My name is Elissa, and I am a registered nurse in the Emergency Department. I came to New Zealand on March 18th with my husband and three kids (7, 2 and almost 1 year old) from the United States. I started the process at the end of May 2021. The easiest part of the process was how clearly everything was laid out in terms of the steps I needed to do. The hardest part was getting my university to send in the required paperwork to CGFNS.

Kristin at Accent was my recruiter and she walked me through everything, from an initial phone call to emails with random questions, to some panic on my part with all the changing isolation requirements, to making sure myself and my family were settled once we arrived.

My first impression of New Zealand was definitely the breathtaking views. We travelled by car from Auckland to the Bay of Plenty and there was not a moment of the trip that wasn’t amazing. I’ve also enjoyed how very helpful and kind people seem to be. From co-workers going out of their way to ensure we found adequate housing, landlords finding and putting together beds for our children, to strangers stopping to help us load furniture into our car.

The Bay of Plenty where I live has lived up to its reputation of beauty. One of the first things we did was climb Mount Maunganui to take in the views from all sides. Once my kids are a little older, I can’t wait to visit the South Island and experience all it has to offer, in particular the Southern Lights and Gemstone Beach.

In terms of work, I was initially worried about the transition from electronic to completely paper charting, but I’ve found it not too bad and I’m enjoying getting to spend more of my time actually performing nursing tasks rather than typing. A major difference I didn’t expect is that drug names are not the same for most of the drugs I give on a daily basis. But that is knowledge that will come with time. I have also been impressed with the different way New Zealand seems to handle end of life care as opposed to the places I have worked in the United States.

For anyone contemplating the move, especially those with small kids, I say go for it! And my advice is start sooner than you would expect, it’s a long process but worth it.

My name is Elissa, and I am a registered nurse in the Emergency Department. I came to New Zealand on March 18th with my husband and three kids (7, 2 and almost 1 year old) from the United States. I started the process at the end of May 2021. The easiest part of the process was how clearly everything was laid out in terms of the steps I needed to do. The hardest part was getting my university to send in the required paperwork to CGFNS.

Kristin at Accent was my recruiter and she walked me through everything, from an initial phone call to emails with random questions, to some panic on my part with all the changing isolation requirements, to making sure myself and my family were settled once we arrived.

My first impression of New Zealand was definitely the breathtaking views. We travelled by car from Auckland to the Bay of Plenty and there was not a moment of the trip that wasn’t amazing. I’ve also enjoyed how very helpful and kind people seem to be. From co-workers going out of their way to ensure we found adequate housing, landlords finding and putting together beds for our children, to strangers stopping to help us load furniture into our car.

The Bay of Plenty where I live has lived up to its reputation of beauty. One of the first things we did was climb Mount Maunganui to take in the views from all sides. Once my kids are a little older, I can’t wait to visit the South Island and experience all it has to offer, in particular the Southern Lights and Gemstone Beach.

In terms of work, I was initially worried about the transition from electronic to completely paper charting, but I’ve found it not too bad and I’m enjoying getting to spend more of my time actually performing nursing tasks rather than typing. A major difference I didn’t expect is that drug names are not the same for most of the drugs I give on a daily basis. But that is knowledge that will come with time. I have also been impressed with the different way New Zealand seems to handle end of life care as opposed to the places I have worked in the United States.

For anyone contemplating the move, especially those with small kids, I say go for it! And my advice is start sooner than you would expect, it’s a long process but worth it.

My name is Lorraine, and I am a registered nurse in the ICU.

I came to NZ on the 14th of December 2020 from the UK, then did two weeks in managed isolation in Auckland. We were released on the 28th of December. The process from start to finish took around 6 months, once I had a job offer.

The easiest part of the process for me was putting my trust in the people who are experts in their role, so the emigration group looked after our visa application, they kept us fully informed and up to date with what we needed to do and what information to provide, they were amazing, and this was one less thing for my partner and I to do. I went through ACCENT to help me find a job and I dealt with Kristin, who was fantastic, she kept in touch all the time. If you emailed her, she would get back to you straight away and she was so knowledgeable about the whole process which made my life so much easier, top service.

Most challenging part of the process was selling our house whilst we were in New Zealand, it was very stressful dealing with solicitors via email and wanting documents signed when you’re not in the country. We had to leave our dog behind for a month but he’s here now.

Our first impressions were simply beautiful, we went to the local firework display on New Year’s Eve, and it was stunning and such a relief to be out of isolation with a bit of freedom.

The weather in NZ is so much better than the UK. We definitely get more chances to do outdoor activities than we ever did before, and the scenery is stunning! You don’t have to travel far to feel like you have been on holiday. We haven’t done much travelling up to the present, but we have visited Queenstown which is stunning.

We miss our supermarkets, decent fish and chips, and curry sauce.

I like the lifestyle, you don’t have the hustle and bustle and overcrowding, people are always warm and friendly. We live in Mosgiel and it’s a beautiful little village has all the amenities we need so you need to go into the city all the time, has a good bus service. We would like to visit the Otago Peninsula, which we are doing this November 2021. We would also like to visit Nelson and go back to Queenstown

My advice if you are planning to come to New Zealand is to get advice from the experts and start as soon as you can. Sometimes I found getting the documents can cause delays, I was waiting for documents from my university for over 4 months.

Work life balance hasn’t really changed much, I work shifts and tend to get shifts together so at least you get a few days off together. Nursing is very similar to what I’m used to in the UK, having the familiarities of the equipment, pumps and drugs, have made it easier to transition. The processes are very different to what I’m used to, but I’m used to them now, it’s like anything you get used to things.

My name is Lorraine, and I am a registered nurse in the ICU.

I came to NZ on the 14th of December 2020 from the UK, then did two weeks in managed isolation in Auckland. We were released on the 28th of December. The process from start to finish took around 6 months, once I had a job offer.

The easiest part of the process for me was putting my trust in the people who are experts in their role, so the emigration group looked after our visa application, they kept us fully informed and up to date with what we needed to do and what information to provide, they were amazing, and this was one less thing for my partner and I to do. I went through ACCENT to help me find a job and I dealt with Kristin, who was fantastic, she kept in touch all the time. If you emailed her, she would get back to you straight away and she was so knowledgeable about the whole process which made my life so much easier, top service.

Most challenging part of the process was selling our house whilst we were in New Zealand, it was very stressful dealing with solicitors via email and wanting documents signed when you’re not in the country. We had to leave our dog behind for a month but he’s here now.

Our first impressions were simply beautiful, we went to the local firework display on New Year’s Eve, and it was stunning and such a relief to be out of isolation with a bit of freedom.

The weather in NZ is so much better than the UK. We definitely get more chances to do outdoor activities than we ever did before, and the scenery is stunning! You don’t have to travel far to feel like you have been on holiday. We haven’t done much travelling up to the present, but we have visited Queenstown which is stunning.

We miss our supermarkets, decent fish and chips, and curry sauce.

I like the lifestyle, you don’t have the hustle and bustle and overcrowding, people are always warm and friendly. We live in Mosgiel and it’s a beautiful little village has all the amenities we need so you need to go into the city all the time, has a good bus service. We would like to visit the Otago Peninsula, which we are doing this November 2021. We would also like to visit Nelson and go back to Queenstown

My advice if you are planning to come to New Zealand is to get advice from the experts and start as soon as you can. Sometimes I found getting the documents can cause delays, I was waiting for documents from my university for over 4 months.

Work life balance hasn’t really changed much, I work shifts and tend to get shifts together so at least you get a few days off together. Nursing is very similar to what I’m used to in the UK, having the familiarities of the equipment, pumps and drugs, have made it easier to transition. The processes are very different to what I’m used to, but I’m used to them now, it’s like anything you get used to things.

My Name is Katie, I am a Registered Nurse, ICU. I came to NZ on the 18 March, 2021 from California, USA. The process to come to NZ took me roughly 15 months.

The easiest part of the process was working with Accent Health. They really helped the job search as I had no clue what to look for or where to look. They helped with applications and made sure I was ready for an interview. The most challenging parts of the process were gathering and submitting all the documentation to New Zealand and the waiting!

My absolute first impression of NZ was HUMID! As my family and I got off the plane in Auckland, the humidity was a bit suffocating, but it improved as we went South. We got on another plane to Christchurch where we did MIQ. The weather was warm, tolerably humid, and the air was so clean and fresh. The other thing that struck me was how few sirens we were hearing compared to Los Angeles–and our MIQ hotel was near a big hospital! After getting out of MIQ and being in normal life, I was struck by how amazing the country really is. I’m surrounded by people who care about each other and the environment. As we’ve done some traveling, I’m in awe of the landscapes–the photos don’t do it justice. I can finally see the stars at night again and it makes me so happy!

I’m finding the best parts of NZ to be the cafes, the kindness of strangers (we had 3 people we barely knew offer us furniture to borrow; that would never happen in the states!), and the scenery. People here are so critical of the way they help the environment; they feel they’re not doing enough in the government, but the people here do so much more than anywhere else I’ve been. It’s really inspiring, and I wish the rest of the world would take note.

I mostly miss family and Mexican food. Being from Southern California I was quite spoiled for a good Mexican meal! Make yourself a pros and cons list. Our “pros” list kept growing to leave our former situation and come here to NZ. I can’t stress this enough! My husband and I had never been to NZ, but with all of our research and planning, we feel we knew just what to expect and aren’t overly disappointed by anything (except the Mexican food).

Read as many blogs/info about NZ as you can–good and bad. Go on the websites for Countdown & New World and research the cost of the foods you usually buy in your home country. For example, a pint of blueberries was $11 NZD at Countdown, where I’m used to them being $2.50-$5 USD, even when imported! Really research where you want to be! It’s not as cold here as in parts of Europe or the states, but the houses aren’t as warm which makes it feel colder. Make sure you research homes and availability of those homes and anything else you can think of! Lastly, only bring things with you that you love (bring clothes etc, for sure). We did a shipping container with things we love as it’s expensive here and takes a long time to get anything (unless maybe if you’re in Auckland). We ordered a dining table and chairs in March and it arrived in July! That being said, the second-hand game is wonderful here! Lots of great items to be found in Hospice and Op Shops.

Questions about your new workplace: Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in USA? There are some major differences between working here in NZ and working in California. For one, I was Progressive Care in the US (a soft ICU, but with some should’ve been ICU patients) where we had a ratio of 3:1. Here, in the equivalent of Progressive Care (HDU), we have 2:1 and in ICU we’re 1:1–NZ is based on the British model of nursing/healthcare. I feel I can connect with my patients so much more, even though I serve more roles. E.g., I’m RN/EVS/RT/CNA. I clean the room when my patient is moved out. I am the respiratory therapist and provide my patients with nebulizers, I manage the vent, and I collaborate with the Intensive Care docs on the next steps. I draw up all of my own medications from ampules, reconstitute them, and I push most antibiotics rather than hanging them to run as a piggyback/secondary line. Paracetamol/acetaminophen is a miracle drug here, with much less use of narcotics (this isn’t a statistic–just my opinion) than the states. The doctors have more time to teach here and they’re more able to work at the bedside and communicate with families. We rotate days and nights which is tough, but it’s more tolerable for this morning person than being on only nights! Overall, I feel I’m becoming a better nurse as I get back to the basics and learn how to operate here in NZ.

Are there any similarities that have helped you orientate/transition easily? As far as similarities go, nursing is nursing. I’ve been used to one culture of nursing practice for 8+ years, and now I’m learning not only how to be a proper ICU nurse, but also a completely new culture of nursing. The nursing sense of humour doesn’t change, though!!!

Is there anything specifically done differently in NZ that has interested you and the way you practice your profession? SO MANY THINGS. I feel like I got my education (and let’s face it: Do you learn anything in nursing school?) and then got thrown into the work and learning the hard way. In the US, educators are being cut and nurses are more frequently expected to learn on their own dime. Here, Clinical Nurse Specialists are utilized frequently as are Nurse Educators. They’re happy to teach anything, point you in the right direction, set up simulations, and we rely on them greatly. Now, I’m at a teaching hospital so I don’t know what the rest of the country looks like, but from my current perspective I’m much happier and calmer at work. Also, nurses running ventilators. I’m used to getting my hand slapped (not really, but figuratively) when I wanted to play with the ventilator–or even change the humidification bag!–I’m struggling with learning and managing vents, but I’m so happy to be learning it (although I do miss my amazing RTs).

My Name is Katie, I am a Registered Nurse, ICU. I came to NZ on the 18 March, 2021 from California, USA. The process to come to NZ took me roughly 15 months.

The easiest part of the process was working with Accent Health. They really helped the job search as I had no clue what to look for or where to look. They helped with applications and made sure I was ready for an interview. The most challenging parts of the process were gathering and submitting all the documentation to New Zealand and the waiting!

My absolute first impression of NZ was HUMID! As my family and I got off the plane in Auckland, the humidity was a bit suffocating, but it improved as we went South. We got on another plane to Christchurch where we did MIQ. The weather was warm, tolerably humid, and the air was so clean and fresh. The other thing that struck me was how few sirens we were hearing compared to Los Angeles–and our MIQ hotel was near a big hospital! After getting out of MIQ and being in normal life, I was struck by how amazing the country really is. I’m surrounded by people who care about each other and the environment. As we’ve done some traveling, I’m in awe of the landscapes–the photos don’t do it justice. I can finally see the stars at night again and it makes me so happy!

I’m finding the best parts of NZ to be the cafes, the kindness of strangers (we had 3 people we barely knew offer us furniture to borrow; that would never happen in the states!), and the scenery. People here are so critical of the way they help the environment; they feel they’re not doing enough in the government, but the people here do so much more than anywhere else I’ve been. It’s really inspiring, and I wish the rest of the world would take note.

I mostly miss family and Mexican food. Being from Southern California I was quite spoiled for a good Mexican meal! Make yourself a pros and cons list. Our “pros” list kept growing to leave our former situation and come here to NZ. I can’t stress this enough! My husband and I had never been to NZ, but with all of our research and planning, we feel we knew just what to expect and aren’t overly disappointed by anything (except the Mexican food).

Read as many blogs/info about NZ as you can–good and bad. Go on the websites for Countdown & New World and research the cost of the foods you usually buy in your home country. For example, a pint of blueberries was $11 NZD at Countdown, where I’m used to them being $2.50-$5 USD, even when imported! Really research where you want to be! It’s not as cold here as in parts of Europe or the states, but the houses aren’t as warm which makes it feel colder. Make sure you research homes and availability of those homes and anything else you can think of! Lastly, only bring things with you that you love (bring clothes etc, for sure). We did a shipping container with things we love as it’s expensive here and takes a long time to get anything (unless maybe if you’re in Auckland). We ordered a dining table and chairs in March and it arrived in July! That being said, the second-hand game is wonderful here! Lots of great items to be found in Hospice and Op Shops.

Questions about your new workplace: Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in USA? There are some major differences between working here in NZ and working in California. For one, I was Progressive Care in the US (a soft ICU, but with some should’ve been ICU patients) where we had a ratio of 3:1. Here, in the equivalent of Progressive Care (HDU), we have 2:1 and in ICU we’re 1:1–NZ is based on the British model of nursing/healthcare. I feel I can connect with my patients so much more, even though I serve more roles. E.g., I’m RN/EVS/RT/CNA. I clean the room when my patient is moved out. I am the respiratory therapist and provide my patients with nebulizers, I manage the vent, and I collaborate with the Intensive Care docs on the next steps. I draw up all of my own medications from ampules, reconstitute them, and I push most antibiotics rather than hanging them to run as a piggyback/secondary line. Paracetamol/acetaminophen is a miracle drug here, with much less use of narcotics (this isn’t a statistic–just my opinion) than the states. The doctors have more time to teach here and they’re more able to work at the bedside and communicate with families. We rotate days and nights which is tough, but it’s more tolerable for this morning person than being on only nights! Overall, I feel I’m becoming a better nurse as I get back to the basics and learn how to operate here in NZ.

Are there any similarities that have helped you orientate/transition easily? As far as similarities go, nursing is nursing. I’ve been used to one culture of nursing practice for 8+ years, and now I’m learning not only how to be a proper ICU nurse, but also a completely new culture of nursing. The nursing sense of humour doesn’t change, though!!!

Is there anything specifically done differently in NZ that has interested you and the way you practice your profession? SO MANY THINGS. I feel like I got my education (and let’s face it: Do you learn anything in nursing school?) and then got thrown into the work and learning the hard way. In the US, educators are being cut and nurses are more frequently expected to learn on their own dime. Here, Clinical Nurse Specialists are utilized frequently as are Nurse Educators. They’re happy to teach anything, point you in the right direction, set up simulations, and we rely on them greatly. Now, I’m at a teaching hospital so I don’t know what the rest of the country looks like, but from my current perspective I’m much happier and calmer at work. Also, nurses running ventilators. I’m used to getting my hand slapped (not really, but figuratively) when I wanted to play with the ventilator–or even change the humidification bag!–I’m struggling with learning and managing vents, but I’m so happy to be learning it (although I do miss my amazing RTs).

My Name is Emma Johnstone and I am Registered Nurse. I came to NZ on the 2nd June 2021 from Scotland.

The process to come to NZ took me a year and it was massively delayed due to COVID. The easiest part of the process was making the decision to move. The most challenging part of the process was working around the issues with COVID, a lot of places in Scotland closed down so I had difficulty getting the information I needed for a visa – and trying to get a space in MIQ!

My first impressions of NZ were that it’s beautiful. We definitely made the right decision. The mountains, the beaches and the views are the best parts of NZ. I specifically like being outdoors and in amongst the gorgeous scenery. I plan to visit the Abel Tasman as our next adventure.

We live in Christchurch, it’s so beautiful and very up and coming. You have the hills one side and beaches the other. The work/life balance has made a difference to my life because I am able to spend more time with my husband. I miss my family the most.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to Do it! It’s a big process but worth every minute.

My Name is Emma Johnstone and I am Registered Nurse. I came to NZ on the 2nd June 2021 from Scotland.

The process to come to NZ took me a year and it was massively delayed due to COVID. The easiest part of the process was making the decision to move. The most challenging part of the process was working around the issues with COVID, a lot of places in Scotland closed down so I had difficulty getting the information I needed for a visa – and trying to get a space in MIQ!

My first impressions of NZ were that it’s beautiful. We definitely made the right decision. The mountains, the beaches and the views are the best parts of NZ. I specifically like being outdoors and in amongst the gorgeous scenery. I plan to visit the Abel Tasman as our next adventure.

We live in Christchurch, it’s so beautiful and very up and coming. You have the hills one side and beaches the other. The work/life balance has made a difference to my life because I am able to spend more time with my husband. I miss my family the most.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to Do it! It’s a big process but worth every minute.

My Name is Hannah Higgins and I am a Registered Nurse. I came to New Zealand on the 17/10/2021 from the United Kingdom and the process to come to New Zealand took me eight months.

The easiest part of the process was getting the interview and the job, it all happened really quickly within a month which was great, and ACCENT really prepared me for it, so I felt confident going into the interview. The most challenging part of the process was gathering all the paperwork for the CGFNS and the Visa, it can be a lengthy progress and takes time.

My first impressions of NZ were how laid back it all is, it’s just so beautiful and life just feels at a much slower pace giving you time to really enjoy every bit. I think the best parts of NZ are the scenery and the adventure opportunities. I have campervanned, trekked, quad biked, and mountain biked throughout the North Island, and it’s been awesome. What I miss the most is hugging my family and their German Shepherds.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to START EARLY! Don’t put the process off, just start it early as it takes a lot of time to process, and the waiting can be frustrating when all you want to do is start your adventure in New Zealand.

I’m planning to see as much as the country as possible! I’m looking forward to heading down to the South Island to see the dramatic scenery. I live in Tauranga, it is wonderful. It has gorgeous beaches, great treks nearby and it has BEAUTIFUL weather. If you’ve lived in the UK, Tauranga’s winter is like our summer!

I am so much more relaxed in New Zealand. I have time after work to come home, chill out and actually enjoy the outdoors.

I’d like to say a massive Thankyou to ACCENT for guiding me through. Shout out to Prudence who basically supported me the whole way through and was like my number one cheer leader to keep me going throughout the whole process. Without you guys I would not of had a clue where to start!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

My Name is Hannah Higgins and I am a Registered Nurse. I came to New Zealand on the 17/10/2021 from the United Kingdom and the process to come to New Zealand took me eight months.

The easiest part of the process was getting the interview and the job, it all happened really quickly within a month which was great, and ACCENT really prepared me for it, so I felt confident going into the interview. The most challenging part of the process was gathering all the paperwork for the CGFNS and the Visa, it can be a lengthy progress and takes time.

My first impressions of NZ were how laid back it all is, it’s just so beautiful and life just feels at a much slower pace giving you time to really enjoy every bit. I think the best parts of NZ are the scenery and the adventure opportunities. I have campervanned, trekked, quad biked, and mountain biked throughout the North Island, and it’s been awesome. What I miss the most is hugging my family and their German Shepherds.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to START EARLY! Don’t put the process off, just start it early as it takes a lot of time to process, and the waiting can be frustrating when all you want to do is start your adventure in New Zealand.

I’m planning to see as much as the country as possible! I’m looking forward to heading down to the South Island to see the dramatic scenery. I live in Tauranga, it is wonderful. It has gorgeous beaches, great treks nearby and it has BEAUTIFUL weather. If you’ve lived in the UK, Tauranga’s winter is like our summer!

I am so much more relaxed in New Zealand. I have time after work to come home, chill out and actually enjoy the outdoors.

I’d like to say a massive Thankyou to ACCENT for guiding me through. Shout out to Prudence who basically supported me the whole way through and was like my number one cheer leader to keep me going throughout the whole process. Without you guys I would not of had a clue where to start!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

My name is Naomi a Registered Nurse from South Africa and came over in April of 2021. The process to come to NZ took me 1 year and 8 month. The easiest part of the process was working with Access recruitment to get placed in a position. The most challenging part of the process was getting my qualifications verified by the NZNC due to delays from my nursing school in South Africa and getting a space in MIQ.

My first impressions of NZ were no masks, feeling of safety and freedom, and how beautiful. The best parts of NZ are still exploring, but the vast rolling hills and countryside are breathtaking. What I miss the most is my family. My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is don’t give up even when it seems impossible, take the help offered, it is genuine and you will be happy, it’s an amazing place to live.

I would like to shout out to Kristin at Accent, she has been outstanding, going beyond the call of duty. She encouraged me in the hard times, she advised me in the impossible times, she answered me outside of work hours and up to today she still regularly emails to check in on me. During the interview stage she phoned me before to prepare me and after to encourage me. I simply would not be here without Accent Health and Kristin.

We made our decision to come to New Zealand in 2019, we were fortunate to have come into an early inheritance and we could buy a home, start a business or emigrate. We decided on the latter after much soul searching and prayer. It was scary and daunting to find the exact place to start, we joined facebook groups and searched the internet and set down a game plan. I did the english test first and then set about getting my qualifications verified by the NZNC and the mountainous task of getting our certificates and passports from the SA Home Affairs, a venture that would cost us a large part of the savings we had. During this time ACCENT emailed me and asked if I would consider being placed by them, an offer that I immediately agreed to. I joined a webinar with New Zealand Shores and ACCENT where the process was laid out clearly. During this time COVID hit and ACCENT assured me that a critical purpose visa would be made available to me and my family if we proceeded.

The NZNC then came back to say I would need to come to NZ to do a CAP course, a venture that I could not possibly afford, as I would have to take 4 months unpaid leave, travel without my family, and bear the cost of accommodation, transport and food, only to return to SA to await the outcome before traveling back with my family to NZ. At this point I thought my NZ dreams were over, but once again Kristin encouraged me to appeal to the NZNC on the basis of my experience, which I did and was granted an exemption. We resigned from our jobs at the end of December 2020 I was due to start in Interventional Radiology at the Waikato DHB in Hamilton in NZ on the 15 February 2021, we were hoping to leave by the end of January 2021 but due to MIQ space shortage we were delayed a further 3 months, Kristin was in constant contact with the DHB and they were prepared to hold the post open for me till April. We have settled in a delightful home in Cambridge which is 25km from Hamilton. My husband is working for Fonterra, our boys aged 12 and 14 have settled well at the local school and are cycling to school, they are enjoying the freedom of popping into the shop after school to buy sweets and meeting their friends for Pizza. The people of NZ are friendly and helpful. I have settled easily into my work space and have felt accepted and appreciated.

Thank you for being there for us, helping us to achieve this dream, we are forever in your debt.

My name is Margo and I’m a midwife. I came to NZ in March, I’m from Italy but I was living in Ireland before moving here. The process to come to NZ took me a good 6 months. The easiest part was the actual move – I felt very much supported while booking flights and physically moving. The toughest part was definitely getting all the documents for my registration ready. I love NZ. I felt very welcomed by everybody since the first moment I got here. It’s a very young country and people are friendly and easy going. I work on shifts so I get a lot of spare time to travel around. NZ is one of the most amazing places in the world. My advice if you want to come to NZ is don’t give up, get those documents and paperwork done, you will get through!

NZ is absolutely amazing. I live in Auckland, gorgeous city, and my favorite thing about living here is that it takes only a half an hour drive to be on a stunning beach on the west coast or be in the middle of nowhere ready for a hike, away from the busy city. I love how easy it is to organize and improvise a day trip! A while ago I went to Waiheke Island, only 30 mins ferry from Auckland city – an absolute beautiful place, I’m already planning to go back there for my birthday.

In regards to my job, NZ midwives are much more independent compared to how midwifery is in Europe. I feel like I have many more responsibilities and duties – it was a bit overwhelming at the start but I felt well supported by my managers ad colleagues at work. Left more responsibilities aside, babies are born in the same way everywhere in the world – so it’s quite easy to fit in, especially if you have some experience.

Overall, I’m very happy about my move. I came here mainly because I wanted a change in my lifestyle – and what I got is better than what I had ever imagined. As I said, work is pretty much the same, with some adjustments in responsibilities and salary, but my lifestyle has had such an improvement since I moved here. I spend most of my free time in nature, I’m out for a hike at least once a week, I get to go to the beach whenever I want, and also restaurants and cafes are amazing. I’d make this choice again and again!

The Accent team has helped me so much – I don’t know if I would have made it without them. Hayley helped me to prepare for my interview, she gave me tips about local culture, reassurances and listened to all my doubts. Also, she was always there to reassure me throughout the process when I needed it the most and thought things weren’t going to happen!

My name is Joanne Marta and I’m a Registered Nurse from Canada that came to New Zealand in March. The entire process took me about 14 months.

Looking back, I think the easiest part of the process was convincing my husband that it would be a good idea to move to the other side of the world! Our decision to relocate coincided with his retirement from the Air Force, so it seemed like a good idea to start the next chapter in our lives in a new country following our dreams to travel the world and experience life to the fullest.

The most challenging part of the process was gathering and submitting all of the documents required. Although the process was tedious at times, it was quite manageable by doing it one thing at a time. When we made the decision to move to New Zealand we weren’t in a rush, so it was easy to take our time and do one thing at a time. The first step was to apply for my RN license, and this was easier than I expected it to be, thanks in part to some advice one of my professors in my first year of university gave me. She advised all of us to start a nursing binder and to save all of our nursing documents throughout our education and then our careers. I have always done this so it was relatively easy to put a comprehensive package together for the NZ Nursing Council. If I remember correctly from first submission of documents to receiving my license the process only took about 4-6 weeks.

Looking back now I think that the most stressful part of the move was arranging for MIQ and travel. After receiving a job offer we were trying to book our space in MIQ and there were none available that would get us here in time for my start date. After speaking to Kristin about this I logged in to the booking site and just kept hitting refresh – for hours – and when the first space came up I took it!! It worked out okay because we were also able to book reasonably affordable flights for the same time frame. About a month before we were set to travel the Canadian portions of our flights were cancelled, so we had to get creative in rebooking travel that would get us to Los Angeles in time to make our flight to Auckland. It all worked out in the end, and we were able to enjoy a little mini vacation in Vancouver on the way! I believe that the process wasn’t as challenging as we initially expected because Kristin was always just an email away and was always able to provide us with the information we needed. From day one she broke things down for me and made it easy to tackle all of the tasks by focusing on one thing at a time.

When we arrived we were rushed through the airport and put on a bus to travel to MIQ, so we didn’t really get to experience much more than the drive to the hotel. Coming from rural Canada our first impression was that Auckland was hot, humid and noisy! MIQ was a much better experience than we were expecting. The staff was very welcoming and helpful, the room was not too bad (although it was starting to feel a little small after two weeks), and the food was pretty decent. When we arrived in Dunedin the weather was pretty good and we were able to get out and explore for two weeks before I started work. We were very impressed by the beaches, the museums and the botanic gardens.

We are still in the honeymoon phase of our adventure, so everything is the best right now! At this point in time I would say that the walks/hikes are pretty great, and we are also loving the weekly farmers market for fresh local veggies, cheeses and honey. And the meat pies are awesome! What I miss the most is being warm and dry! When we left Canada winter was just ending and when we got to Dunedin winter was just starting, so we have been experiencing either cold or wet weather for around 9 months now. We are anxiously waiting for spring to arrive!

If you are thinking about moving to New Zealand take the chance and just do it. From the day we started planning there have been ups and downs and more than once we have wondered if we were making the right decision, but ultimately it has been a dream come true and we are loving every minute of it. Like anywhere else, there are many positive as well as negative aspects to living in New Zealand. On one hand rental accommodations can be expensive and hard to find, and appliances/furniture is pricey, but on the other hand grocery prices are comparable to what we paid in Canada and there is an abundance of free things to see and do. Every day is an adventure and there is enough experiences to keep a person busy for quite a while. Also, coming from a country where we drive on the right side of the road, remember to look both ways when you are walking across the street when you are here! It took us a couple of scares when we looked the wrong way for oncoming traffic and almost walked out in front of a car, but it gets easier pretty quickly.

Also, coming from a country where we drive on the right side of the road, remember to look both ways when you are walking across the street when you are here! It took us a couple of scares when we looked the wrong way for oncoming traffic and almost walked out in front of a car, but it gets easier pretty quickly.

I think that one of the biggest differences between my current role in NZ and my previous one in Canada I see is in the staff/patient ratio. Although still not ideal, I believe that my workload in New Zealand is more manageable that it was in some of my previous positions in Canada. I am appreciating that with the staffing ratios here I now get to spend more time connecting with my patients and sharing their journey with them. Another important difference that I see is in the salaries in New Zealand. The pay here is slightly less than in Canada, but it is still adequate enough to get by on. Although the pay is a little less, I think it is a small price to pay for the benefits that come with it.

The transition for me has been relatively seamless, due in part to the wonderful team of healthcare providers I am working with. There are quite a few differences in medications, documentation, and laws in NZ and the team that I am working with have all been very willing to share their knowledge and to guide me with my own learning.
I feel as though the one biggest difference I notice in NZ is the focus on teamwork and building the strength of the team. I notice that on the ward I am working on now we do debriefs after every incident and we also have a monthly meeting to address any issues on the ward and to brainstorm to come up with possible solutions. There is a real focus here on being proactive rather than reactive, and on trying to make the work environment safe and enjoyable for all staff.

My Name is Ana Carino and I am a Registered Nurse, specifically Medical-Surgical. I arrived in New Zealand on 17/12/2020 from the U.S. The process to come to New Zealand took 7-8 months from getting registered with the New Zealand Nursing Council to getting a job offer. The easiest part of the process was job hunting and trying to find something that fit my criteria but Prudence at Accent helped me narrow down my search and helped me get an interview and getting approval for the critical purpose visa. The most challenging part of the process was getting all my education records in order and sending them off to CGFNS for my nursing license to be validated with NZNC. The last challenging thing was packing your life in just a couple suitcases to start this new adventure and job opportunity. My first impressions of NZ were that it’s a beautiful country with lots to do. It’s very green anywhere you look. The best parts of NZ are, it’s nature and still learning about it. What I miss the most are family/friends, my Chihuahua, and Mexican food. My advice if you’re planning to come to NZ is join social groups online of people that already live in NZ so you can get ideas of what to bring over and what to expect.

There are a few differences working as an RN here compared to the U.S., like working 8 hour shifts instead of 12 hrs., medical terminology, medication names, paper charting vs electronic charting, medication dispensing systems, almost all IV antibiotics are pushed, and more shared patient rooms. I do love that they take their tea/meal breaks serious, especially if you are having a busy shift. My co-workers tend to help out each other more and managers/assistant managers are on the floor and help out as well. Nursing overall is the same, we provide care to those in need. The goals are similar.

Well, in Texas we don’t have unions and so being here and working as of now I have seen that unions are important here. The patient to nurse ratio is better than I am used to. But as a nurse I am still learning and hopefully I can gain more experience and I can apply my knowledge at my workplace in things that may need some tweaking. Overall I am happy with this experience and I can’t wait to continue to explore New Zealand.

Well, in Texas we don’t have unions and so being here and working as of now I have seen that unions are important here. The patient to nurse ratio is better than I am used to. But as a nurse I am still learning and hopefully I can gain more experience and I can apply my knowledge at my workplace in things that may need some tweaking. Overall I am happy with this experience and I can’t wait to continue to explore New Zealand.

Well, in Texas we don’t have unions and so being here and working as of now I have seen that unions are important here. The patient to nurse ratio is better than I am used to. But as a nurse I am still learning and hopefully I can gain more experience and I can apply my knowledge at my workplace in things that may need some tweaking. Overall I am happy with this experience and I can’t wait to continue to explore New Zealand.

My Name is Wilson, and I am a registered nurse from the USA. My wife and I made the move to New Zealand in November 2020.

The process to come to NZ took us nine months, with the easiest part of the process being receiving and accepting a job offer. The entire team at Accent answered every question, and I know my wife and I would not have been able to make this move without them!

The most challenging part of the process was waiting due to COVID-19. My wife and I visited New Zealand in 2016. After looking at the timeline of school and work experience, we thought we would be making the move in early 2020. With the pandemic, we were forced to wait a bit longer.

My first impressions of NZ were the same as 2016. It is as beautiful as I remembered. The natural beauty continues to blow my wife and I away. We lived nine hours from the ocean and five hours from any kinds of mountains in the US. Now we are minutes from both the ocean and mountain ranges! We wake up every day grateful to be in such a beautiful place.

The best parts of NZ are the amount of bike paths, walking trails, backcountry hikes, mountain bike parks, and pools accessible to us. It is fun to live somewhere focused on outdoor activities.

What I miss the most is my family. Because of the pandemic, we left home not knowing when we will be able to see them next.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to count the financial cost. The cost of living is more than where we were living in the states. But at the same time, we are able to afford to live on one income in Palmerston North. So where as rent and utilities is more than what we paid back home, we have been able to make it work.

Anything else you would like to say: Hayley at Accent was the key to an easy transition. She helped me through every step of the process, coached me on how to handle a zoom interview, and was always willing to answer every question we had.

Questions about your new workplace:

Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in the USA –

Shorter shifts, a very multicultural staff, and scheduled tea/coffee breaks. Kiwis have a better understanding of taking time away from work to recharge mentally and physically. In addition, certain medications are different, and I have had to relearn medical abbreviations because they are not always the same as what we used in the USA. Also, the DHB I am working at is very reliant on paper charting and pagers, so there are some inefficiencies. But at the same time, we moved here for the relaxed pace of life, and this extends even to work! It has also been a learning curve with Maori, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, and Pacific cultures. I am constantly having to ask and ask again how to pronounce names. But the people are kind and willing to answer all of my questions.

This move has been our dream for years, and I can confidently say it is the best thing my wife and I have done in our lives.

I’m Maria a midwife from the UK and came into NZ in June. It took me about 13 months including 5 months of prep before I had enough post qualifying experience, and 12 weeks stuck at my parents during lockdown. The easiest part of the process was speaking to Kristin at Accent to get a handle on the process and then getting and succeeding at the interview. The most challenging part was getting on the midwifery register although I used my 5 months prep time to get a lot of that in place. My first impressions of New Zealand reminds me of Teletubbyland because it looks so perfect with its green countryside. We had visited a couple times before the actual move and loved it. The best parts of NZ are the people, the attitudes, wildlife, countryside, rugby, the Covid response, and how easy and organized isolation was for us. I don’t miss much apart from friends and family, oh and some reasonably priced good cheese, but we come from Somerset the home of Cheddar! My advice for immigrating to NZ is, just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? If you don’t like it, go home. You may have used a bit of money but it’s not wasted because you’ve given your dream a go and it just hasn’t worked out but you won’t die wishing you tried.

I’m Maria a midwife from the UK and came into NZ in June. It took me about 13 months including 5 months of prep before I had enough post qualifying experience, and 12 weeks stuck at my parents during lockdown. The easiest part of the process was speaking to Kristin at Accent to get a handle on the process and then getting and succeeding at the interview. The most challenging part was getting on the midwifery register although I used my 5 months prep time to get a lot of that in place. My first impressions of New Zealand reminds me of Teletubbyland because it looks so perfect with its green countryside. We had visited a couple times before the actual move and loved it. The best parts of NZ are the people, the attitudes, wildlife, countryside, rugby, the Covid response, and how easy and organized isolation was for us. I don’t miss much apart from friends and family, oh and some reasonably priced good cheese, but we come from Somerset the home of Cheddar! My advice for immigrating to NZ is, just do it. What’s the worst that can happen? If you don’t like it, go home. You may have used a bit of money but it’s not wasted because you’ve given your dream a go and it just hasn’t worked out but you won’t die wishing you tried.

We chose to settle in Hawkes Bay because of the sunshine and wine and we haven’t been disappointed. There is so much to do out and about and although we don’t have young children there is so much for families to do. There is loads going on even though you’re not in one of the big cities (not what we wanted). We’ve already had a short road trip before I started work, we’re off to the rugby for the second time tonight, 2 gigs down and another one booked, a cider festival (it’s another Somerset thing) and this weekend we’re off out on the Hawkes Bay bike trails on our new bikes.

There are huge differences between midwifery here and at home due to the continuity of carer system with Lead Midwifery Carer (LMC) midwives. Women can choose their independent midwife who will provide care antenatally, during labour and postnatally but the big difference is that they are paid by the government. So negotiating that relationship as a health board midwife takes some getting used to. Just do your research and come out to get some experience if you can before you make a decision.

The similarities that have helped me orientate is women becoming Mums is special the world over. Being with women as a midwife is the same in NZ but some of the processes are just a bit different. As above with the LMC role which is better for women and better for midwives because of the relationships that can be built.

After a successful recruitment by Prudence in 2010, placing me in Hawkes Bay, Prudence has done it again! I had a fabulous time here in my 20’s living and working in Hawkes Bay, making some great friends and enjoying the work/play lifestyle. After I returned to the USA, spent 10 years developing my career and having a couple kids, we decided there was no better time to get back to NZ and raise our kids in a safe, friendly, slowed down paradise. I had fond memories of the kind kiwis who never were in too much of a hurry, and would always spare the time to help you out. Even living in the Auckland area now, which is a fair bit busier than HB, people are still genuinely interested in lending a hand, and getting you connected. It feels like 2 degrees of separation between people now, so new acquaintances always “know someone” that could meet a need you may have.

When we decided to come back, I contacted Prudence again right away, and she skyped me back that very day to connect again. She is deeply connected with employers across NZ and will steer you in the right direction to find the best fit for you. She found me a very niche job that I would have never found searching on my own, and helped guide me through the process seamlessly. She is one of the most prompt and responsive persons I have worked with, which is a huge plus when dealing with so much stress of a move.

I’m Becky from the UK and I’m working as a Midwife in Bay of Plenty area. We came to New Zealand in 2018 and decided to live here for the great lifestyle, nature, friendly people, low density of population and having a nice environment to raise a family.

Was it easy to immigrant? It was kind of easy in terms of you need to follow the steps and keep ticking boxes as you go. Emotional yes, but we are Spanish so we had done it before. The big change this time was the price and amount of hours needed to come back home if needed, that was pretty impressive. But as we did plan the move with plenty of time we were able to process it all to get our heads wrapped around the move. If you plan appropriately with savings, you just need to pack up your basics and hop on in the plane. And…enjoy the journey!

We never used a relocation expert or agent, the first time I browsed the Immigration New Zealand website I couldn’t get much. After about 20 times of visiting I started to become more familiar with the terms and steps required. Perseverance. Once you get your head around it it gets easier, one step done reveals the next. I was told that many people had succeeded without using an immigration agent so…if they could, why would’t I be able to.

We did a lot of thinking before making the move real, we ended up picking what time would be ideal for us to make the move and then worked towards that goal. In October 2017 we decided that ideally we would like to move out in October 2018, so we could have two summers in one year. Then we let our recruiter know about our time frame and followed her advise. How long we needed in advance to look for interviews, opening a bank account, getting familiar with the interview questions. We found lots of useful information in the official immigration website.

It didn’t take long to get our application accepted, we applied for the working visa on the 10th of September and it came through at the beginning of October.

We’re living in Bay of Plenty area with mild weather, rains a bit but we also get plenty of sunshine with 4 seasons in one day as everywhere in NZ. My work stress has eased since our move and has given us the opportunity to enjoy the beach everyday and meet amazing people. Some main differences between here and the UK is the weather, by far much more friendly people, work is much more balanced with more family time, nature is everywhere, nice walks and light traffic.

My name is Selina and I am a registered nurse, currently working in New Zealand. I came to New Zealand in October 2017 from Singapore. The process to come to New Zealand took me about 1-2 years, this included: taking the English test, applying for New Zealand nursing registration, finding a job and applying for a work visa.

Prudence Thomson from ACCENT Health Recruitment was very helpful and efficient in terms of helping me to find a job and accommodation. She also helped with the process of obtaining me and my husband’s work visa. And for this process, it only took about one month. The most challenging part of the process was that we had bought the tickets from Singapore to China and then flight from China to New Zealand, but three days before we left Singapore, my husband’s passport was still kept in Thailand at the New Zealand’s branch office for processing the dependent working visa. Prudence helped us to email/call the immigration officer about our circumstance. Thankfully the next day we received the passport, and my husband’s dependent working visa was approved and he could print it online.

We really wanted to say again thank you very much to Prudence. Without her help, we wouldn’t be here now. When we arrived in New Zealand, ACCENT Health Recruitment Consultant – Sarah had already booked the cab to pick us up from airport to the accommodation.

My first impressions of NZ were blue sky and long white cloud, the weather was sunny and cooling. The best part of NZ is that you can buy a cheap, but very nice car, live in a big house with nice backyard and it’s really a work-life balance living environment. On top of that there is free Wi-Fi access in most of the shopping malls.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ, is that you seek help from ACCENT Health Recruitment as the staff are very professional and efficient. It will save you a lot of detours.

“My Name is Su Yun, I am a Registered Nurse. I came to NZ from Singapore in April and the process took me approximately 18 months.

The easiest part of the process was the flight from Singapore to New Zealand! hehehe

The most challenging part of the process was: Waiting for the job offer to come through!!

My first impressions of NZ were: Clean environment, friendly people and strict import rules.

The best parts of NZ are: nice, helpful and friendly people!!!

What I miss the most is: all the local Singapore dishes!

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is: do your own research and plan early. Don’t hesitate to ring up the immigration office if you have any inquires (they have a overseas toll free line).

Anything else you would like to say: it is really nice here as the people here are very welcoming and friendly. The only few things are, houses are getting expensive here, especially Auckland region, and public transport and food are more expensive then in Singapore.

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR NEW WORKPLACE: Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in Singapore’

In New Zealand, I feel that I am given more autonomy.

Are there any similarities that have helped you orientate/transition easily’

There are many similarities in many ways. I guess is because both counties will want to use the best practice for our patients. Things like assessment, planning, implementing and evaluation of our patient’s condition are done somewhat the same.”