Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

My visa was approved today, which means that I leave hubby in the UK to sell the house, and now need to book a flight for Mid April, going to Invercargill.

SCARED!

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Just be careful, you are probably looking at 5-6 weeks before you receive your Visa. Ours were approved 21st Jan but didn't enter processing queue for another 2 weeks (8th Feb). Current waiting time once in processing queue is 3-4 working weeks (I don't know if this means 3-4 weeks or 21-28 working days so 4-6 actual weeks). We have PR Visas :fingerscrossed:

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I can't wait for the PR visa this one is a temp visa. PR one to follow.

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Just make sure they aren't in the same processing queue, I think it's only the initial application which takes longer for PR, but I may be wrong. Might be worth e-mailing your IO just to be safe x

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Visa is in my hand! Through my door in the post 7 days after I walked into the London office to hand it to them. Pretty impressed!

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I am VERY jealous. Why do PR Visa's take so much longer? INZ got my application on 10th December and I still don't have ours :-(

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I couldn't wait for the PR visa, work starts in a month, so got the temp one meanwhile. :-)

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I don't know the logic. I went in and explained it was urgent, it was done in 6 days. I asked processing time normally, they said 25 days!

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

It was approved end Jan, joined processing queue 2 weeks later, then 3-4 working weeks from there so hopefully it should be arriving any day now :-)

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Waiting on passport returning with visa then I'm off.....Got april 15th penciled in...job in Christchurch as carpenter, I will be on my own for a couple of months before my lovely wife and daughter join me...very exciting:)

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I'm facing the same thing Steve, but in Invercargill. Hubby has to stay here and sell our house.

I have the passport, with the Temp visa (full one in the pipeline but job won't wait).

Currently having a nightmare with flights, most only allow 20kg, I cannot fit my life into 20kg!!!??!!

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

20 kg M+M....there is no way I can fit my stuff in that...it's looking more and more likely that I will have to buy lots of new stuff as my shipping will be months behind...do you have accommodation sorted yet? I will prob have to flat share until my wife gets there....I'm sure I will manage....all very exciting:)

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Rumour has it you can buy extra luggage from NZ air, I am going to look into it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I am trying to pack with extended vacation in mind. its hard work.

I am staying with a friend's parents initially, VERY VERY lucky. I had no idea this friend was from the town I was headed to till we asked her what it was like!

I want to avoid a long list of purchases when I arrive, my pot of gold is small, because I am going alone and because the house is not sold yet.

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I will have to look into extra luggage....my pot of gold is very very small and it looks like we will be renting our house in uk for at least a year....no intention of going back though..

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I admire you, I simply cannot afford to NOT sell the house to be honest, I wish we could keep it and rent it.

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

We can just about do it, bit of a gamble and to be honest we would rather sell but will never move house in short time unless taking big hit.....I'm sure everything will work out fine....have to hit the ground running in NZ but so looking forward to it :-)

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Not sure if things have changed since we came over, but some airlines, at their discretion, will increase your luggage allowance if you are emigrating. Obviously you would have to show them visas etc........as proof.

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

That has indeed changed. They do not do that any more :(

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Thanks robdon...I will look into that.

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

I have called them all, they don't do emigration luggage allowance any more

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Thanks M+M...saved me some phone calls

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Like I say, I called them all up. Singapore are cheapest but worst for luggage excess charges. BA are good for charges for extra luggage, price of flight dearer. My local travel agent called me to say that NZ air will allow (but charge for) one excess bag, I will call them tomorrow to check that out.

Re: April 2013 Arrivals and Departures
 

Thanks M+M, I will check a few out.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

If you havent booked try emirates, they upped our luggage last november from 20kg to 45kg. Think its some deal they have with ANZ, so just open an on line account with them, even if you dont use it, to claim your extra luggage allowance.

Good luck.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

open an online account with who>?

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

Such a shame that they no longer do the emigration allowance, we had double when we went and people at the airport were looking at us with our 8 massive bags and hand luggage with disbelief.
You can indeed buy extra with AirNz, it was on our e-ticket a couple of months ago, I think it was about $120 per kg.
I would suggest wearing lots of clothes including a coat and putting heavy items in the pockets, I kid you not! Plus remember that although the limit for hand luggage is 7kg, that does not include you laptop. Also consider using light bags as the weight of a wheeled bag can be several kg. I swear by my North Face duffel, weighs almost nothing, completely indestructible, you can fit a body inside and it has shoulder straps so you can carry it short distances like a rucksack. Best luggage investment. Ever.
We have found over the last few years AirNz have got quite anal about luggage allowance and always seem to see people re-packing at the checkout.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

It always used to be that AirNZ gave you double the luggage allowance when travelling via the USA but not via Asia. So you got 2x23kg plus your carry on. It was the only good thing about transiting through LA!

As long as the flights were booked together then any ongoing domestic flights had the same allowance.
I am not sure if this is still the case however, maybe contact them about it?

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

I spoke to a lady from air NZ today and they no longer do any kind of immigration allowance at all. She quoted me a price via LA, which was her cheapest one, but you still only get 23kg. You can pre book an extra 23kg bag for £75, or £175 if its outsized luggage.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

And she also said if you fly in the other direction you aren't flying air NZ all the way so they cannot guarantee the other airlines won't charge you their own luggage excess charges.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

:(That has changed then as it used to be the normal luggage allowance via USA, it was not a special immigration allowance.

Have you looked at Emirates? I have a feeling their normal allowance is higher than other airlines. Just had a look and it is 30kg for economy. May be an issue if you need ongoing domestic flights but they do fly into Christchurch and Auckland. Sorry can't remember where you're going!

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

http://www.anz.com/unitedkingdom/en/...nz-associates/

This is the link - if you sign up for an online account with ANZ bank the allowance if you book with Emirates and give them your account number is 50kg per person (and that includes the children).

It was 45kg when we came over in November, we had 19 bags between us and even that didnt come to 45kg each, but it allowed us to pack whatever we needed and not worry about the limit.

So yes there is still an immigration allowance for new migrants coming from abroad (this link applies to those coming from the UK, but they may do something for other countries)

Any problem with the link let me know.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

We booked with Emirates for this exact reason. Qantas do a migrant fare but only increase your luggage to 40kg. Emirates standard luggage allowance is 30kg but will increase this to 50kg if young open an online FREEDOM account with ANZ bank (see link on above post). You also get free hotel, transfers, food & visa if long stopover in Dubai (greater than 9 hours). We have 14 1/2 there so are very grateful for this.

Air NZ will let you take up to 3 or 4 extra bags (23kg each) for £75 per piece I think. It comes up if you try & do online booking, but you have to do the whole journey with Air NZ (so UK-LA-NZ, they stop the Hong Kong route this month).

Good luck :fingerscrossed:

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

I have looked at both, and the price difference for the ticket with Emirates v Air NZ is such that paying air NZ for extra luggage works out about the same i think.

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

That's good because Emirates came in about £900 cheaper for us. Air NZ were WAY more expensive
Rach xx

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

Woah!!

Must have taken you a week to fish them all off of the the carousel at the other end and make sure all were accounted for!! :eek:

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

Thought this with emirates was really good, then found they don't fly into wellington, we would then get hammered for excess luggage on the internal flight :(

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

Ah. Thanks for that. I am headed to Invercargill so I would have the same issue!

Re: Moved from April 2013 Arrivals ans Departures thread
 

Not as bad as it sounds, there were 4 of us (me and the three children), back pack each, carry on each, which left 11 bags, couple of suitcases each and 3 extra large holdalls.

Fitted on 2 trolleys, with a bit of manovering, lovely lady at Auckland (airport employee) who wheeled one of the trolleys for me - children had backpack and wheeley suitcase each, rest on the trolleys.

Yes you are right, did take a while to retrieve it all from the carousel, and then count it all to make sure it was all there. Luckily hubby was outside waiting. and we didnt loose a thing.

Brought a bag full of sheets, etc, another bag with some blow up mattresses and also crockery and cutlery as we were going into rental. to tide us over till the container came. Couple bits got broken but nothing major.

And still had room in the 45kg each if we could have managed it!!!