29 October 2007

Finding happiness through New Zealand immigration

Glamorous hair and makeup artist Margita Red has found happiness in a coastal cottage in west Auckland after leaving a fast-paced London lifestyle for New Zealand immigration. Only a few years ago the former Vidal Sassoon hairdresser of the year was running her own business Courier Cuts, traveling all over London on her classic Italian motorcycle to style the hair of celebrities.

A holiday in New Zealand persuaded Red and her partner to abandon the glamorous urban European life and apply for New Zealand visas. They had moved within a year and she told the New Zealand Herald "within four days we had bought two fishing rods, a Land Rover and this house". Their bungalow in a west Auckland suburb has beautiful sea views.

Both Red and partner Mark Hopkins, a designer and builder, have successfully established businesses in Auckland. They are enthusiastic about the lifestyle advantages of living in New Zealand. "It just feels so nice to live here. We have Piha [beach] 20 minutes away in one direction, and the city 20 minutes away in the other. And Katinka [the couple's three-year-old daughter] is going to grow up in a really nice environment."

New Zealand needs skilled migrants: Anyone applying for a New Zealand visa should begin by taking the New Zealand Visa Bureau's online New Zealand visa assessment to see if they meet the basic legislative requirements.