Lizaberry

Hi. Can anyone recommend a specialist migration agent based here in the UK who has particular strengths in helping families with health and dependency issues. One of our children who is 19 and still living at home (& who also is not in work or education at the present time)has Asperger's Syndrome and one NZ based agent has on the face of it raised concern about the likelihood of us ever getting PR. He takes no medication and currently takes nothing from the UK health service/system. We new there would be challenged so please don't think we walked into this blindly - we surely haven't.

We have a potential offer of work for my OH working on the Christchurch rebuild and this could be a major blow to our plans. Any thoughts folks? Please constructive comments only, this is hard enough already x

Lizaberry

We are not looking to get into NZ through the back door but want a genuine person to support and represent us to give us the best prospect of success. Thx

MrsFychan

are you sure you are going to need an agent??

if he is still living with you and dependent on you and does not have major medical cost can't see that it would be a problem. I personally would put the application in and see if it does cause problems before paying out for a specialist when it may not be needed

that's my thoughts anyway "sorry have not looked back through your previous posts to see if you have already submitted application*

BEVS

Question 1 : Is your son ever likely to achieve independent living ?
Question 2 : If he did not have you both, could he care for himself financially & on a personal day to day basis?

That will probably be the crux of this. Not medical costs.

My opinion and it is only an opinion. Prepare. You need to compile specialist assessments, past -present & future - of his Asperger. Where he is on the spectrum & his ability to achieve independent living. Or if not this, then the cost of assisted independent living.

I realise he currently lives with you but this may not always be the case, if you know what I mean.

TBH . It doesn't matter where an Immy consultant is based. It is the ability to present as positive a case as possible against the current NZIS policies.

Lane Neave have a great track record but may come at a price.

ps
I have fond memories of working with Asperger lads, teaching them life skills.

Lizaberry

Thanks. No, no application has been submitted. A guaranteed 12th month period of work is on offer from the agency but they are now showing reluctance to commit to us in light of the situation with my son because we had planned to move as a family. Just need some good advice and a realistic evaluation of our chances, and how to progress this. We would not be looking at PR until we were sure it was a goer, so initially would be looking to go there on my OH's work permit that he would have to apply for. Nothing is easy and straightforward it would seem ... As a family we have much to offer so it would seem a harsh judgement to be made against us before the full facts were submitted to immigration. We thought about taking out chances, but worried that even securing my OH's work permit could prove tricky, for the same reason?

Lizaberry

Thanks Bevs. He is high functioning on the spectrum but has some developmental delays in respect to his overall maturity. Physically he has no impairments, but I guess at 19 you'd expect a little more, though having said that, I think boys take longer to mature than girls anyway and usually aren't so domesticated. I believe that he will live independently, just not now. We would certainly be prepared to support him as we do now for the meanwhile and hope that NZ would bring him so much more opportunity than our current location. His love of the outdoors and boating is top priority to him, and if poss, we'd try to get him back into education/training so as to fulfill his potential. He is not academically gifted and I believe much of this is down to his poor start to education and his lack of confidence in himself. He has however got great practical skills and up until End July 2012, he held down a job as an aprrentice Furniture Maker in a local factory near us. We'd like to look at NZ as a fresh start and new challenge for is all ..

Lizaberry

I particularly thought a uk agent would be better because of the time delay stuff - it's not like you can just pick up the phone in normal office hours :-/

harry79

Hi Lizza,
I did sent you Personal message. Please check your inbox.

j19fmm

We used an agency because we needed help and advice with our Business Visa. They were based in NZ and it wasn't a problem keeping in contact with them. Skype worked really well and emails are fast. Ony delays are when you have to send stuff out.