[unar]

Thanks for all your good wishes. We spend the morning at NZIS doing the notary stuff and then submitted my application. And goofed off all afternoon going to pubs and eating yummy food. We also stocked up on NZ snacks at the shop. Didn't know there is a chocolate covered CookieTime cookie! :)

The notary lady was very nice, and everything was very straight forward. The wait at the immigration office was not very long and the lady who did our application was very efficient and to the point. I guess it's their job to be serious. She didn't say how long the visa will take, but we didn't ask either...we were both sooo nervous.

It was a good idea to let them check the application, because there were a few things I needed to get and now I can get them instead of waiting for the case officer. For people whose citizenship is different from the country you were born in or has changed their citizenship you might need a Statutory Declaration (?) to say that you are no longer a citizen of that country. This declaration has to be done in front of a notary. I think I will draft the document and go back to the NZ house notary service. For those who needed extra medical information, make sure that you bring your original letters. The photocopy made by the immigration doctor wasn't good enough. Other wise my application was OK. Anyway the important thing is we got an application number.

Will keep you guys posted on our progress.

Thanks
-Una

[JandM]

Thanks. Good luck with it all, and hope you are processed soon.:)

[nifta]

as an additional point, if you're getting documents notarised then remember they only take cash or cheque (with guarantee card). the couple in front of us didn't realise this and had a few minutes of panic as they tried to find a cheque book (luckily it turned out they had one).

oh, and keep your visitors pass on you if you have to go to the bathroom.. i didn't and found myself locked out in the stairwell.. :) thankfully una got my text message on time.. potentially embarassing situation averted :)

[unar]

Just submitted my final pieces of paper work. For the statutory declaration I just typed up one myself based on the NZ sponsorship form (kind of).. .something like "I blablah living at blah blah occupation blah do solemnly swear blah blah etc...(If people want a more detailed version see this website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/12/11153123/6). I think it's OK, the office took it any way... will see.

Now I have to sit and wait.
-Una

PS. The rest room on the notary floor is no longer available to the public.