landscapes nearby to suit different "tastes", you have mountains and beaches within 30 minutes from the city and driving just a few hours away from the city has a complete change in scenery as well. It's not as busy as Auckland and Wellington so costs and traffic congestion is lower, while still having everything within reach -- including the international airport.
What I miss the most is family and friends in Singapore and cheap hawker food! Being able to leave work at work, and to leave work on time or even earlier when there is no patient booked in has been life changing. There is so much more time to exercise, cook, explore, and enjoy life.
I used to work in an outpatient setting in a hospital compared to being in a private clinic currently, the main difference is seeing more acute injuries compared to back home, especially with the ACC system in place. It is taking some time to get used to the way ACC runs here and referrals etc., but it is very well set up. I am so impressed with the documentation and clinic management program Gensolve Practice Manager that does so much in itself compared to the software we used in Singapore.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to make sure you have enough for immigration costs, and that you are prepared for the increased cost of living from rent and groceries. Having some extra will be so helpful in easing into the country while you start working a new job! Also start getting used to the local slang and accents -- listening to New Zealand radio stations or watching some NZ TV programs before coming would help!
ACCENT and Hayley has been so helpful in guiding me through the processes involved in getting over to New Zealand, in helping to contact employers and setting up interviews and the like. Hayley has been checking in with me throughout the process and every now and then after I've started working here, which is really nice. Being linked up with other new arrivals has been cool too, being able to support one another in this journey.
