Life In New Zealand , New Zealand Immigration

Migrating to New Zealand needn't be a journey into the complete unknown nor should it be a major culture shock for you.

Of course New Zealand will be different and there will be things that are unfamiliar to you at first. But equally, you will have given yourself the priceless opportunity to start a new life with all the benefits and opportunities which come from that.

In many ways it's not what New Zealand have that's important to our quality of life - it's what New Zealand don't have! New Zealand don't have high crime rates, New Zealand police don't carry guns and instances of corruption are virtually unheard of. New Zealand don't have abject poverty or hunger and we don't have the pollution, congestion, health issues and cramped city living that we see elsewhere.

One of the things you will find here, and it's something we take very seriously, is our acceptance of different views and ideas. New Zealanders are a modern, secular, democratic society with no ingrained class system. Freedom of speech, expression and religious belief is guaranteed in law.

Equal opportunity

We don't judge people on how they sound, what colour they are, how they vote, where they go to church, where they live or the type of car they drive. Gender equality is something New Zealand has led the world in.

Global citizens

Being tucked away in a corner of the South Pacific doesn't mean that New Zealanders don't care deeply about events affecting the rest of the world. We provide a significant sum in foreign aid, honour our refugee responsibilities and make an enormous contribution to humanitarian efforts.

New Zealand was a founding member of the United Nations and has always played an active role in international affairs. You'll find us at the forefront of debate on the major issues affecting the world community, such as global warming. We've shown that we're ready to stand up for those things we care passionately about even if, as in the case of our anti-nuclear legislation, this comes at a cost.