[susan oddie]

by this time next week I will have 2 daughters, my only son and 7 grandchildren gone to NZ, the girls are married to nz guys and my son has permanent residency. I have another daughter going soon. I need to be with my family as just thinking about it makes me burst into tears. I am 54 and had planned to go to join my family in 2009 when I finish my current job. There seem to be so many obsticles in my way, mainly to do with my age. Applying through the family channels seems to be the luck of the draw even though I can get sponsorship. I want to work or even start my own business but I don't have pots of cash. Should I take my chances and GO anyway? Should I go through the full process fo residency? What if I get turned down? Can anyone offer any advice I don't know what to do!
Sue

[lockstock]

Sue, go for it. You only live once - hopefully your family will have put you down on thier forms as 'family' so you won't have to justify that on you application. At 54 you are still eligible age-wise. It's after 55 that there's difficulties I think. Obstacles are there to be overcome - they're not barriers unless you concrete them into the ground. Give yourself something to look forward to and start the process asap.:exit

[holland]

Hello Susan,

Unfortunately I can't give you any specific advice about visas etc and best routes to go down, what I can say though is that 'where there is a will there is a way', people may think I am being a little optimistic, but if you want something bad enough...there will always be a way...it will probably take lots of twists and turns, lots of questions, lots of research and lots of hard work...but you will get there in the end!

Best of luck

J x

[speckythecky]

Welcome to the forum Susan.
It must be hard for you to have so many of you family so far away, I was not aware of an age limit on family partnership visas, and I would think that this is the right way for you to go about moving.
good luck

[johnrt]

Welcome to the forum Susan. The 'parent question' is something I've been looking into.

There was a very good thread on this I found a little while back. Your children should be able to sponsor you to live in New Zealand because it sounds like your 'balance of family' is now in New Zealand. Your age is not an issue. Health is the only issue.

Here are some of the highlights.

In each case the parent(s) must be sponsored by an adult child who:

1. is in New Zealand, and:
2. is a New Zealand or Australian citizen or the holder of a current residence permit that is not subject to requirements under s18A of the Immigration Act 1987, and
3. has been a New Zealand or Australian citizen and/or the holder of a residence permit or a returning resident's visa for at least three years immediately preceding the date the application under Parent policy is made*, and
4. in each of the three 12 month portions within that three year period, has spent a total of 184 days or more in New Zealand.

Read more http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8913

[kanatakiwi]

I;m not an expert on this topic either, but I think that NZI assesses your application on the basis of where the majority of your immediate family lives. if more of the sons and daughters live in NZ than in UK you will have a very good chance. And I have heard of parents of immigrants being allowed to immigrate also. I know someone from South Africa did that . Also its not the same situation but I know someone who applied under the partnership category (husband a kiwi) after the 56 year cutoff and was aaccepted.
so do the research as to the best way to go, get your family in NZ to do the research too, they can talk directly to immigration here, and if they have been there 3 years, they can sponsor you I believe.

[Jo Jo]

I just wanted to second (third?) what speckythecky and johnrt said - there isn't an upper age limit on the family category, so your age is not an issue. There's a good flowchart (I love flowcharts!) here that shows how likely your application is to be successful under this category: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/live/parent/canimovetonz/quickcheck/

[Ana&Steve]

My advice is more of the same, do some job hunting from overseas before you turn 55, and try to get accepted on your own; if that is impractical, I think the sponsorship route will offer fewer difficulties with ALL of your children being in NZ. Good luck with everything, and I hope you can find a way to start your future NZ business!
Ana

[katandbob]

:D Welcome, It can be scary when you are looking at all the intricacy's of Emigrating, and if your oun your own it will be doubly scarey - but there are a lot of freindly members here so you won't be alone, and I personally do not think you will have a problem - as most of your family are here already, then you hav a good reason for coming over to begin with - just because your job is not on the shortage list either - doesn't mean that you won't find a job in your field which the employer can not fill in NZ

I know of a girl who works at my sons Polytec who's mum who came out on a holiday visa, then got a job, and a 2 yr work visa, which at last time I spoke to her, she was looking to get extended until her daughter & son-in-law had been here 3 yrs and then can sponser her, which is another thing that happened to this lady - her employer wrote to NZIS to say that then desparately needed this ladys skills as they would not be able to replace her when her 2 yr work visa ran out.

I think the simplest route would be to gather the paper work needed - ie Police record (which lasts 6mths I think- its along time since I requested ours) then all your other documents that you'll need from the UK, then you could start the process in NZ when you're with your family??? I think the best person who could help is your son who has just been through the process?

but to one granny to another - good luck :nice1 and remember to tell your kids to check they can get Broadband in their house - then you can at least see them through webcams till you get over here yourself

(which is how I see my Grandson in the UK - when hes still for 5 seconds!)

Kat:)

[Mickstim]

Hi Susan

If the balance of your immediate family (kids) is greater in NZ than elsewhere you will have no problem getting in on a family sponsorship (parent category). We have applied and received visas all within 11 weeks as we have 2 sons in NZ and one in the UK. It was a very simple application (compared with people applying through the points system) and really depended on a sponsorship form form our qualifying son (he has been in NZ for 6 years) and passing medicals. As long as you have the sponsorship you do not have to have a job offer or any other means of support as your daugher guarantees to support you for 2 years. Age is immaterial (we are 64 and 58).

Please do PM me if you want more information - we are only waiting to sell the house and we will be on our way!

Barb

[susan oddie]

thanks everyone for your encouragement. This has really cheered me up. My son is going to go to the nz immigration when he arrives so I will keep my fingers crossed.

[wiki]

My son is going to go to the nz immigration when he arrives so I will keep my fingers crossed.

Your son can't sponsor you until he's been in NZ for three years - you'd be better getting one of the girls to sponsor you if they've been there for longer.