[denisesykes]

We have today been notified that NZIS want further information on our medicals before they make a decision on our residency application GRRRR!!!!:(
I can't believe the things they want further information about!!!
They want to know about my OH 's rhinoplasty op 8 years ago and my removal of an ovarain cyst, 17 years ago! I thought that they were only concerned about stuff that would prove a drain on the NZ medical system!:confused:
Additionally , and more understandably they want me to have another chest xray cos the 1 st one was slightly abnormal and they want to ensure that there has been no new developments, they also want my OH to do another urine sample cos the 1 st time around he produced 2 abnormal samples and only 1 normal one .Also (!!!):wah they want a specialist report on a slight mark on my daughter's xray which both the radioographer and GP said was probably just scar tissue!
We are a fit healthy family and it seems beyond belief that we would be refused residency on medical grounds when you hear about people with much more serious problems being able to stay!

Anyway the reason I am posting apart from having a moan is this
Does anyone know if we have to fill out new forms for the urine test and chest xrays? And if so do we have to do more new photos? I have tried to contact our case officer but she does not seem to want to return any calls or emails!

And one more thing has anyone been in the situation where further info was required but you were not able to provide it? NZIS say that if we can not provide the info by 18th August they will make a decision based on what they have there at the mo, which I can only gather would then be a refusal!!!:wah

I am so upset by all this , I couldn't contemplate going home, both of us have good jobs that we love , I have just been promoted, the kids love it here, have lots of interests and friends, and it has felt like home from day one ! I just don't believe it is so hard to stay here permanently!!!
Any thoughts or information would be gratefully recieved!

Denise

[willsken]

Denise I'm so sorry to hear of the problems you're having. They can be real b's when they get their teeth into something. I'm sure it will all work out for you in the end. Hang in there and keep thinking positive!:nice1

[stu70]

I wish you a speedy PR. I hope all your dreams come true and the issues with the medicals go away. Hang in there. Regards

[Farfields]

Hi,
Keep your hopes up. My GF also had a raised blood test, and ended up having some surgery due to a real condition being noted. So we saw this as positive of addressing something that could have got worse in years to come. Stunningly though, on the day that she was in surgery I had an email saying that our application for PR had been approved anyway. ie. they seemed to forget that they had asked for all these extra medicals and issued PR anyway. I didn't bother querying them over this, as we were glad to get in.

To help you out though, you might get more sense from the doctor you are using. I presume he/she is on a panel that is used to doing immigration medicals. If I was in your position I would just get the tests done and have doctors opinion and make sure that your names etc are on the notes that you provide to Immigration. Also, our case office was fine with scanning results and emailing them - saved hugely on the lengthy post delays to NZ.

Also, if you are refused on medical grounds there is an appeals process. There is a link somewhere on the website, but I can't find it at present. From memory, I think that if the potential cost of any treatment that could be necessary is less than some figure you may still be allowed in. Sorry I can't be more precise, but I hope you can find the right webpage.

best of luck.

[CjChris]

Ok, first, you have a right to vent...and glad you vented here!! We aim to help!! :D

Second, calm down!! It's all gonna be OK!!!! Really! :nice1

Third, there are many of us on here who had to have extra tests done and had to provide more info. I think it is required/standard procedure. Your case officer is only doing what his/her boss expects to be done based on your medical reports. They aren't picking on you personally; they are just doing what they do, day in and day out. :yes

Last, No, you do not need new forms or new photos, etc. I just recently had new tests for my OH and youngest daughter, and specialist report for my oldest daughter. My doctor grumbled at the request, saying it wasn't necessary and nothing was wrong with any of us, but he did what I told him NZIS wanted.

I merely sent the doctors' letters as requested with copies of the new lab work. I made sure NZIS got this before our deadline (which they also said meant the same as you got--it's either here or it isn't--we'll evaluate as is!!) You have to work fast to make sure they get it by the deadline! My application was evaluated on the very day they said!!!!!!! They are not bluffing.

So, just get the tests done ASAP. Get each doctor to write a letter acknowledging previous test results (or surgeries) compared to new test results or current conditions, then give his/her prognosis about what this means.

Everything will be OK. You will not have to go home. Like you said, the docs thought before it was "just scar tissue", etc, so they will likely say the same thing on these next reports.

My doctor wrote really lame letters, actually, and I thought for sure that NZIS would reject the whole lot of tests and letters, but hey, we got PR and life goes on.

Get your groove on and get started on this. It's just another hoop to jump, that's all!

I'm glad you are loving your life in NZ! :clap

Christine

[CjChris]

Something else I thought of: follow the instructions carefully in the letter NZIS sent you to a T; if they want letters from GP, get that. If they want GP to analyze what specialist said, get that! If they want you to pat your head and walk backwards at the same time, do that but add giggling! :D

They are Ok if you send them more than requested (although it's not necessary!) but don't send them less!

:raebanana

[IanW99]

Hi Denise,

I have tried to contact our case officer but she does not seem to want to return any calls or emails!

I'm assuming that you are submitting your application in NZ?

We could never get in touch with our case officer either, but if we weren't sure of anything we would just phone NZIS, there was always someone there who could look up your details and answer the questions and it's free :nice1 .

Sure it will all be good as gold.

Ian

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Denise,
I take it that you came over on a work visa and are now applying for PR?
Please do not worry about the medicals too much.This is standard practice and everyone with past medical history is scrutinised. I had extensive checks as I am Diabetic and have Osteoporosis and ai was eventually passed but it is only normal practice and really is nothing to worry about.You know that you do not have some major illness or they would not have let you in in the first place. I feel for you as it is a worry that you could do without but it is just normal practice.You will be all right.

Kindest regards

Dave and Caroline

[Silverwing86]

Hi Denise,

I can soooo imagine how you're feeling, deja-vu for us although we weren't here yet at the time. Since you are already here, it must make it so much worse, I do sympathise with you !

I agree with what CjChris has said. Although it's easier said than done, try not to stress too much about it and just provide them with what they're asking for.

We went through 3 (!) of these rounds of extra information before they finally realised that, despite a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia (an arthritic condition that causes widespread pain) in 2004, I am not unduly incapacitated and lead a relatively normal life.

What they're doing is just covering their backs. If there is any deviance in the medicals as opposed to the set standards, the case is referred to a Medical Assessor. This is someone who has to decide, based on the information you provided, whether or not you will be a burden to the NZ health and/or educational system. Farfields is spot on, there is an amount, last time I looked it was $ 25.000, I think over a period of 4 years but am not 100% sure about that.

This Medical Assessor then has to report his/her findings back to the Case/Visa Officer and he/she has to make the ultimate decision. This is where things went haywire in our case as the MA's findings were so ambiguous that the VO just couldn't make the decision based on that ! It went like this:

"The Immigration New Zealand Medical Assessor has recently stated you may be "chronically ill and dependant on the state with constant social and medical assistance required but not possible to be sure".

Ooowwwwkkkkaayyy... this doesn't say one way or another so it's not surprising that the VO couldn't make a decision based on that !

The only course of action she had was to request yet more information from us and forward it to the MA again. This happened three times before we finally got approved, but we did !

In my case I had an actual condition, but I think what's happening with you is what many have experienced since the changes to the medical policy in November 2005. They want to cover their backs so badly that they have healthy people with, for instance, slight deviations in their bloodwork (which we all have from time to time !), go back for more tests until they are satisfied. Most of the time in the second round of tests the deviations have disappeared and the problem is solved.

As Farfields mentioned, there is an appeals process (http://www.residencereviewboard.govt.nz/), but I highly doubt it will come to that. You're already here and have shown you can settle by having good jobs and even a promotion already (congratulations on that, by the way :clap) ! Although it's easier said than done, patience is the key word here.

Best of luck with it all, will keep fingers and toes crossed for you and your family !

Silver

[denisesykes]

Hi again to you all and thanks for all your helpful information.

The situation has come on somewhat since my last post! The only outstanding matter is my daughter's slight abnormality on her xray.The specialist is of the opinion that it is probably nothing (and in his letter to immigration said that it is of no concern as far as immigration is concerned!) , however he does say that a CT scan would give us further info.

Of course Immigration are now demanding a CT scan and to be totally truthful we do not have the money! So far the medicals have set us back over $ 1000 and a CT scan and follow up specialist stuff wil be a further $800!

What do we do ? I have not told my husband yet as he has said that if they ask us for one more thing he is going home. He has really had enough!

If we do not have the test done (and we cannot , at least until next year) will they refuse our application? Then can we appeal and ask for a medical waiver?

To put all this in context (in case you think that I am over reacting!) we first applied for work visas in Feb 2005, we finally got them in October after going through 2 sets of medicals in the UK,( they did not pick up on anything untoward with my daughter xray!)
We have now been trying to get residency since Jan , Immigration have lost our xrays in that time , so we had to get then redone! They also demanded extra blood urine samples etc etc , all of which were negative .

We have spent an absolute fortune so far and cannot afford to keep throwing money around particulary in view of the fact that we live from one pay day to the next and it is s real struggle to get by some months!

Sorry to be so miserable! I feel absolutely gutted.I love it here , as do the kids (my hubbie is not quite so enamoured!) but at what point do you draw the line and say enough is enough?

I am just going to lay into the Chardonnay, and any postive advice would be gratefully received!

Thanks

Denise

[willsken]

Hi Denise

Who is asking for all this stuff to be done? Is it just your case officer? If so can you not speak with someone higher. If the letter from the doctor said alls well then I think I would be questioning them regarding asking you to get a CT scan done. It sounds as if they are putting you through the ringer. I really feel for you. :no

When do you throw in the towel? Well that has to depend on how much you want to stay. If you really love it here then hang in there and don't give up! Can't you explain things to immigration re not being able to afford things at the moment and throw yourself on their mercy?

Sorry I'm not really much help but my thoughts are with you and I really wish all the luck in the world for getting this situation sorted. :yes

[Smiler]

Denise

My head's just a jumble of thoughts as I've only just read your posts and I'm sorry to hear of the situation you're in.

When do you stop? When you've exhausted every avenue. I understand about the money, but would you not think 'what if' for ever, if you really didn't scrape the barrel and somehow find the $800.

To be devil's advocate, how much would moving back cost if you gave up now? :no


Nic has a valid point, do ask to see someone higher and set out the facts to them. Not just about the lack of money and insistance on further medicals, but how you are all so settled and doing so well.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. :yes

[newkiwis2]

Hi Denise

Don't panic.

I am married to a Kiwi so I applied under the family catergory. Now you would of thought that that was all going to be simple. WRONG....

I have Mutiple Sclerosis amongst other things that would fill the page and you would not beleive the amount of times Immigration said that if they did not have this or that by this date they would go on what they had. So, supplied them with all that then they wanted something else, supplied them with that, then my medical showed my MCV was low so I had to be retested which came out higher which they ignored !!!!!!
Then once again the MS came an issue and they wanted more and again gave me a date or they would go on what they had.

I had already proved that I came under the $25k medical bills which is what they are worried about but that did not stop them. It went on for ever, I felt I was going mad with it all. 3 times I had to prove that part. I am sure they do things like this to scare and make the less serious people give up. (my opinion only)

Then, out of the blue, with no asking or anything I was granted a Medical Waiver which means they then could not take my medical history into account on the application form. The agency I was using in London was as stunned as I was. Still don't know why.


Wonder if I hold the record for longest application. March 2006 until May 2007........14months and yes it cost a fortune.

All I am saying is, don't give up as they do some very strange things..

Wish you all the best and let us know how you get on.