Job Discussion Forums

[Sherri]

Hello
I originally posted this in the Australia/New Zealand section but since it doesn't get the same traffic as Japan, I thought I would post here too.

I am an American currently teaching in Japan. I have been looking into the possibilities for me and my family (Japanese husband, 2-year old daughter and one baby coming this July) to move to NZ in a couple of years time. I am already familiar with immigration policies and have engaged a lawyer there to sort this out. What I would like to know is, is anyone out there aware of places/areas in New Zealand with a Japanese community? We are trying to settle on a city or town to target as a potential place to live. We would obviously prefer to be somewhere where there are other Japanese people living for the sake of my daughter especially. I would be very interested in a place where Japanese is taught in local schools. Also I am sure my husband would appreciate living somewhere where he could buy overpriced imported Japanese food now and again.

For background, I would probably want to teach ESL/EFL when we first got there. I have over 15 years experience (teaching adults--4 skills, an RSA cert, a masters (in industrial relations) and should have an MA in TEFL by the time we are ready to go there. But eventually we would like to buy into a business.

Thanks for reading this and appreciate your responses.

[PAULH]

Sherri

I am a New Zealander teaching in japan- I am from Auckland and recently went back to visit my family and check out the teaching situation in Auckland. I have not lived there in over 15 years so i could only get a small taste of what is happening there.

In Auckland at least there are large numbers of students from korea, taiwan and japan- mainly Chinese though. There is a shortage of teacher and quite a bit of work if you have CELTA and previous teaching experience Pay is about NZ$20-25 an hour for part time work.
I dont really know where all the Japanese are as Auckland is quite a large place (over a million people) but there are a few japanese restaurants and specialty shops. Prices are fairly high in Auckland (but cheap by Japanese standards) but it has a great outdoorsy lifestyle close to beaches and the water, bush hiking etc


Japanese also have businesses in Christchurch and Queenstown. I have a friend who runs a language school in Queenstown which has many Japanese students there and some Japanese restaurants. Prices are booming in Q'town with some places going for over NZ$2 million.

http://www.languageschool.co.nz

There is also a private university which sends students there from japan called International Pacific University. I dont know much about it but its famous at the moment becuase Tom Cruise is in the area filming his next samurai movie.

Email me if you have any more questions

Paul

[email protected]

[flyer]

I am a kiwi working in Japan

In my opinion the largest number of Japanese comm is in AKL

I would imagime Christchurch would have about the same as Wellington if not more.
I come from Christchurch, there are quite few families there but I have never heard of a Japanese school.

I have been away for a few years so......

I hope it helps

You can contact the Japanese conslate???

[G Cthulhu]

Okay, first things first, you're wasting your money on employing a lawyer to do the paperwork. You don't need one. The immigration documents and standards are painfully clear and simple to follow - a lawyer cannot 'add' anything to the application that you can't do yourself.

Second, you are *very* unlikely to be granted a work visa on the basis of skills and situation as you describe. Sorry, but it's true - there is no shortage of TFL/TSL grads coming out of NZ universities and you are unliikely to be able to show enough earning potential to support a family as migrants.

You (or yor husband) might, however, be able to get in on a business migrant visa. This is easier insofar as you, basically, only need to pony up with the right amount of cash and legally commit to leaving it in the country for a set period. But be aware that the backlog on processing business migrant visas is *huge* at the moment, and getting longer.

[Sherri]

Thanks for taking the time to write. As I said in my original post, I am not asking for information on immigration procedures. I have personal contacts in a New Zealand university and we have our own agenda which I didn't spell out (since those matters are private and not what my question was all about after all).