This New Zealand city is trying to recruit Americans—what it’s actually like to move there

If you’ve ever dreamt about moving abroad, the capital city of New Zealand just made it easier.

An economic development group in Wellington recently launched a campaign to recruit Americans to relocate there, complete with expat testimonials and a job board listing nearly 3,500 open roles — more than 200 of which pay over 200,000 New Zealand dollars, which comes out to around $120,000 in the U.S.

The idea was developed around the FIFA Women’s World Cup played in New Zealand and Australia this summer to help Americans “think about New Zealand because of the life-work balance that can be achieved here, because we know heaps of people are rethinking that proposition in the wake of Covid,” says John Allen, CEO of WellingtonNZ, the agency behind the campaign.

The site itself aims to make it easier for foreigners to find good jobs before moving and learn more about the immigration process.

Some of the biggest labor shortages Wellington is looking to hire for are jobs in technology, especially the software as a service space, startups, gaming and advanced manufacturing.

The city, like much of the world, needs more health-care workers, and Allen says people with medical skills, like nursing, are prioritized in the immigration process.

Wellington is also looking to hire people in construction, politics, academia and, one of its most “critically important” industries, film.

Wellington tends to attract early-career workers and those in search of a better balance, Allen says: “Here, people are more relaxed in their work life. That’s not to say that we don’t do interesting work, and not to say that the work doesn’t from time to time become demanding of you — but to say that it doesn’t become all consuming of you.”

Jon Kroll, 61, works as a TV producer and moved from Los Angeles, where he lived for 35 years, to Wellington at the end of 2022. He says the city’s culture-rich amenities (like museums and restaurants) strike a good balance with its small-town feel and walkability. Plus, being a 5-minute walk from the ocean or the mountains from his home keeps him from overworking.

Kroll and his wife, Karen, had visited Wellington a number of times and began planning their move in 2019.

“Every time we came here, we felt like we could breathe. We felt like there was a different social dynamic with people that was more pleasant and comfortable,” Kroll says, “and we just decided, let’s make this our life instead of our vacation.”

The couple began filing their immigration documents, figured out how they would make a living there (he continues to work freelance in the TV industry while she works as a competitive archer), and moved in December 2022.

Moving meant selling their LA home, getting rid of most of their belongings and shipping the rest, which cost under $10,000. Once in Wellington, the couple waited six months to establish residency before they bought a new and smaller home.

Kroll says the cost of living is pretty comparable to life in LA. Some things are cheaper, like high-quality coffee, wine and seasonal produce, while things that must be imported, like electronics and cars, come at a higher price.

Meanwhile, some bills are about even or lower than what they were stateside. Kroll says his local taxes, water and garbage bills are often less expensive than his old LA water bill. Quality health care is more accessible, though some specialist visits book out far in advance.

The hardest part about relocating to Wellington, aside from tedious immigration and visa paperwork, is being so far from friends and family at home, Kroll says. But he thinks of it in terms of what he’s trading off.

“You have to feel like the benefits outweigh the risks or the downsides,” he says, “and I think that the quality of life increase going off the charts is the biggest benefit.”

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