Your 100% correct about NZ customs. My wife is not from New Zealand and she goes home reasonably often to visit. She has come back with tea that you can't get here, mushrooms, medicine, food basicaly alsorts of stuff. But she declares everything and gets through customs and immigration just as fast as anyone else. She may have had 1 items removed, but it wasn't a big deal, because she declared it.
It was fun going through your New Zealand videos when we were trying to figure out if we wanted to move....and now, here we are in New Zealand :) What's interesting, we thought we were crazy for moving, but once here, we realized how normal it was to move here. SO many immigrants!
Thank you josh and melissa!!! You are so cuuute!!! I hope you continue posting Q&A videos. It's really helpful for people like us planning to visit or move to NZ. O meeting Jen (a thousand words) is a must for you! I've been following her and asked questions about NZ too and she is awesome! Check out her garden, I want to be a bird to visit it everyday hahaha.
You should probably make it clear in the rest of your video's that you are taking a long visit of NZ not moved cuz the working holiday visa in only 1 year for US citizens. Also you guys can get seasonal work while on the visa
For those interested in moving permanently to NZ the process is a lot more involved. There is a several page application form which seeks to assess your fitness for living and contributing to society in NZ. You are assessed a number of points and have to have a minimum to be considered. There is also a very indepth health assessment. You will have a few thousand dollars invested in applying. The process takes time, from our initial application to when we were finally approved to immigrate was two years. We applied back in 2007, so somethings may have changed since then. Visit Immigration New Zealand on the internet for the latest information. Is it worth it? YES! Have been in NZ since 2010 and haven't looked back. We are former Pennsylvanians living on the North Island(not Aukland).
I enjoyed your life in New Zealand story. Thank you. Since you are able to travel around so many places in New Zealand do you have a more optimal place to live in New Zealand for a bicyclist? Essentially would there be a more appealing place to live in New Zealand who lives there life centered around bicycle transportation versus an automobile?
In 2016 I got rid of all my belongings and left the country to travel indefinitely. A couple months before leaving, I put a notice out to friends on Facebook saying that I'll be selling my car. Many friends were interested because they trust me, and felt it must be a good car. My caveat is that they would have to wait until I leave to get the car. In fact, I arranged for the friend who bought the car to drive me to the airport ...And then she drove her new car home.
+Corey Moore great question! Yeah it took awhile to get used too but because we were always driving together we were able to keep an eye on each other and make sure we stayed on the correct side!
My husband and I are enlisted in the Air Force. We've been brainstorming about the next big step in our lives. We both want to keep traveling and having experiences! New Zealand is definitely an option for us as well, since we have no kids. How long do ya'll plan on living in NZ? We have about three years until our military contract is up!
New Zealand is an amazing country filled with so much natural beauty! We are on the working holiday visa that is good for one year. I put the link below to the site that has all the information about visas for NZ :) www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/work/thinking-about-coming-to-new-zealand-to-work/working-holiday-visa
SalibaAdventures if you are in the United States Air Force check out Operation Deep Freeze (I think that is what it's called) it's the air base in Christchurch that supports the US Antarctic mission, they might pay you to come to NZ.
Hi Josh and Melissa, I like your videos soooo much ~ You guys are so cute :) In your video you mentioned that to choose housesitting is a good way to save money. What website did u use to find these positions? Do u think these websites are effective? Thanks~
Thank you! So glad you like our videos :) We used a site called Kiwi House Sitters ( www.kiwihousesitters.co.nz) and really liked it! It was easy to use and we met some great people through it.
@@TheJoshAndMelissa Hi Josh and Melissa, I want to tell you that you guys do change my life. Since you told me the website, I joined in and became a housesitter consistently (almost) for four years. Same as you, I met perhaps the nicest person (as a stranger) in the world. It was not just about saving money, it is about meeting different people, living in different houses and experiencing different lifestyles. I cannot imagine if there is any other way to experience deeper and more. Regarding your channel, I like it. There are no fancy editing skills or commercial based content. Your videos are sincere, honest and full of passion for life. I appreciate that you can keep making videos and sharing them with people from all over the world. Keep it up, it is an achievement!
Hi there! Love your vlogs! They are very informative and entertaining! I have a question pertaining to the work visa. I know you mentioned that you guys don't have income coming in so which mean you don't have jobs. Can you still apply for a work visa without a job? And how long many months or years did the NZ immigration grant you guys? Thanks!!
Great question! We are on the "Working Holiday visa" with this visa you actually have to be coming to the country with the main reason as travel. However, you are able to get a tax number with this visa and get a job either for part of the time you are in the country, the whole time or never! Our visa is good for a year with the option to stay a second year but I know the rules are slightly different depending on which country you are from. I hope this helps!
I am from the USA. Do you guys plan on not working for the whole time you are there? How long did it take to get approved for the holiday work visa and how much did it cost? Did you have to hire an immigration lawyer? Thank you for the information! :)
We are actually working right now. We had been housing sitting for most of our time here so we did not need the extra income but once we wanted to rent a place we needed to work to afford it. The working Holiday was free for us and it only took about 4 days for us to hear back! We did everything our selves and it was super simple. Here is the link to all the info you will need: www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/work/thinking-about-coming-to-new-zealand-to-work/working-holiday-visa
TheJoshAndMelissa thank you so much for the information! Once I get over there we should have a meet up! Lol You and your husband seems like a fun couple to hang out with! :)
I know the two of you want to return to New Zealand in the future however do you intend to settle down here permanently? Because the two of you would make a nice addition to the country:-).
I did it with 4k usd and now not even 2 years later have almost 30knzd in savings and I'm actually applying for my residency this month also I'm buying a house
Your 100% correct about NZ customs. My wife is not from New Zealand and she goes home reasonably often to visit. She has come back with tea that you can't get here, mushrooms, medicine, food basicaly alsorts of stuff. But she declares everything and gets through customs and immigration just as fast as anyone else. She may have had 1 items removed, but it wasn't a big deal, because she declared it.
I owe so much and I don't know where to start. I just psychically know I'll never be happy until I am living in New Zealand
I am here in NZ right now. Where do you guys live? I just moved from the USA too, but originally from Indonesia.
Nelly Martin are you still there ? Do you like it nelly? It seems super far from
Florida where I am but fun!
It was fun going through your New Zealand videos when we were trying to figure out if we wanted to move....and now, here we are in New Zealand :) What's interesting, we thought we were crazy for moving, but once here, we realized how normal it was to move here. SO many immigrants!
Thank you josh and melissa!!! You are so cuuute!!! I hope you continue posting Q&A videos. It's really helpful for people like us planning to visit or move to NZ.
O meeting Jen (a thousand words) is a must for you! I've been following her and asked questions about NZ too and she is awesome! Check out her garden, I want to be a bird to visit it everyday hahaha.
Aw thank you! I'm so glad you are liking our videos :)
You are so sweet Jo An x
-Jo An- OMG))) what a problems when you hold US passport
I have been waiting for this video. 👏🏽👏🏽
I hope you liked it!
You should probably make it clear in the rest of your video's that you are taking a long visit of NZ not moved cuz the working holiday visa in only 1 year for US citizens. Also you guys can get seasonal work while on the visa
For those interested in moving permanently to NZ the process is a lot more involved. There is a several page application form which seeks to assess your fitness for living and contributing to society in NZ. You are assessed a number of points and have to have a minimum to be considered. There is also a very indepth health assessment. You will have a few thousand dollars invested in applying. The process takes time, from our initial application to when we were finally approved to immigrate was two years. We applied back in 2007, so somethings may have changed since then. Visit Immigration New Zealand on the internet for the latest information. Is it worth it? YES! Have been in NZ since 2010 and haven't looked back. We are former Pennsylvanians living on the North Island(not Aukland).
As for nowadays, how fast can you get a New Zealand citizenship?
I enjoyed your life in New Zealand story. Thank you. Since you are able to travel around so many places in New Zealand do you have a more optimal place to live in New Zealand for a bicyclist? Essentially would there be a more appealing place to live in New Zealand who lives there life centered around bicycle transportation versus an automobile?
How much money did you guys save to move to NZ
Could you please do a video on the caparison between Canada and new Zealand in terms of immigration point of view.
Do you think you can do a video on how you sold your car after you left? I think that would scare me to have a time limit
In 2016 I got rid of all my belongings and left the country to travel indefinitely. A couple months before leaving, I put a notice out to friends on Facebook saying that I'll be selling my car. Many friends were interested because they trust me, and felt it must be a good car. My caveat is that they would have to wait until I leave to get the car. In fact, I arranged for the friend who bought the car to drive me to the airport ...And then she drove her new car home.
See you guys soon!
+A Thousand Words we are so excited!
Great idea -house sitting! I would've never thought about that but you're right you want to know how a specific area is beforehand
It is such a great way to get to know a place :)
HI! I was just wanting to know what you think of driving on the left side of the road? was it difficult to adjust to?
+Corey Moore great question! Yeah it took awhile to get used too but because we were always driving together we were able to keep an eye on each other and make sure we stayed on the correct side!
My husband and I are enlisted in the Air Force. We've been brainstorming about the next big step in our lives. We both want to keep traveling and having experiences! New Zealand is definitely an option for us as well, since we have no kids. How long do ya'll plan on living in NZ? We have about three years until our military contract is up!
New Zealand is an amazing country filled with so much natural beauty! We are on the working holiday visa that is good for one year. I put the link below to the site that has all the information about visas for NZ :)
www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/work/thinking-about-coming-to-new-zealand-to-work/working-holiday-visa
SalibaAdventures if you are in the United States Air Force check out Operation Deep Freeze (I think that is what it's called) it's the air base in Christchurch that supports the US Antarctic mission, they might pay you to come to NZ.
Aj C I will check that out!
your the perfect candidates a lot of outdoor activities hunting game fishing diving we are Hunter gatherer's blessings
Thank you for sharing your experience!
how did you start the process e.g. paperwork and how did you get accepted to be able to live in NZ?
+sebastian penny We did everything online! It was a super simple process for us but it will vary some per person and country
Hi Josh and Melissa, I like your videos soooo much ~ You guys are so cute :)
In your video you mentioned that to choose housesitting is a good way to save money. What website did u use to find these positions? Do u think these websites are effective? Thanks~
Thank you! So glad you like our videos :)
We used a site called Kiwi House Sitters ( www.kiwihousesitters.co.nz) and really liked it! It was easy to use and we met some great people through it.
@@TheJoshAndMelissa Hi Josh and Melissa,
I want to tell you that you guys do change my life. Since you told me the website, I joined in and became a housesitter consistently (almost) for four years. Same as you, I met perhaps the nicest person (as a stranger) in the world. It was not just about saving money, it is about meeting different people, living in different houses and experiencing different lifestyles. I cannot imagine if there is any other way to experience deeper and more.
Regarding your channel, I like it. There are no fancy editing skills or commercial based content. Your videos are sincere, honest and full of passion for life. I appreciate that you can keep making videos and sharing them with people from all over the world.
Keep it up, it is an achievement!
Have you been to the South Island?
No not yet. We will be heading down at the end of February to live down there for a few months!
Hi there! Love your vlogs! They are very informative and entertaining! I have a question pertaining to the work visa. I know you mentioned that you guys don't have income coming in so which mean you don't have jobs. Can you still apply for a work visa without a job? And how long many months or years did the NZ immigration grant you guys? Thanks!!
Great question! We are on the "Working Holiday visa" with this visa you actually have to be coming to the country with the main reason as travel. However, you are able to get a tax number with this visa and get a job either for part of the time you are in the country, the whole time or never!
Our visa is good for a year with the option to stay a second year but I know the rules are slightly different depending on which country you are from.
I hope this helps!
I am from the USA. Do you guys plan on not working for the whole time you are there? How long did it take to get approved for the holiday work visa and how much did it cost? Did you have to hire an immigration lawyer? Thank you for the information! :)
We are actually working right now. We had been housing sitting for most of our time here so we did not need the extra income but once we wanted to rent a place we needed to work to afford it. The working Holiday was free for us and it only took about 4 days for us to hear back! We did everything our selves and it was super simple. Here is the link to all the info you will need: www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/work/thinking-about-coming-to-new-zealand-to-work/working-holiday-visa
TheJoshAndMelissa thank you so much for the information! Once I get over there we should have a meet up! Lol You and your husband seems like a fun couple to hang out with! :)
So you guys don't really live anywhere? How much is housing?
I know the two of you want to return to New Zealand in the future however do you intend to settle down here permanently? Because the two of you would make a nice addition to the country:-).
I live in New Zealand, Auckland 💙
I need advice on how to get to NZ
Welcome home.🙂
have you been to south island
Yes we have! SO beautiful :)
what part of New Zealand has been your favorite so far?
We love Taupo and Raglan on the North Island and Wanaka and Dunedin on the South Island :)
TheJoshAndMelissa really? I live in dunedin and it's sooooo boring. Nothing to do here at all
Hope your time here was good.
which is your favourite city
On the North island Melissa's favorite is Taupo and Josh's favorite is Raglan. On the South island we both love Dunedin :)
You both are adorable. Good info too
Wish we can move to NZ its been my dream to live at NZ but its not that easy .
I did it with 4k usd and now not even 2 years later have almost 30knzd in savings and I'm actually applying for my residency this month also I'm buying a house
@@erinklatt3093 probably problems with the visas its not that easy for every country to get a visa
Nelson is a cool town 👌🏻 you should come if you haven't already
We stopped through on our way to the South Island, we really liked it!
Oohh I miss my home town Nelson
You both should go on a fishing trip if you eat fish oh and winter time go too the good hot pools here
I live in new Zealand
Make sure you check out the Coromandel 👍👍
You guys are just awesome 😎
Aw, that is so sweet! Thank you!
wow just watched your vids and after seeing this one you both look a lot fitter, and darker!
I like you're videos plus I live in nz
Thank you so much, so glad you like what we create :)
NZ is full.....
You saved a lot.... but not in NZ !
So funny video for Eastern European about problems American passport holders have)