Lee West served eight years in the Royal Marines Commandos in the UK before working as a rope access technician for a number of companies and then moving into site management and construction management. Lee, his wife Emma and children Ella-Jay and Keala left Shrewsbury in Shropshire in England for New Zealand. They had already visited New Zealand on holiday and knew it would be a country in which they would love to raise their children.

 “The lifestyle differs from the UK because the great outdoors beckons around every corner and there is so much space,” says Lee. “The beaches are empty (in comparison to Europe) the roads are quiet and the people are open and friendly. Holiday options are endless in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands or Australia. We have made many friends already and the girls are settling in well at Kindergarten. Work is busy as usual.”

McLeod & Associates brought the family to New Zealand with temporary visas and secured their permanent residence under the Skilled Migrant Category.

 “From the first moment we had contact with Joanne and Richard we knew we had made the right decision. They explained everything involved in the process and put our minds at ease by taking the stress away. They are easy to talk too and nothing is too much trouble. We class them as friends. We had no problems gaining residence.”

Lee is looking forward to enjoying his children growing up in what he calls, ‘this amazing country’.

“New Zealand is everything we hoped for and more and we have not even scratched the surface yet so, if you’re thinking of immigrating, go for it! Come with an open mind and enjoy.”