[ant-in-cornwall]

After some delay from having our EOI selected in September, our status changed to 'Decision succesful' yesterday and today our ITA arrived. I wonder why it's been so quick. Have we been lucky or has Zoe's nursing role propelled us up the rankings? Who cares! We're just lucky and happy!

A & Z :cheers

[Caven]

You hit the nail on the head!

Who cares? Its worked!

Congrats :nice1 :cheers

[cloudboy99]

My only guess is the NZIS staff had a wonderful holiday and were so happy to come back to work that they have been turning out ITAs left and right. This makes five or six on this board this week.

[jesselyn]

great news! :nice1

cheers,
jes

[MB]

Quick question, folks: does the ITA packet come with a letter from your own personal Case Officer (the person who will assess your completed application) at this stage? And if so, do you address your envelope of documents to that Officer? Or are you assigned a Case Officer after they get your returned application w/documents?

Cheers,
Matt.

[Moorf]

Hi Matt

Yes, the letter accompanying the ITA pack comes from your Case Officer at the branch where the ITA will be processed. They introduce themselves and you are given their name, email address and phone number. You contact them in all cases for the duration of your application.

The letter also contains the address info of where to send your completed application etc.

Hope that helps.

Moorf

[Tara Sage]

Moorf

How is your residency application coming on?

Has it all been sorted?

T x

[MB]

Thanks, Moorf. Infact, I'd like to take this opp. to say thanks so much to everyone here who has helped us so far. I have tried to thank some, as the help has come, either via PM or on the forum, but not everyone.

I'd say that, just to throw out some off-the-cuff percentages, in terms of the source of all the reliable (not to mention friendly) information we have collated so far about the whole SMC process and experience, something between 20-40% has come from this forum. And I mean that in the sense that much of the rest has come from combing the whole NZIS official* site and their communications to us personally. About 5-10% of the rest has come from sources such as immigration consultants' newsletters, other forums/newsgroups, Google results from NZ's Stuff site, etc. So that's a huge percentage of sound information/recorded experience that has come from this one forum.

*=you've probably explored the NZIS site, but if not try it. There is an awful lot there. Put in specific search words and click around the results. One example: the other day I found skill-by-skill Excel sheets of how many applications they'd had and approved (a massive file: I'm not clear yet as to whether it's just SMC apps. and/or other kinds of visa 'cos I haven't examined it thoroughly. But still).

So cheers: let's hope we can share a beer in NZ one day soon!
:cheers
Cheers yet again,
Matt.

[neilw71]

Matt,

Our ITA arrived last Tuesday and did not have a contact or case officer! I think because they are churniing out so many since New Year, a CO is being assigned once you get the application sent in and they get your dosh off the credit card :P

Just my experience.....but I've seen others last week in the same situation. I think it differs if you have a job offer in place and they are moving you through the system quickly.

I'm treating myself to a train ticket down from Yorkshire on Wednesday to hand in all the docs by hand - I'm off work now, so fancied a day out and just to see what goes on in NZ House :yes

Neil

[MB]

Cheers, Neil! All the best for your trip.
Matt.

[RoadRunner]

Moorf said Yes, the letter accompanying the ITA pack comes from your Case Officer at the branch where the ITA will be processed. They introduce themselves and you are given their name, email address and phone number. You contact them in all cases for the duration of your application.

Have others found that to be true? I just received my ITA and it simply came from "the London branch." There was no personal name, email, phone number of any individual.

In fact, I know I'll have a couple of questions and was wondering who to contact and how. There is a London-based phone number listed that I could call (for quite a bit of $$, I'm sure). There is also an email but the letter specifically says not to use it except as a last resort. :uhoh

[neilw71]

Roadrunner,

Use that general email address - I have asked a couple of questions and got replies OK

Neil

[cloudboy99]

Mine was just a general congrats letter as well. RoadRunner, don't forget that you can use the Marketing Directors for help. My local one (Terry Murphy) has been a great help and can help go over documents and pitfalls for when you submit your application. They, of course, can't answer questions directly related to your situation, but they can help with the process. It might also help to contact them, since I guess you don't have a job offer either, as they can give the NZIS interview. Much better receiving a call 1-2 time zones off instead of 7-8.

[RoadRunner]

Thanks CloudBoy and Neil.

[Marketing Directors] can give the NZIS interview
I had no idea they could do it! That's great! :yes
I've chatted with Don Badman in LA a couple of times and he's always been so nice and friendly.

When do you do the interview - after you've submitted everything and they are processing your application? Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate everything happening so quickly so we are stuck waiting on the FBI checks. Twiddle.

[cloudboy99]

RoadRunner,

Right there with you. I only sent my FBI check a week before my "Decision Successful" with a friendly note stating I was already in the process and to expedite if possible. The meds shouldn't be too hard as ANY US doctor can give the physical, labs, and radiology. I'm trying to time mine with my annual physical so I don't have to pay (as much). I just received my ITA yesterday so at least I have four months (from last week) to assemble everything.