My Name is Claudell. I am a Registered Nurse-Theatre. I came to NZ in June 2025 from South Africa. The process to come to NZ took me 2 years.
All aspects of the immigration process have their challenges and are stressful in their own way for various reasons, for me personally, I would say the easiest part of the process was the admin associated with obtaining my nursing registration with NZ Nursing Council. Although this process included a series of steps and is quite tedious and time consuming, Hayley from Accent outlined the process for me in detail and offered support and reassurance at every step which I really appreciated.
The other aspect that was easy was obtaining our visa with the help of NZ Shores. Charlotte took all the stress off us and handled the entire visa application process from start to finish.
The most challenging part of the process was:
1. Waiting for feedback from NCNZ regarding their decision on issuing my license to practice. This took approximately 6.5 months.
2. Obtaining prospective job interviews - it was quite difficult to secure any interviews offshore and I received heaps of rejection emails. All interviews that I sat for prior to and including the one that lead to a successful job offer were via ACCENT.
ACCENT Health Recruitment and recruiter Hayley were instrumental in my immigration journey to New Zealand. From day one, Hayley was amazing - she answered all my questions in detail, provided all of the information I needed and supported and reassured me every step of the way. Prudence also stepped in over the holidays to help me prepare for an interview. She checked up on me and was readily available to assist with whatever I needed.
When I landed with my family in NZ - Hayley was waiting for us at the airport with a care package and the biggest smile and hug. Her gesture of kindness made all the difference to us on that first day being here and meeting Hayley in person for the first time felt more like a reunion with an old friend.
Hayley continues to check in with me periodically to make sure I'm okay and I appreciate this more than words can express.
All aspects of the immigration process have their challenges and are stressful in their own way for various reasons, for me personally, I would say the easiest part of the process was the admin associated with obtaining my nursing registration with NZ Nursing Council. Although this process included a series of steps and is quite tedious and time consuming, Hayley from Accent outlined the process for me in detail and offered support and reassurance at every step which I really appreciated.
The other aspect that was easy was obtaining our visa with the help of NZ Shores. Charlotte took all the stress off us and handled the entire visa application process from start to finish.
The most challenging part of the process was:
1. Waiting for feedback from NCNZ regarding their decision on issuing my license to practice. This took approximately 6.5 months.
2. Obtaining prospective job interviews - it was quite difficult to secure any interviews offshore and I received heaps of rejection emails. All interviews that I sat for prior to and including the one that lead to a successful job offer were via ACCENT.
ACCENT Health Recruitment and recruiter Hayley were instrumental in my immigration journey to New Zealand. From day one, Hayley was amazing - she answered all my questions in detail, provided all of the information I needed and supported and reassured me every step of the way. Prudence also stepped in over the holidays to help me prepare for an interview. She checked up on me and was readily available to assist with whatever I needed.
When I landed with my family in NZ - Hayley was waiting for us at the airport with a care package and the biggest smile and hug. Her gesture of kindness made all the difference to us on that first day being here and meeting Hayley in person for the first time felt more like a reunion with an old friend.
Hayley continues to check in with me periodically to make sure I'm okay and I appreciate this more than words can express.
New Zealand is beautiful. So far, this place has surpassed all my expectations. Kiwis are the friendliest and most helpful people you will ever meet. I was pleasantly surprised at how supportive people have been to us since we arrived and how everyone was willing to help with whatever we needed in our first few weeks settling in.
The best parts of NZ are definitely the breathtaking views. We are in the South Island and literally just a walk around the corner and there's views of the snowcapped mountains. Pictures just don't do justice to what I've seen in the past month :)
I like about the area I live in because it's so peaceful here, there's no traffic and traveling anywhere within town takes no more than 5-10 minutes. Shops and work are all within walking distance.
We miss our family and friends in South Africa, but we video call often to keep in touch with everyone. I brought heaps of spices from South Africa, so we aren't missing our Durban curries just yet! For now, we plan to tour the South Island as much as we can because there's so much to see and do. We hope to be able to travel to the North Island soon to visit our family.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to be patient - it's not a quick process and at times the waiting and rejections can become extremely demotivating but keep the faith and remember why you started.
The work/life balance made a difference to my life because my days are much less rushed, and I have more time to spend with my kids and partner as well as time for myself. I feel much more relaxed and calmer than I used to be.
Claudell
The best parts of NZ are definitely the breathtaking views. We are in the South Island and literally just a walk around the corner and there's views of the snowcapped mountains. Pictures just don't do justice to what I've seen in the past month :)
I like about the area I live in because it's so peaceful here, there's no traffic and traveling anywhere within town takes no more than 5-10 minutes. Shops and work are all within walking distance.
We miss our family and friends in South Africa, but we video call often to keep in touch with everyone. I brought heaps of spices from South Africa, so we aren't missing our Durban curries just yet! For now, we plan to tour the South Island as much as we can because there's so much to see and do. We hope to be able to travel to the North Island soon to visit our family.
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to be patient - it's not a quick process and at times the waiting and rejections can become extremely demotivating but keep the faith and remember why you started.
The work/life balance made a difference to my life because my days are much less rushed, and I have more time to spend with my kids and partner as well as time for myself. I feel much more relaxed and calmer than I used to be.
Claudell
