[SoCal Gal]

I have really been missing this forum, but I have been off it for over a month due to the holidays, and also, due to sadness about not hearing a thing from the NZIS, after being selected on Sept 1. My contact in L.A. is supposed to be checking with London, and as I see some very lucky Brits have heard from the good folks (congratulations!!!) maybe they will be getting to the stack of USA folks soon. Anyone heard anything lately? Melissa? Any more California people out there? Or any other Sept. 1 people to update me?
Happy New Year, everyone!
:cool

[heimatseeker]

And Happy New Year to you too! :cheers

My boyfriend and I (from SF) arrived here in Wellington in mid-November, and we got our 12-month work permits on Dec 24 (chrissie pressie indeed) :mrgreen: We'll start working at the end of the month and will file for PR shortly (had decided to go the route of finding jobs/getting work permit first and then going for residency as a second step, so we didn't actually file anything from the US).

:oops: Edit: Oops, I accidentally submitted this before I was done...

Also wanted to mention that the woman we talked to at NZIS told us that they have been seeing more interest from Americans - you guessed it - since November. At least here in Wellington they seemed pretty busy, which may explain the longer wait times. Good luck to you!

[deebat]

Welcome back, SoCal Gal!

Not much to report from me these days, at least in regards to NZ emigration. We just got married (which is plenty of news for us!), and now we have a host of family (elderly parents) decisions to make before we can even consider submitting our EOI. On the bright side, this gives us plenty of time to round up birth certificates, college transcripts, etc.

I suspect I'll be lurking around ENZ for many moons before I can post anything of substance. :roll:

-Dan

[sweetpea]

Hi SoCal Gal,

Well, I'm relatively new here, but I have news. I was officially offered a place at Massey Vet School and requested and received deferral paperwork, which I'll turn in with the first semester tuition. Here's hoping -- probably in vain -- for a stronger US dollar between now and October (the tuition due date).

So I'll be in Palmy on a student visa starting next January. I'm so jealous Melissa must be almost on her way there!

Laura

[SoCal Gal]

Thanks, everyone! And congrats, Deebat, you old married guy!! That's fantastic! I really wish we were younger right now, seems like it would be so much easier.....but we dare not leave with out all ducks in a row, doesn't that sound old-fogey? We are going to rent out our house outside of Wellington as soon as we get a few things done to it. Hate to whine, but I always make it clear to the NZIS people that we submitted our stuff back in Feb. 2004, we had a bad feeling about Mr. Bush then I guess! LOL! Seriously, if I had anything to add to the folks piling on to get down there, I'd just say, you really need to take a vacation in NZ, and a lengthy one at that, first. I think for most Americans it would be such a huge change, you really need to know what you are getting into when you start this very long process of waiting, and more waiting. Can you tell how badly I want it??? Thanks again! :cool

[RoadRunner]

Hi SoCal Gal,
My husband and I currently live in Tucson, AZ. We just started this process after years of trying to figure out where we wanted to live overseas. Our EOI was selected on 8 December 2004.

Did you notice that the London branch of NZIS has a news item posted that they hope to verify all EOIs selected up to 8 December by mid-February. I believe they are prioritizing by date selected so hopefully that means you'll hear something soon.

The NZ Marketing director also told me about the increase in US interest - he said the applications from Americans had more than tripled since November!

You mentioned that NZ is "such a huge change." Anything in particular really stand out as being different?

Have you been searching for jobs or waiting for PR? We've just started the job search since being selected from the EOI Pool but it seems that most companies/recruiting firms don't want to talk to you before you are physically in NZ... What's your experience?

Hope you hear back from NZIS soon. :hopeso

[SoCal Gal]

Hi Roadrunner! Thanks so much for the tip about the London office! If we do get a packet by mid-Feb, then it will have taken exactly one year from the time I sent in the electronic EOI. OK. I think the thing that really stood out to me most of all about being American in NZ is....we are loud. Yikes, I'm so embarrassed :-( My husband lived there for the month of August getting work done on our house. Things take longer. Now, we are one hour outside of Wellington, so this is probably different for different parts. He nearly freaked out over trying to get stuff for repairs for the house. Some things that you wouldn't think are expensive turn out to be very. If you look at some of my earlier posts, you'll see, I don't want to bore people. But, a group of us girls on here used to go on about "Before we MOVE to NZ, we are going to Target, Bed,Bath&Beyond, HomeDepot, etc and cleaning them out!!" It was kind of funny, but true! Our neighbor in NZ sells Avon, and I have had a lot of fun looking at her brochure and comparing the prices with my local San Diego Avon lady's brochure. Some things were comparable, but if there is one business you want to get into in NZ, it is making/importing/selling, whatever - MASCARA!! Yes, mascara is very, very expensive there, even in the Avon catalog. Yet you can get a lipstick for a few dollars. I can't figure that one out! But I will echo many others when I say the people are awesome!! It's just a lot more different than any guide book will ever be able to tell you. :cool

[deebat]

SoCal Gal, whatever happened to your dog situation? Those of us with elderly Yorkies want to know!

-Dan

[Juniper]

what's with us californians and wellington? :P i must be interested in welly for the right reasons...still kinda nervous about that antartic wind tho...we really need to save up for a preview trip.

[dmc]

Like RoadRunner, our EOI was selected on 8 December 2004 as well. My wife and two sons live outside NYC and have always thought about the possibilities outside the "tri-state" region, including the possibility of living overseas. In June, I began to seriously look into the possibility and started to do a lot of reseach. I run a small business (Creative Director, Web and print development) so the idea of moving/closing a successful business is a BIG decision for my wife and I. She is in an occupation on the immediate skill shortage list so we're looking at the possibilities for her as well.

We are close to finalizing our travel plans to visit NZ mid March. We can only plan for a two week stay, which isn't very long, but hopefully a first step in answering a lot of questions that we have. Right now, we're thinking through the itinerary and will probably have questions for the ENZ community on destinations and travel options.

If I receive any information on my status, I'll post it for fellow members selected on 8 December 2004.

I look forward to being a part the community!

Dominic

EOI Selected: 8 December 2004
Total Points: 125
Modiified in December to 135

[cloudboy99]

As usual, I'm fashionably late to the party. I was selected 10 November and received a nice "Welcome" package with a copy of the "Living In" magazine as well as a thank you for submitting your EOI letter around the 24 December. The letter also stated that I should be processed by the end of January, here's hoping. I'm still trying to figure out whether I go the Moorf route and sell it all, or pay to have everything shipped (except car, no point). With any luck since Portland has a port or two, container shipping won't be too cost prohibitive (don't think you can bring a matress as a carry-on).

[SoCal Gal]

Hi Dan,
Quick note on the Yorkie situation....the dogs seemed to have stabilized for the time being, and I got a book over Christmas that said they can live to be 18!! Since I have a 15 year old and a 13 year old, in good health (today) that does make me more optomistic about their chances for making the flight. I do feel better.
:cool

[catjlin]

I just got off the phone with NZIS London and was told that those selected in September without a job offer are sitting in a queue and have not yet been processed. The officer I spoke with was not very helpful though and perhaps she just wanted to go home. I'll ring again tomorrow and see what they say then. Because, it seems as though others selected 1 September without job offers and low point scores have already received their ITA, but perhaps they were not Americans?
Cat

[SoCal Gal]

Thanks for giving them a call! I appreciate any updates, even if the news is not the best....will keep my fingers crossed for ALL of us!! :cool Thanks again for checking!

[feathers]

Hello there

Although not an American I am a Brit living in America so I'm not sure how that affects where my applcation gets processed!

Anyway my EOI was selected on September 15th and a few weeks after this much to my excitement it changed to Decision Successful. But alas this was all short-lived and it reverted back to selected in November. BUT on 30th December it finally went back to Decision Successful and judging by the experiences of others who were also selected in September it seems this status change is the proper one and I am hopeful that my ITA is on the way.

I don't have a job offer and just scrape in with 100 points, have you had your 'not that useful' packet from NZIS about finding a job? If so this is good news as I think it means you are getting to to the top of the pile.

Will let you know if I ever get my ITA
Good luck
Feathers

[cloudboy99]

Feathers, when did you get your packet. I'm not sure if that can be used as an indication, but I received mine about 45-days after my EOI was selected (130 pre 12/18, 140 post).

On a side note, maybe I can get this job listed on the www.jobs.govt.nz website: Advisor (http://www.jobs.govt.nz/jobs/viewjob.aspx?OpportunityID=18787) and really find out. No one has more experience with NZIS than us migrants.

[Gran]

Not so fast, they would probably post you back where you came from on NZ Govt salary !!!

[feathers]

Hi Cloudboy

Well I got my packet about 3 months after selection so middle of december I think it was!! It contained a list of websites that NZIS think are useful and a list of vacancies in NZ plus a big glossy brochure called working in!

You're right i guess this can't be taken as any indication that my ITA is imminent but at least it means that NZIS know who I am and haven't lost my address!! According to the other thread on those who were selected on September 15th it seems I am way behind the curve as they all seem to have got their ITA's!! So I will keep on patiently waiting ever hopeful that fedex will appear with my packet!

Happy new year
feathers

[feathers]

I got my ITA today!!! Well not technically the mailman tried to deliver it when I was out so I have to collect it from the Post Office tomorrow but I am as excited as if I had it here in my hands!!

[RoadRunner]

Congrats, feathers! :clap