[ers99w]

My case officer just emailed me saying they were missing two documents that I KNOW were included my application (I made copies of everything, in the order I placed them in! very anal about this kind of stuff).

I'm supposed to supply replacements in one month, however, one of them is the police certificate and takes WAY more than a month to process and have sent to NZ. On top of that, I'm in the States on vacation for a month and can't easily do anything until I get back to Auckland. two questions:

a) could they have LOST my items?

b) is it possible that they just do not know what an FBI 'police certificate' looks like? The FBI just stamps the back of the fingerprint card with a 'no record' stamp and that is it.

I've emailed her back to ask if the fingerprint card is in folder. I'm just sick at the thought of going through another 2 months' wait to get fingerprinted (no one offers fingerprinting in a 2 hour radius of my parent's house here in the US...already checked!) and then send it to the FBI and wait to get it back...for the THIRD TIME in 6 months...

[ers99w]

one more question, slightly related: the other 'missing' item is a transcript. Immigration requires a 'certified copy' but again, in the US asking for a certified copy is like asking for a two headed pig--it's like it doesn't exist. They just keep trying to notarize your signature. Over and Over Again. My question is, can I just send the original transcript? or does it HAVE to be a certified copy??

thanks...

[nate]

My "certified copy" was just a faxed page saying I had earned a degree at my university on a particular date. It was about the most unofficial thing I think I've ever seen. I never heard a peep from NZIS about it, just flew through. I went through on the Talent (Accredited Employer) scheme, though.

If you made copies of the FBI background check, you should have some recourse with NZIS. Have you told your case officer that you have a copy of everything you sent, in order? My case officer was fairly accommodating. Have you spoken directly with your case officer?

[ers99w]

thanks for the reply!!

I emailed my case officer with the above (leaving out the "YOU LOST MY DOCUMENTS!" accusation, of course), but she sent her email at 3:46 pm Friday NZ time, and of course they close at 4 pm. So now I get to wait until Monday before she even reads my email. It could ruin my vacation if I can't make progress on this while I'm away from NZ!

I was just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience? I. e., is there any hope that she just thought that my fingerprint card was different than my police certificate?

I'll send my original transcript in the mail tomorrow, so that's one thing down, but I'm still stressed about the bane of my existence--the FBI certificate.

[K&J]

Sorry to hear this - Christchurch Immigration lost all of our documents, other than the forms we had to fill in, including original birth certificates etc. They returned our application forms saying we were missing all the critical evidence we were meant to send.

After getting frustrated with the Immigration Helpline person, they eventually put me through to the the Christchurch office, and the person I spoke to there found them in a cupboard within 10 minutes of me calling. Then I had to courier all the forms back to them - it wasn't cheap the first time! It was a very frustrating day.

[nate]

4pm? The Wellington office closes at 3. Must be nice...

I seriously doubt that Immigration thought your fingerprint card wasn't the police certificate. Unless (a) your case officer has never processed an applicant before, and (b) your case officer was very poorly trained, and (c) your case officer has no common sense, I can't imagine that your case officer would see a fingerprint card and not think it was a police certificate.

[BkyMonster]

one more question, slightly related: the other 'missing' item is a transcript. Immigration requires a 'certified copy' but again, in the US asking for a certified copy is like asking for a two headed pig--it's like it doesn't exist. They just keep trying to notarize your signature. Over and Over Again. My question is, can I just send the original transcript? or does it HAVE to be a certified copy??

thanks...
I know that feeling about certified copies...
Anyhow, you should be able to send originals.

[sekilau]

NZIS lost my police certification too. NZIS Bangkok gave me an letter for applying police certification. They acknowledged me that they have received the certification but, the case officer, who is located in NZIS Beijing, said they have never seen my certification.
Lucky, the police office can send them reprint copy. after 4 weeks of delay, NZIS Beijing receives all document.

I will say, it is possible for nzis to lose applicant document.

merry christmas.

[ers99w]

Thanks all. The police certificate WAS in my application, but somehow my case officer missed it the first twenty times she went through my app. She eventually found it, after I insisted that I had sent it a few times and asking if she wanted me to show her the copies I made to prove it. :)

Wow. Talk about a heart attack. I'm fortunate in my job that a slipup like that doesn't cause much harm to anyone else but me.

I ended up sending my original transcript in again, so we'll see what she has to say about that!