New Settler Profile

Paul Dunlop

Paul Dunlop first came to New Zealand in December 2000 on a working holiday visa and after his second trip, visiting friends he had made the first time round, he decided that New Zealand was where he wanted to make his permanent home.

Paul knew that New Zealand was able to offer him a lifestyle that would not have been so achievable back home in Scotland. Paul snowboards in winter and sails in the summer and says that one of the great things about living in New Zealand is that these sports are easily accessible to everyone. Most activities are available on your doorstep which is why so many New Zealanders spend most of their time outdoors.

Once the decision was made to apply for residency, Paul contacted the Migration Bureau to get an honest appraisal of his chances of a successful application. Based on the information he was given he decided to go ahead and apply under the Skilled Migrant category. However, in order to achieve the number of points he needed, Paul needed a job offer so arranged to visit New Zealand for a third time to go job-hunting. When he arrived in Nelson, his chosen destination, Paul approached a few companies, checked local papers and then went in on spec to one of the companies he was interested in working for. “ I chatted with the owner and we seemed to be on the same wavelength. He offered me the job there and then,” Paul says. He also adds “I know that was pretty lucky but I would definitely advise people to go and visit New Zealand and speak to companies directly – you can’t beat the personal touch”.

Paul didn’t believe that he would be invited to apply for residency the first time he submitted his Expression of Interest as he knew the Skilled Migrant category is very popular. “Much to my surprise and delight my application was approved very quickly” says Paul. Soon after Paul was on the plane on his way to New Zealand and arrived in March 2005 to start his new life.

The main reason that Paul has settled so quickly is because he already had friends in New Zealand from the first time he came to the country. He says “ Local knowledge is so much more accurate than information you may get from other sources i.e. the Internet”. Moving to a new country on your own is a big step to make but knowing people made it so much easier for Paul which is something he greatly appreciates.

Paul has absolutely no regrets about the move and knows that New Zealand and Nelson is definitely where he wants to make his permanent home. Friends and family are very keen to come over and stay so Paul knows that he needs to buy a house fairly soon in order to accommodate everyone!