friertuck

After months of gaining information, too much expence and 101 other things our agent has told us that everthing has now been sent to Wellington for lodgment.

For anybody interested they have advised us that the current processing time for the LTBV is 6-8 months but with no guarantee.
This has come as a bit of a shock to us as when we started the process it was 12 months. We had expected it to get longer and now we are a bit worried that if the visa came through we would not be able to get out to NZ within the 9 months. This would also include buying and starting a new business, not to mention a house schools and the rest.

But anyway at least it's in, so now we wait

Thanks. Alan

theguitardoctor

Hi there,

Unfortunately, you are looking at closer to 10 months than 6 ... my application has been in for 5 months now and I'm right here in Wellington where they are processed and face to face with case officers....case officer assigned approx 6-7 months from lodging. LTBV processed in approx 2-3 months afterwards. These are still estimates, but my application has no case officer an it's been lodged for 5 months + now.

Hope your experience turns out better than ours...we are now pulling the whole thing and returning to the UK.

regards, Rich.

Jamie Smith

Hi all

NZIS introduced a faster way of doign things, called Customised Service, in July. Cases lodged after this time get allocated immediately to case officer, who can approve on the spot if feeling so inclined.

Cases lodged before that are in a separate queue, and cases lodged before November 2002 are still inprocessing in a third system.

Old cases (2002 vintage ) should be finalised by mid 2004(!), recent cases (Nov 2002 to July 2003) are taking about 4 to 6 months, and newer cases, well it's still early days so I'd say 3 months +/- as per NZIS managment target.

It helps if your application is well researched, well presented and strong on benefit to NZ

They'll notify you of up to 9 months in the letter, but we've had one approved in just 2 days.

So, it's anyones guess.

Cheers

friertuck

Hi Jamie

This could be a major problem for us, we had worked on a minimum process time of 9 months due to UK business comitments.
Have you any idea how cast in stone is the 9 month period of time you have to be in NZ is. We could not really get there until November 2004 poss September if all went to plan.

Thanks for any help.

Alan.

theguitardoctor

HI there,

Don't panic - there is a 12 month window for you to reach NZ after approval, so unless it's approved tomorrow, you'll be ok for Nov 04.

regards. Rich.

friertuck

Hi Rich

I hope your right about that, I was sure about the 9 month rule.
It's all getting a bit stressfull now. The fee for the agent seems to of gone way above our origional hopes and we are worried that we won't have enough cash to take.

If we can just get there and do the 2-3 years then I can do something I would rather do.

Thanks for the ray of hope and sorry to here about your problems. I hope it all works out in the end.

Regards.

Alan

Ben.M

Just remember to submit your application for PR under the Entrepreneur category a few months before the 3rd year is up, (which might be where the 9 months came from), as strictly speaking if you haven't received PR by the time the LTBV expires you would have to close shop and leave.

I think you can apply for an extension to the LTBV though, especially if there are extenuating circumstances as to why you couldn't start the business soon enough to get PR within the 3 years.

My biggest concern is that they might change the rules and move the goalposts before I'm eligible to apply for PR.

Of course there's always Plan B for us single blokes...

Ben

theguitardoctor

Hi Ben,

This is exactly the same fear the wife has, and is one of the reaons she's abandoned NZ completely now. Trouble is we're tied here for 7 months due to the cat (I suggested he had a rabies shot in the UK, but the wife in her infinite wisdom said there was no need).....

To be honest if I was back in the UK, decisions would be far easier.

I threw in a perfectly good business to restart over here, and she's not interested in a compromise. Easiest option now is to return to the UK and pick up the pieces of my business and start over again....

Ho hum, expensive mistake.

Rich.

Ben.M

...but you'll have a great story to tell the grandchildren!

At least you tried Rich. Would have been a lot worse if you hadn't and always wondered what if?

Hey, it's only money!

Ben