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mightykid
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:41 am Post subject: young filipino family: new start in new zealand |
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mga kababayan,
I just go a job offer to work in the IT field in Auckland. my future employer is an above average compensation and is extending to aid in getting visas for me, my wife and 2 yr. old kid. They are also helping with relocation, providing up to NZ $10,000 to pay for tickets and first month's accommodations. Yay!
I just wan't to know if it's a good idea for us to come to NZ all at once OR if it's better for me to come there initially and get settled, then have them follow 2-3 months later. Will the kid have trouble adjusting?
Also, what would be the expected weekly cost for us 3 to live in auckland city once we're settled? Is $1,000 /week enough of a budget to live a comfortable life?
I would appreciate your insight into this matter, especially from those who were in similar situations. I am sure i have a lot more to ask but i'll wait for your replies first!
Maraming salamat! |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1238
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 6:20 am Post subject: Re: young filipino family: new start in new zealand |
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| mightykid wrote: | mga kababayan,
I just go a job offer to work in the IT field in Auckland. my future employer is an above average compensation and is extending to aid in getting visas for me, my wife and 2 yr. old kid. They are also helping with relocation, providing up to NZ $10,000 to pay for tickets and first month's accommodations. Yay!
I just wan't to know if it's a good idea for us to come to NZ all at once OR if it's better for me to come there initially and get settled, then have them follow 2-3 months later. Will the kid have trouble adjusting?
Also, what would be the expected weekly cost for us 3 to live in auckland city once we're settled? Is $1,000 /week enough of a budget to live a comfortable life?
I would appreciate your insight into this matter, especially from those who were in similar situations. I am sure i have a lot more to ask but i'll wait for your replies first!
Maraming salamat! |
First off, congratulations! You are given an opportunity very, very, very, very, very, very few people get - a job offer.
@arriving together vs arriving first - since you have a young kid in tow, I believe you need to go ahead of your wife and kid, primarily because you need to get your bearings in your work without the added distraction of your family. Give yourself 1 or 2 months to acclimatise yourself and familiarise yourself with your work (which would probably be hectic since you are going to hit the ground running even in your first week of work) and know the ins and outs of the city.
@adjustment - yes, not only will your kid adjust, so will you guys, so give each other a lot of patience. In Auckland, you have no maid, no yaya, no family members to lend you a helping hand, so be prepared to work together especially in taking care of the kid and housework. No more King of the House for you. You will need to pitch in with housework and with your kid. As to your kid, a lot of kids adjust with the milk situation - they are used to the texture and flavour of milk sold in the Philippines and it will take time for them to adjust to the ones sold here. Just a personal experience so others might have a different situation.
@1,000/week - I hope this is your net income, because if this is gross, then you are unbelievably short-changed. Unless you are expected to send money to your relatives in the Philippines regularly and are not paying off existing debts then yes, $1000.00 for your rent, utilities, food, the basics will suffice for now. Salaries are usually given every fortnight (every two weeks). Rent in Auckland has risen up and expect eye popping prices since the Rugby World Cup happens next year. Go to www.trademe.co.nz/property to check for rent in and around the Auckland CBD region.
Good luck. Drop a line if you have further questions. |
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mightykid
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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hello levi,
thank you for your reply.
i am also confident that my wife and i can manage the household as we're used to doing it already. she's good around the house and i am sort of a handy man myself.
as for my son, my only worry is that hell miss the people he's used to and that it maybe hard for him to find new friends in NZ. that is why i am hoping to relocate close to a filipino community or atleast find a daycare/school with filipino kids where he can go and socialize.
as for the salary, i believe what i'm getting is more than enough and i expect to get an appraisal within 6 months anyway. plus once there, i have no choice but to really work hard and impress so that i can get a good pay raise within the year.
i hope to hear more inputs. anyone else care to share? |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1238
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| mightykid wrote: | hello levi,
thank you for your reply.
i am also confident that my wife and i can manage the household as we're used to doing it already. she's good around the house and i am sort of a handy man myself.
as for my son, my only worry is that hell miss the people he's used to and that it maybe hard for him to find new friends in NZ. that is why i am hoping to relocate close to a filipino community or atleast find a daycare/school with filipino kids where he can go and socialize.
as for the salary, i believe what i'm getting is more than enough and i expect to get an appraisal within 6 months anyway. plus once there, i have no choice but to really work hard and impress so that i can get a good pay raise within the year.
i hope to hear more inputs. anyone else care to share? |
Surprisingly, it's not the kids 5 years old and below who have issues with new friends, it's the older kids, tweens, teens and older who have that issue. From personal experience, place your 2 year old in a playroom and he/she will play with others. The elder ones, not so much, medyo dyahe na sila.
Choosing to be in a Filipino community is, to be honest, a mixed blessing. You do get camaraderie and friends who understand you, but there is a flipside to that.
But, if you insist, there is no such thing as a Filipino community. With lots of migrants arriving since early 2000's you will meet lots of Pinoys in and around Auckland, you might even have a Pinoy workmate.
If you are active in Church you will meet Pinoys too. If you are Catholic, a lot of Pinoys go to mass at the Good Shepherd Parish in Balmoral, a suburb a stone's throw away from the CBD. Simbang Pinoy talaga doon. After mass, people troop to the nearby square and sell traditional Pinoy food and delicacies, so if you miss the taste of home you can go there.
There is a suburb right after the Auckland Bridge called the North Shore, a lot (and I mean a lot) of Pinoys live here. Prices for rent was low for a spell but people caught on and rents have increased considerably. |
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philidor
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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congrats! just make sure you read all the fine prints of your contract. dapat hindi nakatali sa isang specific project ang contract mo and madaliin mo ang pag apply ng PR after 3months.
Don't worry about your kid, pero yempre makatulong kung sanayin nyo na mag english habang andyan pa sa pinas =)
congrats again! |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1238
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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Also, you better need to check if the annual gross salary you will receive commensurate with the required annual gross income under the Work Visa Talent Category (which you will apply).
Last time I checked, it was $55,000.00 NZD per year. Salary does not include bonuses or money towards the plane ticket or accommodation, I think.
As to permanent residency, you can start applying the moment you step into NZ. You don't need an employee to sponsor your residency application, although it won't hurt if you ask your employer what is their policy regarding residency applications. |
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mightykid
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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@levi,
I believe I am already getting a generous offer and it is above the minimum gross annual required.
@philidor,
I will be working for a IT solutions provider and my employment with them is for the long term (>3 years). I have the option to resign anytime (which is unlikely to happen), but i repay the relocation allowance subject to adjustments. The contract is fair, at least from my point of view. I will have a lawyer friend go over it though before I finally sign it.
My work will be in Ellerslie, Auckland City. I plan to live in the same area as well, to reduce commute time as I have been told traffic can be hell. Any idea on how the crime rate in that area is?
Again thank you for all the insights that you are sharing. |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1238
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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| mightykid wrote: | @levi,
I believe I am already getting a generous offer and it is above the minimum gross annual required.
@philidor,
I will be working for a IT solutions provider and my employment with them is for the long term (>3 years). I have the option to resign anytime (which is unlikely to happen), but i repay the relocation allowance subject to adjustments. The contract is fair, at least from my point of view. I will have a lawyer friend go over it though before I finally sign it.
My work will be in Ellerslie, Auckland City. I plan to live in the same area as well, to reduce commute time as I have been told traffic can be hell. Any idea on how the crime rate in that area is?
Again thank you for all the insights that you are sharing. |
It is relatively safer, crime rate wise. Auckland is not the seedy parts of Manila, it is compared as a Garden of Eden. However, the Garden had a snake, so be on the safe side of caution. You still need to lock your door at night, lock your car even if the parking is "secured" and overall have some sort of street smarts with you.
Hell to me is pouring rain and seeing the water rise while being stuck at Cubao ilalim. Compared to that, Auckland traffic (at peak hours) is just purgatory, cars slow down but you get to your destination in relative ease.
Also, since you have a lawyer who will go over the contract (pro bono I hope) please have let him check if your situation is exempt from the provisions of POEA Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2007. In sum, that Circular requires your Kiwi employer to post a bond equivalent to USD5,000.00 plus a "performance bond" USD equivalent of your three months' salary, to pay for return tickets if your contract is terminated or worse (knock wood) if you die and your remains are repatriated to the Philippines. This Circular has exemptions, but I am unsure if employment contracts in NZ are included in the exemption.
To aid you and your lawyer, please refer to the link:
http://www.poea.gov.ph/ofw/nameHire.pdf
Good luck! |
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mightykid
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="levi"] | mightykid wrote: |
Also, since you have a lawyer who will go over the contract (pro bono I hope) please have let him check if your situation is exempt from the provisions of POEA Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2007. In sum, that Circular requires your Kiwi employer to post a bond equivalent to USD5,000.00 plus a "performance bond" USD equivalent of your three months' salary, to pay for return tickets if your contract is terminated or worse (knock wood) if you die and your remains are repatriated to the Philippines. This Circular has exemptions, but I am unsure if employment contracts in NZ are included in the exemption.
To aid you and your lawyer, please refer to the link:
http://www.poea.gov.ph/ofw/nameHire.pdf
Good luck! |
Now this is new to me and my future employer might not like this. We definitley need to check this out. |
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levi
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 1238
Location: Auckland Central, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="mightykid"] | levi wrote: | | mightykid wrote: |
Also, since you have a lawyer who will go over the contract (pro bono I hope) please have let him check if your situation is exempt from the provisions of POEA Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2007. In sum, that Circular requires your Kiwi employer to post a bond equivalent to USD5,000.00 plus a "performance bond" USD equivalent of your three months' salary, to pay for return tickets if your contract is terminated or worse (knock wood) if you die and your remains are repatriated to the Philippines. This Circular has exemptions, but I am unsure if employment contracts in NZ are included in the exemption.
To aid you and your lawyer, please refer to the link:
http://www.poea.gov.ph/ofw/nameHire.pdf
Good luck! |
Now this is new to me and my future employer might not like this. We definitley need to check this out. |
It would be much appreciated if you could give us updates about your work visa application and POEA application, especially if you will be exempted from the provisions of the above law, so people in the future can learn about it.
From what I have read, the POEA had already made exemptions from the law, such as workers from HK, Italy and Switzerland. I have yet to read or encounter an application from NZ that has been exempted from this rule.
Also, from what I have read, POEA will grant exemptions if the DFA Labour Attache of the employee's government has determined that its own labour laws are fair to everyone and has protections in place for foreign workers, and/or if the company hiring such worker has offered similar insurance (life or medical) included in the package.
Good luck! |
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jss63
Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 70
Location: Auckland
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| Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: |
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[quote="levi"] | mightykid wrote: | | levi wrote: | | mightykid wrote: |
Also, since you have a lawyer who will go over the contract (pro bono I hope) please have let him check if your situation is exempt from the provisions of POEA Memorandum Circular No. 4, series of 2007. In sum, that Circular requires your Kiwi employer to post a bond equivalent to USD5,000.00 plus a "performance bond" USD equivalent of your three months' salary, to pay for return tickets if your contract is terminated or worse (knock wood) if you die and your remains are repatriated to the Philippines. This Circular has exemptions, but I am unsure if employment contracts in NZ are included in the exemption.
To aid you and your lawyer, please refer to the link:
http://www.poea.gov.ph/ofw/nameHire.pdf
Good luck! |
Now this is new to me and my future employer might not like this. We definitley need to check this out. |
It would be much appreciated if you could give us updates about your work visa application and POEA application, especially if you will be exempted from the provisions of the above law, so people in the future can learn about it.
From what I have read, the POEA had already made exemptions from the law, such as workers from HK, Italy and Switzerland. I have yet to read or encounter an application from NZ that has been exempted from this rule.
Also, from what I have read, POEA will grant exemptions if the DFA Labour Attache of the employee's government has determined that its own labour laws are fair to everyone and has protections in place for foreign workers, and/or if the company hiring such worker has offered similar insurance (life or medical) included in the package.
Good luck! |
Hi,
I have similar situation. I have a job offer and the company paid for the plane fares of my family including the accommodation for 1 month,assistance for home and school search for my children. I arrived here together with my family. We did have some difficulty in adjusting particularly during winter but we eventually manage to get use to it. True, little kids can easily adjust to change in environment and culture compared with the teeners. The kids like the school system here, i.e. less pressure for school work. Ellerslie is a nice place. But if you want Filipino enclaves, places like North Shore (e.g. Glenfield)or Henderson in West Auckland will also be a good choice. It will be a big advantage if you know how to drive. You can use your Philippine drivers license for 1 year before you will be required for conversion of your overseas license to NZ license (theory test and practical driving test). It is hard to move around without a car here in Auckland.
Regarding POEA, I have been to that process but I remember that I only submitted my work contract (scanned copy which POEA accepted), passport and other related documents as a direct hire employee. No bond paid as I am exempted from this requirement. I only attended their PDOS seminar. Better check with POEA to be sure.
If your family will be coming with you, they will be required to attend the CFO (?) seminar by the Phil govt for Filipino migrants.
Good luck and hope that this helps. |
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thsaust
Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:10 am Post subject: |
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Hi Levi!
Would like to ask re:job offer. I am a teacher here in RP, have undergone the NZQA, got my NZTeachersCouncil registration yet. would you have any idea, for a teacher like me, would have chances to get a job order?
I see that IT people do have BIG chances of getting a job offer there in NZ. of course i do check out the teaching vacancy/opportunity sites, but still no reply or declined~~so how could i get a job offer so i could go on further with my EOI/ITA~~it's like, with a job offer, proceedings are much fast and easy...and one more thing, teachers like us by profession would still require us to study there in nz? just like the nzteacher's college. NZTC went here to so-call "recruit" people to study in nz a stepping stone...it seems so unfair, for us who have been teaching for several years and dreaming to land a better paying job there in nz, that we still have to work for our tuition fees??? i don't get it..
thanks your soonest reply, levi
thsaust |
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rdj95
Joined: 11 Sep 2007
Posts: 70
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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mightykid
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| jss63 wrote: |
Hi,
I have similar situation. I have a job offer and the company paid for the plane fares of my family including the accommodation for 1 month,assistance for home and school search for my children. I arrived here together with my family. We did have some difficulty in adjusting particularly during winter but we eventually manage to get use to it. True, little kids can easily adjust to change in environment and culture compared with the teeners. The kids like the school system here, i.e. less pressure for school work. Ellerslie is a nice place. But if you want Filipino enclaves, places like North Shore (e.g. Glenfield)or Henderson in West Auckland will also be a good choice. It will be a big advantage if you know how to drive. You can use your Philippine drivers license for 1 year before you will be required for conversion of your overseas license to NZ license (theory test and practical driving test). It is hard to move around without a car here in Auckland.
Regarding POEA, I have been to that process but I remember that I only submitted my work contract (scanned copy which POEA accepted), passport and other related documents as a direct hire employee. No bond paid as I am exempted from this requirement. I only attended their PDOS seminar. Better check with POEA to be sure.
If your family will be coming with you, they will be required to attend the CFO (?) seminar by the Phil govt for Filipino migrants.
Good luck and hope that this helps. |
Hi jss63,
Thank you for sharing.
When did you move to NZ? I am quite interested the steps you took in settling in NZ, i'd appreciate it if you can share some of your experiences especially on the logistics part of your move like how much stuff you brought with you to NZ and how you managed.
Also, can you share some of the difficulties you encountered in your first weeks in Auckland? |
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jss63
Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 70
Location: Auckland
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| mightykid wrote: | | jss63 wrote: |
Hi,
I have similar situation. I have a job offer and the company paid for the plane fares of my family including the accommodation for 1 month,assistance for home and school search for my children. I arrived here together with my family. We did have some difficulty in adjusting particularly during winter but we eventually manage to get use to it. True, little kids can easily adjust to change in environment and culture compared with the teeners. The kids like the school system here, i.e. less pressure for school work. Ellerslie is a nice place. But if you want Filipino enclaves, places like North Shore (e.g. Glenfield)or Henderson in West Auckland will also be a good choice. It will be a big advantage if you know how to drive. You can use your Philippine drivers license for 1 year before you will be required for conversion of your overseas license to NZ license (theory test and practical driving test). It is hard to move around without a car here in Auckland.
Regarding POEA, I have been to that process but I remember that I only submitted my work contract (scanned copy which POEA accepted), passport and other related documents as a direct hire employee. No bond paid as I am exempted from this requirement. I only attended their PDOS seminar. Better check with POEA to be sure.
If your family will be coming with you, they will be required to attend the CFO (?) seminar by the Phil govt for Filipino migrants.
Good luck and hope that this helps. |
Hi jss63,
Thank you for sharing.
When did you move to NZ? I am quite interested the steps you took in settling in NZ, i'd appreciate it if you can share some of your experiences especially on the logistics part of your move like how much stuff you brought with you to NZ and how you managed.
Also, can you share some of the difficulties you encountered in your first weeks in Auckland? |
Moved to NZ January 2009.Quite fortunate that the company paid for shipment of our household stuff through Crown Relocation which handled the packing and loading to container van. We loaded everything that can fit into the van (dining table/chairs,beds,cabinets,sofa etc...). Difficulty: 1)Transport- as we were able to get a car only after 4 months. It is difficult to move around Auckland without your own transport 2)House -We moved to our rented house during the autumn and never anticipated the coming winter. The house is uninsulated, cold and damp; children often got sick.Eventually, with God's blessing we overcome this and got our PR. |
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