[mickandjean]

Hi,

This our first post. We live in Ireland and are being processed though NZIS London. We're looking to move to Wellington early next year.

We've received our ITA a couple of weeks ago and have most of the documentation they have asked for (references from all my employers for the last 10 years - in IT!!!). My estimate is that once the UK Police information is through (ETA Jan 22nd) we should get the ITA in by 25th Jan. at the latest.

We were applying without a job offer, but I now have a couple of job offers. Tthe employers expectations are that I will be able to start sometime in February / early March latest. Is this feasible with the ITA submitted end of Jan? Or should I look to get a working visa until the PR comes through?

So, if I go on a working visa and then the PR comes through how do I get the fabled blue stickers? Can I get them in NZ or would I have to come back to London?

Any info / help greatly appreciated.

[Lara Croft]

Hi Mick&Jean - welcome to the forum! Well done on the job offers!

We are in a similar situation. We have a submission deadline of 4th Jan to put in our PR application, and a few weeks ago I was offered a job - and now start work in January :)

I am still scrabbling around for the final bits of the paperwork mountain (our application) - like you I've worked in IT (contracting) for the past 10 years or so, and have tons of stuff to photocopy & assemble. I asked NZIS on the timescales for PR, and was advised 6 weeks to 3 months - this was only last week. Rather than taking the risk of applying for PR and not getting it in time (and possibly losing this job!) I have sent in applications for Work visas for myself and hubby, and a student visa for little'un. These should (fingers crossed) get turned around in 2 -3 weeks.

Now as soon as I have all my paperwork ready, I will send in my PR application (referencing my Visa app. for the passports / medicals / police certs). My understanding is that if we move to NZ before PR is granted, we just notify them of a change of address.

Have you had your medicals done yet? And remember the police certs usually take 40 (working) days to come through - you need both for a Work Visa (for more than 12 months).

We are off to Wellington too - seems like a popular destination at the moment :)

Jane

[Potato]

I am in a similar situation, so I applied for a Work Visa at London (by post). It took one month to get a Visa Officer assigned to the case. They said in a letter that they have a backlog or something at the moment.

[mickandjean]

Hi thanks for the speedy replies. Looks like I'll be needing a working visa then!!

I'll apply for one when I get the police check back and then send off the ITA forms for PR.

Hi Jane - how did you get around the job experience issues? Getting 10 years worth of references is impossible as some of the companies no longer exist (not my fault!!). I was intending to use tax records - but only go back until 2000.

Mick

[Lara Croft]

Hi Mick.
Luckily I had documentation (in some form) to substantiate most of my contracts, and I was able to get copies of contracts from the agents that I'd used.

One company no longer exists, but I managed to track down an ex-colleague, and he kindly wrote a letter confirming the dates I'd worked there and the work I'd done. For my earliest permie jobs, I asked the relative HR departments to write and confirm my employment dates and job title.

Do you have any company bank statements to show who paid you for those periods?

Regards,
Jane

[Bozeman]

Similar situation here. Unfortunately, I need to get four police certificates and my wife needs three AND I just discovered yesterday that the processing time for the US certificates is 12-16 weeks!

The local NZIS office has confirmed that I can apply for a temporary work visa to get me to my new job in Christchurch while waiting for our PR application to process. Great. Just scanned through the NZIS website though and discovered that my wife and kids (three and four) cannot be covered by the work visa. It states that they must "submit separate applications for the type of permit they require." My wife does not work and my kids are not yet in (real) school. So, where does that leave us?

Thanks much!

[Georgebulldog]

We are in similar posistion, we have flights booked for 7 Jan 08, handed in ITA on Monday this week BUT our CO has said we are Prioritised because of the job as OH is to start on 22 Jan & been told it will be processed before Xmas & not to apply for work visa.

Me, I'm stressed at the time we have & can't see it being done but ths is what they've told us so all we can do is go along with he experts, lets hope it all goes OK :eek:

[ourquest]

handed in ITA on Monday this week BUT our CO has said we are Prioritised because of the job as OH is to start on 22 Jan & been told it will be processed before Xmas & not to apply for work visa.


I presume the case officer had already been through all your documentation, because if anything is not adequately proven etc they obviously shouldn't be promising PR just yet? Very pleased for you that it does seem to be in process so quickly!