sarahandstew

Hi there

I've posted on and off re our situation
- have job starting beginning Nov
- expected medicals, whilst referred, to be passed through within 2 weeks as this is what our CO said as she marked them 'urgent'
- so we shipped our furniture in order to have it there and get settled prior to commencing work....

Our medicals have now been with the MAs 6 weeks, we're on the phone to our CO (who is based in Auckland) daily and our furniture lands on 18 October

I don't suppose anyone has any advice at all?!?!?l

Our real concern now is just getting some form of visa in place before our furniture arrives, else it will be treated as imported goods and we'll be charged GST of 12.5% on the value of the container plus duty...

Probably a bit too technical a question for this site though!

Anyhow, we'll be back on the phone again in half an hour so, if nothing else, please wish us luck!!!

MnB

wishing you good news soon I can only imagine how stressful this situation must be for you .....
B x

sarahandstew

thanks B

hasn't been too, too bad until this week
- Stewart's just finished work today so is off to NZ House tomorrow to see if they can help us
- maybe a one year work visa could be pushed through and may satisfy customs...

- and I've been staying with my sister in my old family home with our 2 daughters, the eldest of whom turns 3 next week, so I've barely had time to think about
- just been dreaming about it every night and getting up in the early hours to check for emails!!!

but that email could arrive any day and we'll be off - maybe even on our intended flight date of 13th October...
- we're certainly ready as have simply been living out of 5 suitcases for the last 3 weeks!!

MnB

Hey we're going to NZ House tomorrow!! to hand in my application for visa under family - partnership policy, will think positive for you while there!!

Once again .... good luck &
B x

BEVS

Can't offer any thoughts whatsoever to be honest. I can sympathise with the stress this situation must be causing. Perhaps your OH should be talking to his NZ employer about delaying the start date. that NZIS might consider a short temp work visa for your OH .

If nothing else then this is a cautionary reminder to others that they should not ship their worldly possessions until they are sure of their visas & that there are no guarantees about visa timelines. It depends on NZIS, the MAs , individual cases and their workloads.
My thought is that they will prioritise and work to your NZ employers start date if they can. In other words, there may be others in the queue before you whose start dates are before yours. Or it may simply be that they are short staffed due to annual leave or sickness or that they have a massive backlog because there is a glut of medical referrals. I was always rather under the impression that there were only a few MAs - around 3 - 6 of them . Of course, this is simply heresay from me but I doubt there are a bank of them with just a few cases on each desk, if you get my meaning.

You could perhaps contact Customs NZ direct and explore the possibility of a concessionary refund . No idea what the criteria is for this. Maybe the container can be held on port before officially being imported .

sarahandstew

Cheers B!
- I shan't go as Stewart's much more able to stay calm and rational!
Good luck with your application!
xxx

sarahandstew

Thanks for your response BEVS

We have no issues with our employer - he'll put back the start date no problem and has also been personally contacting our CO and now has her manager's number!!!

But you're exactly right re the cautionary tale
- got so wrapped up in the fact that we were a young family going to the Far North in a skills shortage area that we just assumed it would be sorted for us
- certainly we have nothing serious on our medicals, simply a couple of blood (re)test readings slightly outside of parameters

Still have a vague hope that that email will arrive tomorrow (tonight!) telling us that the MAs have cleared us and that the visas are on their way...

BEVS

That's brilliant. A proactive NZ employer may well be able to work some magic.

I know. It's a right roller coaster and it's all and every waking breath isn't it. So much to do and so little time. You're not the first couple to try and get it all sorted all at the same time and you won't be the last.
I've actually known a couple years ago , whose container landed on the same day that they finally got their PR stickers. They were scooting around all over the place to get the documents down to the port that day.


from me too. Have some hopeful karma.

willand tina_h

hey sarah,

know exactly how you are feely as we too are still waiting, we are though 1 week behind you, it was 5 weeks yesterday for us and i know your in your 6th week!!!!! things will come good for us though i am sure its just a case of when eh????? i have double fingers crossed for you.

Tina.x

MnB

Hope visit to NZ House was positive??

We got very little feed back from a very uncommunicative kiwi female ... thank goodness for this forum and its lovely members!!
But I've handed in my visa application at long last!!! now comes the 'patience test'!!!

Hope you've heard some good news?? or at least some re-assuring news??
& toes!!! for you
B x

sarahandstew

Well Stewart saw a British guy who was extremely helpful
- we've been told he should have no problem pushing us through a one year work permit and that it'll take about a week..... so we're back on!!!

Stewart is going back to NZ House today wit all the paperwork as needed a form completed by new employer...
... though there is obviously no guarantee that Stewart will see the same 'helpful' guy...
... so luck of the draw and just hope we don't get your 'uncommunicative' kiwi female !?!?!?

:f ingerscrossed:

MnB

Hi Sarah .... great!!! hope it all works out & temp permit on its way to you soon glad Stew saw someone helpful! tho as others have said if I was a kiwi assigned to London office i'd probably be a misery guts too! ( Did see same kiwi girl again while we were having lunch and she did smile & say hi ....so guess it was just 'office blues'!!)

B x

willand tina_h

fab news for you sarah, so pleased. Hopa all went well for oh today.

Tina. x

Psychopandy

Hi Tina

Noticed your signature has been amended slightly - guess that means more porridge then eh??
At least the other 2 are through ok. How far off the BMI of 35 are you? is it likely to take long?

willand tina_h

1 stone 7 pounds, so still quite a bit eh? Yep, glad others are all ok, the funny thing is, the health queries i thought they may have questioned they have not!! So thats a good thing also, its just this bl**y bmi

Tina. x