CASE STUDY: GARY PIDOCK

Essential Skills Visa

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What was the initial appeal of New Zealand?

The outdoors, the mountains and the pure beauty of the country.

What helped you decide to proceed with migration?

I heard people who moved here before say how nice it is, how much more laid back it is, a better lifestyle, friendly people and lots of hiking, mountain biking and skiing which I love.

What type of visa did you go for?

I got an Essential Skills Visa valid for 3 years.

Now that you're in New Zealand, how are you finding your new life?

I love life here, still getting to know people but looking forward to exploring more. There's so much to do here and I'm not as stressed as I was in the UK as I'm not working as many hours.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about moving to New Zealand?

My advice is if you love the outdoors then do it. It's a lot more laid back and not as stressful. The country is one of the most beautiful in the world.

I recently went for a hike in the hills near me and it was stunning, so here's a "selfie" from there. It felt like I was stood on top of the world; clean crisp air, the faint smell of log fire in the air, cold pure blue sky & the winter sun. So peaceful.