Izzy and Ian

I need to rant and here I might get some sympathy

I've just got off the phone with our CO and she tells me that our file has been sat on a colleagues desk for a month because he was off sick. No-body bothered to tell us even though they had promised a decision on our case before Christmas. :curse::curse::curse:

We are in the last stage of our ITA, just waiting for the final check. OH has a start date of 14th Jan and it's now looking dicey as to whether we can make it.

I could cry, scream and hide all at once. How can a process be so poorly designed that it relies on a single individual. I'm so frustrated!!

... oh, and the guy is now back at work but has a huge backlog. I can't even get an estimate of when we'll hear the decision on our application.

Sad Christmas in this house....

Animal Crackers

God you must be fuming!!:curse: Surely they will make it a priority if they know that your OH has a starting date!! Don't let it spoil Christmas-I know it's easy to say but just keep positive

crap coffee

sorry to hear that

just cr*p, eh?

hope you feel better tomorrow

banshigirl

You would think that given the nature of their job, other staff would cover?

Hope it all works out for you.

ned

We were hoping to fly out on the 2nd of Jan. Our CO has decided he wants MORE evidence that our two sons (19 & 20) are dependant on us. He wants a couple more bank statements. The thing is that he ones we sent him cover a few months because not much goes through them (because they are dependant on us!).
So it'll be another month till we get there and Wellington Hospital will be 2 nurses down for another month

littleal

I believe it. It was my last day at work today but I have no visa to fly out next week. The latest medical report has not been sent out to the medical assessor despite being received earlier in the week, and they are not even going to process any more medical reports before 7 Jan.

That's four flights down the drain, not covered by insurance. I'm going to grovel to the travel agents. Jobless, penniless but not quite homeless this Christmas

Maz

Awww crap you lot! Izzy & Ian, your employer will probably be amenable to a later start date once you explain the situation to them. You've not booked flights yet have you?

Alison, that stinks! You should be able to get the dates changed on the flights, if for a small fee even.

Best of luck to all! xxx

Wiz'n'Ton

Guys, that really bites the big one! Getting used to the glacial pace of immigration has been one of my biggest challenges. I call them every day, and every day I get the 'it is still at the same stage it was yesterday, you calling us makes no difference to it's progress' but what they mean is it is sat in a pile on someone's desk and may or may not be dealt with in the next 4 months.

Soooooooo crap! I am :curse: for you, and hope things make a move soon. Good luck!

Yotty

Sorry Izzy and Ian ... can't you just travel and use a visitors visa to enter NZ and let the Visa catch up with you?

Izzy and Ian

Thanks everyone for your solid support. None of our friends or rellies understands what it is like putting your life on hold for so long whilst you wait for an invisible process to work it's magic.

Yes Maz OH's employers will understand (no choice really) but his original start date was 17th Sept, so we wonder how much more patience they have.

Littleal, Wiz'n'Ton, Ned stick with it you guys!!! I'm sure all our patience will be rewarded eventually.

Take care all

littleal

Hi Izzy and Ian

We've managed to rearrange our flights (for a large fee, but smaller than paying for them again). This has moved the deadline and I hope Immigration will make it for the next one.

Hope they are back at work and processing your visa.

Alison

Maryanne_Tga

Not excusing the shabby treatmentfor one second. But its prob a good lesson for future applicants to learn thjat NZ is basically in shut down mode at this time of year. Much more so than the UK. If you are scheduling to start a job in mif jan.. I would write off the entire month before. And try and get everything sorted by mid december. Sorry if this sounds like giving 20/20 hindsight advice

BEVS

'Fraid it doesn't work quite as easily or cleancut as that Maryanna. Wish it did.

The above are all in the process of PR applications and are at varying stages. "The road is long, with many a winding turn". They are at the mercy of NZIS timelines which change from week to week, month to month really. As you read, one case officer being off sick means several hundred assorted applications being put 'on hold'. The thought that the applicant would somehow have the power to 'sort' their application timeline to meet a job offer start date is lovely & I wish it were so, but it is not realistic.
All the applicant can do, is supply the necessary info. as and when NZIS request it and pay over shed loads of $$$.

Littleal has the added worry of medical assessments. The latest report was not sent immediately and that has caused added delay to the several delays she has already experienced . Her application has been going on for many months.

Ned has been asked to re-submit information that he gave several months ago. No way he could have 2nd guessed this happening.

With Wiz n Ton, his application will hold to the timelines most likely, simply because there is no urgency for the NZ employer or for NZIS to prioritise the application. Wiz has a work permit in place.

It is true that much of NZ takes a 2/3 week holiday immediately after Christmas. For that reason it is best to avoid a job hunt reccy during that period.
It is also true that application processing will slow up as there will be less working days and staff will take summer leave. Having said that, a sick CO slows an application as does any request for further reports and information.

Added to this is the impending changes to the SMC category which comes into effect Feb 4th. NZIS will hopefully be ready this time to implement the changes, having rain-checked the November date.

My sympathies to all the above. All of us that have been through a PR application or even that of a work permit application know how frustrating, stressful and slow the whole thing can be.

Maryanne_Tga

Thanks Bev, I am the first to admit I dont know much about the process as I never had to go through it. I was just trying to point out the differences in holidays between NZ and the UK at this time of year. I wouldnt presume to give advice on the actual process.
The process does sound confusing and a mass of acronyms

11ThousandMilesFromHome

I know how you all feel as we had a fast approching deadline to gain PR before christmas...got there in the end JUST (had to travel to NZIS London a couple of days before christmas to get passports) had to put forward flights so as to give myself time to get everything sorted before we leave.

What really got me about our CO was that he never did anything when he said he was gonna do it:curse:we always had to chase him up

got there in the end though...wish you all the very best of luck and hope you all hear soon