Water Lily

Hi all

Just wondering what the average waiting time was.... happy to hear from anybody but particularly interested to hear from people in similar situation to ours... for obvious reasons

Skilled migrant, no job offer, 115 points.

Submitted EOI 21/03, selected from pool 26/03

Also, for those of you booking medical appointments, is it true that it can take weeks to get one?? Wondering whether I should get one booked now, so we have a date when the ITA arrives, but nervous in case this takes longer than anticipated since the certificate is only valid for 3 months...

Maria

Persephone

You know that I've been waiting 4.5 months and still rising! Though time EOI to ITA seems to be variable and not based on any logical system

No job offer, 130 points and selected 5th Dec2007 :curse:
Going through a calm phase at the moment, hey it WILL all work out in time
Good luck with yours, it has to be quicker than mine!
Sue

Want2Move

I have a question for you, if you do not mind. I looked at the NZ immigration online test and it seemed to me that you have to be either working in NZ or have to have a job offer to be able to migrate to NZ. But I read in your post that no job offer and your location says London. Does that mean it is not necessary to have a job offer or you do not have to be working in NZ? Thanks.

Persephone

I am applying for permanent residency as a skilled migrant. If you are applying for a work visa then you need a job offer to be able to get a visa but a job offer is not necessary for the SMC as long as you have enough points.

I gained 130 points through a mixture of my age [not telling!], qualification, amount of work experience gained and the fact that I work and my work experience was gained in an area of long term skills shortage. You need over 100 points to get into the SMC pool. There is a draw every 2 weeks and certain categories are selected each time.
Sorry if you know all this already, if you want to know more then just ask!

So no, for this category you don't need a job offer or to be working in NZ. Having said that either of these would give you a lot more points and you'd also get your application a lot faster than me

Sue

Heal

Your situation is much the same as ours.
Here's our timescale
SMC 125 points with no job offer.
EOI selected 13 March 2007
Police checks May 2007
ITA received July 2007
Medicals 20 July 2007
ITA sent August 2007
Interview Feb 2008
Visa received March 2008
Flights booked 19 August to Nelson with a stopover in LA
Hope this helps and Good Luck

Heal

The medical centres vary greatly both in price and booking times we live in Leeds but decided to go to Carlisle because they were one of the cheapest,we drove up on a friday and had a very nice weekend in the Lake District.
We had to wait about 2 weeks to get an appointment.

George2008

If you are already in NZ in particular Christchurch my office have a special understanding with a doctor here. Normally, we can arrange a medical in a couple of days.

Simon

Water Lily

Hi Simon, no we're not in NZ yet, I wish!!! Thanks for the tip anyway, might come in handy for someone else....

Thanks Heal, so basically we're exactly a year behind you and this means I may have to spend another winter here?!?!

I see it took you 4 months to get your ITA, then another 6 to get your interview, argh!! I guess all this without a job offer?

Hubs says he'll start looking for jobs in July, then if he's lucky enough to get an offer we might be out of here by the end of the summer, I'm keeping all my fingers crossed! (please, please, please, please, please )

Oops, almost forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS on finally getting your visa, and going to Nelson too, lovely! I'm soooooooo jealous!! Best of luck with all the preparations!

Water Lily

Anybody else out there with some dates for us?? Please?

Anyone whose EOI was selected from the pool this year and who may have received their ITA (or not?).

It'd be good to get a feel for timescales.....

Thanks!

Water Lily

OK, so in reply to my own question and in case it helps someone else.... it took exactly 8 weeks for us, since as of today, our record says "DECISION SUCCESSFUL"

Persephone

I still hold the record at 5 and a half months, so there!

Water Lily

Well no need to rub it in!!!

Heal

Thanks
Well done and good luck.

teebrown

Sorry I don't mean to rub it in, but EOI submitted 1st May, selected 7th May, ITA received 17th May - 115 points with job offer under skilled migrant.

I too waited to book the medicals, thinking it was going to take ages, so I shopped around and we have decided to go to Surrey as it's £660 for a family of 4 everything included (kids aged 6 & 7), so we have booked them for June 5th, they asked us when we wanted them, I could have got them earlier but we are away. Only just sent away for police checks as well. We hope to get out ITA in post by end of June (hopeing).

All the best

Riverside

Any chance you could let me know the address and other contact details for the doc's you are going to? I'd like to ask about prices (fam of 4, kids 5&12).
Chuffed you have your ita already, we were also picked on the 7 May... with a job offer, but still haven't heard anything.
I am going to try phoning NZ tonight...
Nick