It's not an easy choice when half your life is over, but then you think about the kids...
Joyce Miranda is 42 years old. She and her daughter Kitty, 14, plan to go New Zealand in March 2004. Joyce will be joining her husband who is already working there.
"My husband has been working in New Zealand since 1996. He works as a chef. He has a work permit there which he renews periodically. I have toyed with the idea of moving to New Zealand for some time. Now I have made the decision to finally move out of India.
"It was not an easy choice. Half my life is over now and am very comfortable here in India. That's one reason why I didn't want to move earlier. But now I am beginning to think that my daughter who is 14 years old, will have a much better life there. She will sit for her 10th next academic year and everybody knows the education scene here. The competition is just too fierce. In New Zealand she will certainly be able to take the course of her liking. It will all be mucheasier out there compared to India.
"Also, for some reason, I feel more secure about my daughter's life in New Zealand than in India. Though I have lived all my life here, I think shifting to New Zealand may not be much of a shock to me. I will find a church close to my house there. I suppose that's all I need. Everything else will fall in place.
"My husband and I will not take residence in New Zealand now. He will continue to work on his work permit. Once my daughter turns 18 in New Zealand, she will automatically take residence. Then, as dependant parents, we too will automatically get residence. That's the plan. We really don't have to struggle with the point system to migrate."