# Emigration to Australia and/or New Zealand **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926 "2023-08-01T20:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/21 "2023-08-03T02:55:56Z")
> [@Ferris](#): > > I linked to the actual policy on the Māori Party website, so anyone can check what tax rates they are proposing. …its a _progressive_ tax. The _current_ tax rate for those on $180,000 + is 39%, so it’s only a 3% increase at that band. Not really something the OP would need to concern themselves with, especially, as you acknowledge, it is never going to happen. > [@Ferris](#): > > As a general point being made to someone considering bringing their lifetime accumulated wealth to another country, I don’t consider it ‘inaccurate’ to warn them of the political landscape here. If this is the case, then you should also be talking about the Green’s immigration policy as that is directly applicable to the OP’s situation. Because “the political landscape” is an entirely subjective thing, and can’t be put into the correct context without turning this a political debate. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/22 "2023-08-03T03:23:16Z")
‘Only’ a 3% increase on incomes over NZD 180,000 can easily be a few thousand dollars. Perhaps the OP has a view on that - unless you are speaking for him here. My broader point is for anyone thinking of moving to New Zealand to be aware of tax considerations - and the political ‘mood’. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/23 "2023-08-03T03:31:06Z")
> [@Ferris](#): > > ‘Only’ a 3% increase on incomes over NZD 180,000 can easily be a few thousand dollars. Perhaps the OP has a view on that - unless you are speaking for him here. …there are a hundred different things one must consider when moving to another country. The tax policy of a minor party that will never get enacted doesn’t appear to be one of the things that was asked for in the factual question of this particular OP. And as we are in the Factual Questions forum, then I think it’s important to put your responses here in context. The taxes proposed by the minor parties are not-far-off the existing rates, they are progressive taxes, and both of the major parties (one of which are overwhelmingly likely to get power) are not going to be implementing these policies. > [@Ferris](#): > > My broader point is for anyone thinking of moving to New Zealand to be aware of tax considerations - and the political ‘mood’. The OP doesn’t appear to be asking for “the political mood”, which IMHO would be in the realm of IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/24 "2023-08-03T03:51:09Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > . What if, for example, my husband went back to South Carolina for his brother’s 50th birthday party and was in a car accident, which caused injuries that resulted in an inability to travel for several months? that’s what travel insurance is for. When I travel to the US, I am covered for up to about half a million dollars of health care. It costs about $10 a day, so 14 day trip adds $140 to my vacation costs…that’s less than the baggage fees at the airport. (I often wonder how the insurance company makes a profit from my $140. But fortunately, I’ve never had to find out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/25 "2023-08-03T04:17:46Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > The tax policy of a minor party that will never get enacted doesn’t appear to be one of the things that was asked for in the factual question of this particular OP. I note that a couple of posters before me raised the issue of tax as it related to Americans specifically. So my post was more or less following that aspect of the thread and offering some facts to consider. Especially considering the amounts of money being discussed. Having emigrated to New Zealand myself, I understand the considerations. I’m sure the OP will be doing due diligence. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/26 "2023-08-03T04:23:04Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > that’s what travel insurance is for. Yes. This. I shudder when I remember I drove across the USA several times on a motorcycle in my 20’s without considering travel health insurance. OTOH I tripped and broke a bone in my had a few months ago in Times Square, and didn’t have a doctor look at until I was home - I assumed it was just a bad bruise or something, and I wasn’t going through the hassle of navigating both medical and insurance processes. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/27 "2023-08-03T04:25:19Z")
> [@Ferris](#): > > I note that a couple of posters before me raised the issue of tax as it related to Americans specifically. …and the current relevant tax policy is here. > **[Tax rates for individuals](https://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax/income-tax-for-individuals/tax-codes-and-tax-rates-for-individuals/tax-rates-for-individuals)** > > For individuals, income tax rates are based on your total income for the year. [https://ucaac249af08f209948054831eed.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AB\_CX68WmOGWfwtnTCwv6u93-navPQpyp0ZclroHR5ZITkv7dHjF5qtmZHJRQDBV3yoW55wvEGu5NmIweOalSCg0qe5N6jsoZnAm7F1\_Y1CWVLnJS80unETpp0ie7v0UA2h77rYpCVoXV4I4lm-xXhnrrgfVf6whigCZJGlXaQBKF5H1sHPafclhxcuuAGoGcqJi0s1G4qV9vqWLIKTG9XtB4L4CVJldEB4MxFxgAhwhepp316X526XZFRlsWuDBE7UpwHcQoZVcZvk4ZWbTaOmReRkb-8dZbONMzcv4-s0hhJYXWeiuQHyn0vB23FeDFgMGgFHX9c070sexPswvP9QWwEXOiJOPpJUFkjjZzDm2Tg/p.png](https://ucaac249af08f209948054831eed.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/AB_CX68WmOGWfwtnTCwv6u93-navPQpyp0ZclroHR5ZITkv7dHjF5qtmZHJRQDBV3yoW55wvEGu5NmIweOalSCg0qe5N6jsoZnAm7F1_Y1CWVLnJS80unETpp0ie7v0UA2h77rYpCVoXV4I4lm-xXhnrrgfVf6whigCZJGlXaQBKF5H1sHPafclhxcuuAGoGcqJi0s1G4qV9vqWLIKTG9XtB4L4CVJldEB4MxFxgAhwhepp316X526XZFRlsWuDBE7UpwHcQoZVcZvk4ZWbTaOmReRkb-8dZbONMzcv4-s0hhJYXWeiuQHyn0vB23FeDFgMGgFHX9c070sexPswvP9QWwEXOiJOPpJUFkjjZzDm2Tg/p.png) Anything else is speculative. But progressive-left parties running on progressive-left tax policy isn’t exactly news. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/28 "2023-08-03T04:40:49Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > that’s what travel insurance is for. I’d check whether such travel insurance policies cover hospitalization/rehab extending over many months. Maybe it does. But given my bleak experience with health insurance policies, I would not assume. I’d check, in detail, in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/29 "2023-08-03T04:49:36Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > But progressive-left parties running on progressive-left tax policy isn’t exactly news. Just how ‘progressive’ they are _might_ be news to someone unfamiliar with New Zealand politics. However, I’ll leave it up to the OP to follow up anything he feels is relevant to him. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/30 "2023-08-03T05:01:22Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > that’s what travel insurance is for. When I travel to the US, I am covered for up to about half a million dollars of health care. It costs about $10 a day, so 14 day trip adds $140 to my vacation costs…that’s less than the baggage fees at the airport. I hope you are right. My experience with insurance companies and their fine print suggests that this easy-going “oh, it’ll all be just fine” attitude is unwise. Sure - if you are in a minor car accident and need some bandages and a few stitches, travel insurance will cover it. Win-win for all, no doubt. But - if you need months of rehabilitative therapy before you can even _think_ about getting on a plane to go home: how well does that slap-dash “sure-I’m-kinda-sorta-being-responsible-but-I-have-no-patience-for-fine-print-regarding-stuff-I optimistically-assume-will-never-happen-to-me” attitude work out? I don’t know the answer, though my life experience (which includes lots of battling EVIL insurance companies) suggests that the answer is, “Not very well.” People can choose to assume that risk, of course. Many times in my life, I have. But people need to do so with their eyes open, and a “plan B” in mind for when things get totally fucked up. To blithely assume, “nothing bad will ever happen to me, so there is no reason for me to plan for it,” is just - in my humble and possibly wrong opinion - kind of dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/31 "2023-08-03T05:03:22Z")
> [@Ferris](#): > > Just how ‘progressive’ they are _might_ be news to someone unfamiliar with New Zealand politics. …this isn’t a thread about New Zealand politics. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/32 "2023-08-03T07:18:48Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > In our MMP system, while the smaller parties get a voice, the larger parties control the agenda. Good to know, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/33 "2023-08-03T08:35:46Z")
Yes, of course, check any insurance policy. IME travel insurance is based on emergency care followed by repatriation if required. It is fairly cheap (they always add extra if the USA is covered) for anyone with no existing health problems, and they always ask you to tick a long list of potential problems from Asthma to Zika Virus. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/34 "2023-08-04T03:37:05Z")
The travel insurances I’ve bought have a 30-day travel limit. There are “Snowbird” policies for retirees seeking the 180-day tropical experience, usually Florida or Arizona. One of my former co-workers had a mild heart attack not long after retiring. She was prevented from wintering in Arizona for a while because insurance would be far too expensive until she’d been two years problem free. As she pointed out, that’s what British Columbia is there for. In Canada, there is no specific charge for health care. I imagine the reverse is less onerous - that Americans already buy insurance and pay high medical bills, so their health care would probably love to be paying Canadian or ANZ hospital rates instead. Travel health here in Canada also makes provisions for repatriation of patients. Considering the cost of American health care, it’s cheaper to arrange a medical flight as soon as practical and then let the local province pay for the treatement instead. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/35 "2023-08-04T06:26:55Z")
Yes - when I last checked, all the travel insurance sites and the Australian government’s own travel advisory site recommended you getting out of the US either under your own steam or even with a full-service medivac flight. It was still a saving for the insurance companies. The government’s advice was that if you could not afford a travel insurance policy you could not afford to travel. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/36 "2023-08-04T07:13:36Z")
I do a lot of traveling, so I buy an annual travel insurance policy that covers me for a whole year, no matter where I go. It also covers my wife and son. For the three of us, it costs about $700. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/37 "2023-08-04T08:17:40Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > I tripped and broke a bone in my had a few months ago Did you mean to write “head” ?! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/38 "2023-08-04T11:18:59Z")
“hand”? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926/39 "2023-08-04T12:21:15Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Did you mean to write “head” ?! DOH. Must have been my typing hand. Fifth metacarpal, near the wrist. > [@suranyi](#): > > I do a lot of traveling, so I buy an annual travel insurance policy A lot of such policies only apply to 30-day trips or less… I.e. covers any trips, but not extended stays. My wife gets a travel insurance coverage for us from her employer as one of her employment benefits, but it has that proviso. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emigration-to-australia-and-or-new-zealand/987926.md?page=1)