Viva Las Vegas
A short post this week, as I pack my bags to leave Las Vegas and make the slightly arduous journey back home to New Zealand - and I will admit, I am looking forward to it. Myself and two other colleagues have been in the US as part of the Andersen Global conference, which has been a pretty well organised event. Legal, accounting, tax and other professionals have gathered together over four days at the Bellagio Hotel in the city that literally never sleeps - Las Vegas.
As someone who assists people to move from places like this to New Zealand it has in some ways been a pretty good research trip - understanding what motivates people to leave one place, and start a new life in another. While I can appreciate that Las Vegas is not typical in terms of most American’s day to day existence, there is a lot here that speaks to how people from the US might want a change of scene.
Big, Bigger, Biggest
The thing you notice reasonably quickly when you arrive in a place like Las Vegas, is the sheer scale of everything. Even if you manage to avoid all the digital slot machines at the airport arrivals hall, or the endless stream of fast-food outlets with an equal amount of neon lighting, you realise that everything here is done on a massive scale. It is almost as if each building is trying to outdo the one next to it. Whether it be the enormous entertainment centre that looks like a massive spherical screen or the replica Eiffel Tower, or the hotels that seem to be challenging each other from across each street - big, bigger and biggest is the order of the day.
Life On A Big Scale
The US does things in a big, bold way, which can be very exciting to begin with, but also quite overwhelming. Bigger isn’t always better.
With all this size and scale also comes a massive level of convenience. No matter what you might want or have a craving for, you will find it, almost on every corner. Mass consumerism is rife here, and the streets are designed to lighten your wallet at every turn.
The casinos which function like brightly lit rabbit warrens are purpose built to confuse you, the minute you walk in. The endless maze of slot machines, poker tables and roulette wheels, propped up by people happily handing over endless streams of cash. It is a spectacle on an epic scale and when you first arrive it is quite entertaining. However you quickly realise that beneath that veneer of fun and frivolity there is a far more disconcerting view.
In one venue we wandered through (keeping a tight hold on our wallets), I counted at least a dozen couples, sitting together at slot machines, feeding them relentlessly with cash, whilst also feeding themselves relentlessly with a steady stream of food and alcohol. No one spoke to anyone, let alone their own partners and their entire effort was focussed on that next spin.
Even at 6am on a Wednesday morning, the ground floor of the Bellagio is full of people, readily willing to part with their money, in an attempt to hopefully get more back and of course, the house always wins. There is a constant sense of hope, which seems to be being hunted down by a fog of despair.
It is simultaneously an amazing, exciting and exhilarating place, where everything is constructed on a scale that leaves you in awe, but at the same time, there is almost a sinister undertone. People are disconnected from each other (and potentially reality) being consumed by the bright lights and the constant convenience.
Of course that is Las Vegas and not everywhere in the US works in the same way, but that relentless drive to bigger and bolder is something I think most Americans would appreciate and perhaps it isn’t for everyone.
Something Different?
Whilst I was here, I did have a client from the US, whose application for residence in New Zealand was approved and so it was an interesting call to give her the news, whilst I was in the country she was leaving. This particular client had made up her mind to leave some time ago and had done the hard yards to secure a great job in NZ, where we were able to then turn that in to the right to live their permanently.
From Grand to Great
Many people from the US want to trade in life on a big-scale for the relatively modest but far more relaxed pace in New Zealand - and I can see why.
As I delivered the good news, which I always try to do over the phone with my clients, we discussed the motivations behind her move and she put it very succinctly - she was not trying to escape something, but instead she was looking for something different - something new and perhaps a fresh start.
She was of course absolutely right. Most migrants have their very own, very personal reasons for wanting to make the move, but ultimately it is always about finding something different. They might no longer feel like the place they call home, is deserving of that name, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are trying to escape. If you lived in somewhere like Las Vegas, where the climate is great, and literally anything you want is within easy reach, it might sound strange to want to leave. Yet plenty of Americans make that decision and more so now, than in years gone by. They are all looking for that something different.
Americans have always had an interest in New Zealand, which I think has largely been driven by our ability to stand up on the global stage and be seen - think Lord of the Rings. However that hasn’t always turned in to a definite commitment to make the move. However since the last US election, plenty of Americans have indeed taken the plunge - whether politically motivated or not, they are seeking something different and New Zealand has been able to accommodate.
We have seen a significant influx of US investors, who are more often looking for a future option to reside in another country, but we have also seen a steady stream of highly qualified and experienced applicants picking up jobs and qualifying under our skilled pathways as well. For them at least, big isn’t always better, and the smaller scale, slower pace of life that New Zealand offers is incredibly attractive.
Make The Switch
For any client I consult with at the very early stages of the process, I often ask what is motivating them to make the move and depending on where they are coming from, their will be a variety of relatively common answers. For my South African clients, it is often about safety or opportunity, for those coming from the UK it is common for there to be a family connection or perhaps they have been to NZ before and fallen head over heals for the place, and for Americans it is often because they are looking for something less grand or oversized and perhaps something a little slower in pace.
Whatever the motivations are, the most important thing for any migrant to remember is that New Zealand is different and often it can take a while to adjust - I feel like it might take me a while to adjust to being back there, having been somewhere like Las Vegas. However you do eventually tune in to the way New Zealand works - if you give it the time it needs.
While many other countries around the world are closing up their immigration programs, particularly in the post-covid era where many countries were a bit too quick to throw open the doors - New Zealand is doing quite the opposite. Our updated investor visa program has been a huge hit and the adjustments to our skilled migrant system, rolling out in August 2026 will give an even greater number of skilled migrants the chance to call New Zealand home. We also have the new business investor visa (BIV) opening up in November.
If you are considering trading the bright lights of a big city for the slightly slower, more human pace of New Zealand, get in touch with the team today - 09 486 2169 or email immigration@turnerhopkins.co.nz.
Until next week.
