Am Loolah

Thank you, that's very useful to know and something we will certainly do - had no knowledge of that! You truly are great wise one!!

Phoned re: Saturday's letter first thing and they found hubby's passport in the safe!! Phew!! To top that off even got an email a couple of hours later apologising for causing any panic and that they did indeed have it "safe" in the safe!! Have restored my faith in them, that was a little rocky over the weekend!! These things always happen when the office is closed?!

No timescale indication yet, but will let you know if I do indeed get one. Thus far, they've got everything and are proceeding with the application - so I'm optimistic!

JAJ

It might also be worthwhile for your Kiwi to apply for British citizenship (by naturalisation) before leaving the UK, if he's not British already.

It will make things a lot easier to return to the UK later on (or spend extended vacations), even 20-30 years down the line. For example, if children when older decide to live in Britain and he wants to join them.

Am Loolah

He has Right of Abode stamp in NZ passport and assumes can renew that even when we live in NZ? He first got that when he lived in NZ? One English parent one Kiwi? May have changed?

Struggles when he's left the UK and gone travelling in Europe - confuses them!!

JAJ

Right of Abode stamp gives no special rights in other European countries. Unlike a British passport.

Was his mother or father English? And what year was he born?

CPW

Yes, he can have a right of abode certificate put in any new NZ passport if he's living outside the UK. But as noted above, British citizenship would bring other advantages if he wants to live in other European countries (and also, to a minor extent, if he wants to travel there). Also, depending on the basis on which he's entitled to the right of abode in the UK, he might be a British citizen already, or be able to register as one rather than naturalising.

Am Loolah

Well, it all seems to be ticking along - got another phonecall yesterday asking who was dealing with my residency from the person dealing with the kids passports and citizenship so she could get hold of the marriage certificate etc. She has quoted 6 weeks for all, kids passports, citizenship by descent and my residency. Big question now is do we book the flights for mid-Januray or err on the side of caution like the grown-ups we alledgedly are?!

Apple12

If you want to think of it in a different kind of way, mid-Jan is a bad time to arrive in NZ as it is peak season - Christmas, midsummer and school holidays.
If you arrive in Feb instead then kids will be back at school (freeing up accommodation and bringing flight prices down), people will be back at work, (so if you need help then offices will be open), and on top of that you will have the best of the weather!

Or have a stopover somewhere exotic to use up a couple of weeks

Am Loolah

May have no choice but to delay again! Getting a bit fed up with this already!!

They've rung again today saying they can't accept the email correspondance from Passport Office in Wellington re: Saga of the Missing Deed Poll Certificate! Despite the NZ Passport Office having had to see said certificate for NumNuts to have the Kiwi passport in new name!!!

The fantabulous way round it is for Hubby to change his name by Deed Poll again to ... the name he changed his name to by Deed Poll 16 years ago?! Are you following this? Not sure I am!!

Wish I could indulge in copious amounts of alcohol - can I break my own rules and drink on a school nite?

Please advise!

Whinge over!! On the bright side I'm going to a Faery Fair this Sunday!!! No ... really!! Must polish wand, must polish wand, must pol .....

daviesl

Go on fairy girl - break your rules and drink on a school nite, you sound like you need it , may see you in the bar later, if not i'll have a sly one anyway for ya!

Am Loolah

You know how we post on here for sound advice? It will be your fault I'm tired and emotional in morning ... Cheers!!!

Am Loolah

Got confirmation letter today stating a Case Officer will be allocated my application within 8 weeks and the process will take between 2-4 months.

This is abit longer than I'd hoped so not sure now whether to book flights and keep plans for arriving mid-January or be cautious and wait for correct paperwork before going to the next step. Am very impatient by nature, but don't want to lose out financially on wasted flights etc!

Main problem being had to give term's notice at school for my two eldest, so they don't have places after Christmas ... Ooops!!

Any ideas folks?

karonious

This is abit longer than I'd hoped so not sure now whether to book flights and keep plans for arriving mid-January or be cautious and wait for correct paperwork before going to the next step. Am very impatient by nature, but don't want to lose out financially on wasted flights etc!

Good to hear you are getting organised but I personally wouldn't recommend booking flights yet. We put ourselves through an absolute nightmare by getting ahead of ourselves and giving everything up on the the assumption that everything would work out in time. As it happened, it did take slightly longer than we hoped it would, so if we had booked the flights, we would have been scuppered! You can put a deposit (£200 or so) down on flights with the Flight Centre in London (recommended by several people on here) which can be moved to different flights if your first choice falls through.

Am Loolah

I'll look into that, thanks.

With the fact hubby's a Kiwi (am getting sick of that - he's so bigging it up!)and we are planning on buying return tickets valid for 12 months, presumably we'd be able to stick with original plan even if paperwork is delayed and then get it when we're over there? Can be there for 6 months before there's a problem with staying, surely it wouldn't take that long on top of the 3 months in hand?! Then again ...

daviesl

Good morning Fairy Girl how's the head and the emotion coping....
Good news our end, postman safely delivered a package this morning containing our passports WITH blue stickers included. Yippee. Yours shouldn't be long now. I can hand my notice in now - fanstatic.

helinuk

Congratulations well done!!!
Helen