Why You Should Came to NZ

By: Robet morkal | Posted: 15th March 2011

When I was 19 I decided I wanted to study overseas, my parents took me to an agent so that we could get a good idea as to what each country offered and where I should study, what programme I should study and what university I should attend.

This was my first time so far away from my parents' and we did not have any real idea about the world outside Vietnam other than what is in the movies. I remember that the lady at the agency just listened to my desires and concerns and those of my parents. She pointed New Zealand straight away; she said this was the best country for me because it was safe, the qualification was internationally recognised, it is green, unpolluted and has nice weather ( in terms of not too cold in winter and not too hot in summer) similar to the North of Vietnam and plateau region in South of Vietnam. Her suggestion and opinions eased my Mum's worries, especially, when it came to safety, security and the environment.

I came to NZ just before I turned 20 years old; an international student who did not speak one proper English sentence.

As planned, I finished a 6 months English course at Academic Colleges Group and 1 year Auckland University Foundation Study Programme before I entered the university. I also completed a 1 year Diploma in computing level 5 before actually enrolling in the Bachelor of Science in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Auckland. After all the hard work, here I am, graduating from the leading university in New Zealand with a good degree, getting a job in a world class pharmaceutical company and recently received my Permanent Residency (PR).

The economy

The Kiwi economy is largely based on the farming and export sectors, in particular the dairy, wine and fruit sectors. There is also a fast growing filming industry with many top Hollywood movies being shot in New Zealand. The most famous of these is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are also vibrant Information and Technology centres in Auckland and Wellington. New Zealand is one of the easiest countries to start a business in and small home based businesses are common place. Immigrating to New Zealand via the Long Term Business Visa route is very popular especially among British and Asian immigrants.

New Zealand Monetary System

The New Zealand Dollar, shortened to NZD or NZ$, and also informally known as the Kiwi dollar, is the official currency of New Zealand. The same currency is also used in the Pitcairn Islands, Tokelau, Niue, and the Cook Islands. The New Zealand Dollar was introduced in 1967 to replace the New Zealand pound, when the country decimalised its currency. The currency is relatively weak when compared to major currencies such as British Sterling, the Euro, the Yen, or the US dollar. This makes the country a particularly affordable choice for a lot of travelers. The Kiwi dollar often closely tracks the Australian dollar due to their close geographical location. Both usually have higher central bank interest rates when compared against other OECD nations, which results in the currency being a popular in carry-trades. The value of the New Zealand dollar has been floating, i.e., determined by the financial markets, since March 4, 1985. Since then its value has been fluctuating between 0.40c - 0.72c United States dollars to the New Zealand dollar.

The Future

Being a small island country so close to a huge economic powerhouse, New Zealand will always be dependent to a degree on the current state of the Ozzy economy, especially considering the large amount of trade that is conducted between the two countries. Two other factors that could have a major impact on the New Zealand economy is the weather and disease as the economy is still largely based on it's agriculture industry.

This is however systematically changing as the country diversifies into other fields like the IT and Film Industries. This is great news for immigrants from these industries as it is opening up a lot more job opportunities in a wider range of occupations.

Read about Study in New Zealand and New Zealand Immigration and Immigration to New Zealand
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Tags: safety security, pharmaceutical company, information and technology, permanent residency, getting a job, nice weather, bachelor of science