Soft Landing NZ

By Brett Corlett | Soft Landing

Why Insurance Hits Different When You’re an Immigrant

When you immigrate, life suddenly becomes full of unknowns. You’re learning a new system, new rules, new roads, and often doing it without the family and support structure you grew up with. In Episode 2 of the Migration & Money Series with Ivandee from Migrant Financial Services, we unpacked the types of insurance every newcomer should know about, but we also shared real stories that make these decisions hit home.

Real Stories That Show Why Insurance Matters

I shared my own experience of being diagnosed with cancer years ago. At the time, I had full medical cover and the right trauma insurance, and that one decision meant my family didn’t face financial devastation while we were trying to deal with the emotional shock. If that had happened during our first year in New Zealand, without the right cover in place… it could have broken us.

Ivandee also spoke about something many migrants experience: the difference between healthcare systems. Back home, many of us were used to faster access to specialists, shorter queues, or different expectations. In New Zealand, public healthcare is high quality — but wait times can be long, and without private cover, families often face delays or stress when they need help quickly.

She also highlighted how common it is for migrants to cancel their insurance back home too early, thinking they are saving money. But until your New Zealand insurance is fully approved, this can leave you completely exposed. This is a mistake she sees regularly among new arrivals.

Key Types of Insurance You Should Understand

Life Cover

You don’t realise how important this is until you start imagining what would happen to your partner or children in a new country without you. Migrants often have no extended family here, so life cover becomes the safety net that replaces the village you lost when you moved.

Trauma Cover (Dread Disease)

This pays a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer, heart conditions, or neurological disease. For migrants who have left behind familiar systems and support, this cover provides both financial security and emotional relief.

Total Permanent Disability

If an accident or illness permanently affects your ability to work, this cover protects your long-term stability. For migrants rebuilding their lives from scratch, this kind of backup is essential.

Income & Mortgage Protection

Many families arrive in NZ with only one partner working at first. If that income disappears due to illness or injury, the entire immigration journey can be derailed. Income protection gives you breathing room and financial security.

Specific Injury Cover

Unique to NZ, this cover pays out for fractures and certain injuries. It’s a small policy that can make a meaningful difference should something go wrong! Accidents happen!

Private Health Insurance

ACC covers accidents, not illness. With public healthcare wait times often long, private health insurance helps you access specialists sooner, have elective surgeries sooner, and a big one, access to non pharmac cover which is not funded. This gives migrants more control over their care.

Business Insurance

If you start a business in New Zealand, which many migrants do, this protects your income and keeps your business running even if something happens to you or your business partner.

Visitor & Student Medical Cover

Important for visiting parents, students, and newcomers on temporary visas. Without it, even minor medical needs can become expensive.

Ivandee’s Biggest Advice

– Do NOT cancel your insurance from back home until your NZ cover is officially confirmed.
– Insurance often feels like a grudge purchase… until the day you need it.
– Your needs will change as your immigration journey unfolds, from arrival, to residency, to buying a home or starting a business.

Final Thoughts

Insurance isn’t about expecting the worst. It’s about protecting your family while you build your new life in New Zealand. When you move countries, everything familiar becomes uncertain, having the right cover brings back a sense of stability, control, and peace of mind.

🎧 Watch the full conversation on YouTube:

Get Personalised Support

If you want guidance or direct introductions to trusted partners (immigration advisers, financial specialists, legal, or wellbeing and support):

👉 Share your details here
https://forms.gle/DhzeGRL4cLF1egs68

I’ll personally connect you to the right person based on where you are in your journey.

📢Stay Connected

I’d love your help.
The Inner Circle App is coming soon — a free space for migrants to connect, learn, and belong in New Zealand. We’d love your input! Help us shape it so it truly supports your needs.

https://forms.gle/FuTEd7cMwv7jzSK56

Follow my Soft Landing podcast and subscribe to my YouTube channel @softlandingnz for real stories, walkthroughs, and practical tips for newcomers to New Zealand. 
📍 All links & platforms: https://linktr.ee/softlandingnz