[Mrs Pony]

As most of you know... we sent in the ITA and are confident that we will be approved. (still accepting prayers, good thoughts and vibes!) We bought the plane tickets which are round trip and were the same price as a one way... We fly out on March 25th and arrive in Welly March 27th! :clap:cheers

I told my parents we got the tickets, which I was deathly afraid to to, even thought they've known that we were planning on leaving. So both of our immediate family's know... It's starting to feel real...kind of... :uhoh

We have already packed most of the things that we will be taking with us. Everything else in the house will be sold. I've put an ad out to get renters in the condo. Most likely we will have to shell out some of our own $ to help make the house payments because we probably won't get the rent that we need for the place.

We sent our ITA to London and are waiting to get a CO. We were told that if we go to NZ while it's still processing we can send the ITA to NZ. So if we do that is that going to take longer? Are we going to have to start the ITA process all over (waiting for a CO and all) ?

New Zealand here we come!

[lindreth]

very exciting!! here's hoping a renter comes along quickly for you.

[BkyMonster]

You can have your ITA documents and such moved to NZ, but the Christchurch immigration told us that NZIS London is more efficient and faster than the ChCh branch at least.
We mainly communicate with our CO via email, and have had to send a lot of medical stuff to her for the MA.
It costs $30 to courier something from NZ to London in about 5 business days if you need to send more information to them.
So far if our application had been in NZ I'm not sure anything would have been faster. We would have saved ourselves some money sending stuff (here's hoping you don't have to send off a billion courier envelopes with one piece of paper in them!) and we'd still have to send off or drop off our passports...when that time comes (....someday, right?)
Just keep them appraised of your address and it should be fine. :)

Here's hoping that once you get there and get jobs sorted everything will go smoothly for you. :)

[lockstock]

Most likely we will have to shell out some of our own $ to help make the house payments because we probably won't get the rent that we need for the place.




Great news but don't worry about making a little loss on the condo - you should be able to claim back tax

[clairelouise]

Oh Wow Ponies!! I am soooo happy for you that AT LAST everything seems to be coming together for you! Perseverence really pays off right?!!
Good luck with the final stages....

Claire

[victoria24]

:clap:nice1:cheers:bluebanana

[CJ22]

Here's hoping the ITA is successful. Don't over-commit yourself until it is :)

[tyhapus]

wow - seat of the pants stuff!

Good luck with the next bit, I'm holding off booking the flights until we get the nod but I understand whay you have booked yours.

Have you sorted out your initial accomodation?

We're book a bach!!

[emaino]

Congratulations!

It took 5 months after we submitted our ITA to get those beautiful blue stickers. I remember that our CO gave us an answer about 2 weeks after our interview in Washington DC... I´m sure you can attend the interview in any INZ branch, if it is required for you.

Keep in touch and let´s see if we can meet in Welly after you arrive. It´s going to be nice to meet new arrivals too.

[Sovenok]

Oh yes we know, all the forum know, I expected something like that because Ponies are always in hurry. Good luck guys!!!
See u in

[BodaciousBean]

ALRIGHT PONIES!! :clap:clap

Awesome news. :cheers

[Mrs Pony]

We will be staying with friends when we first get there and plan to stay with them (hopefully) no more than a month.

We're sure that once we have the interview we will be golden... OH lived there before so we don't have any problems with settling in there...

If we don't have PR yet once we get ready to leave we and push out the ticket dates... and/or I can get a WHV until we get PR ... OH will have to hold of on working though... We were going to wait to get the tickets until we got PR but it was a good deal and we figure it would be cheaper to push out the dates vs buying as soon as we got PR. (We've been ready to move for a while so we would want to leave the next day!)

Maybe we will keep everything with London ... get out passports back and once it's approved we can go to NZIS in NZ and get the blues?

[BodaciousBean]

That must be an awesome feeling. :yes We would do the same thing if we were not stuck with the house. *sigh* I am sure we will figure something out, we did not get this far for nothing! LOL ;)

[Mrs Pony]

We're stuck with this house too... and will most likely have to help renters pay the bills... ugh... but we're not going to let the house keep us here! NO SIR!

[Silverwing86]

Great news, good on ya' for taking the plunge ! Here's hoping it all works out just as you'd like :clap :nice1 !

get out passports back and once it's approved we can go to NZIS in NZ and get the blues?

You sent your passports with the ITA ? Won't INZ hold on to them until Approved to add the Blue Stickers, or do they send them back to you in the meantime ? If not, you may run into trouble if you're flying in March ?

Good luck with renting out your place, will keep fingers and toes crossed that you get a(n unexpectedly) great rent and don't have to fork out too much yourselves :yes.

Cheers,
Silver

[Mrs Pony]

We can request them back from NZIS... from what I've read on here...

[willow]

day by day moving to nz is becoming real for many of us. it is so strange hearing that the forum members who have been at the same stage as us all the way along are now going.

you will have to let us all know how you get on when you get to nz. we want a happy ending!

[tea drinker]

:clap :clap :clap

[DMcG]

Yay Ponies! :clap

I had my ITA transferred from London to Auckland as I already had a work visa and came to NZ and got a job based on that. From what I recall - it took a couple of months after I got here for PR to come through.

Dougie

[mgf]

I had mine transferred from London to NZ as well and took 6 months for PR to be processed. May have just been Hamilton Office. Good Luck to you.

[jadugar]

good .....congratulationssssssss

[Mrs Pony]

Thank you! We just got our passports back so we will be able to head over in March even if we don't have PR yet...

[BodaciousBean]

Glad you were able to get your passports back with no trouble. :nice1

[ant7jen]

Excellent! Sounds like things are falling into place!

[mikey39]

Nice one :bluebanana

[vinzcarl]

goodluck

[Mrs Pony]

Now if we could only find someone to rent out this condo! UGH!

[Mrs Pony]

SO... I've just applied for a WHV... that way one of us could start working once we get there! There was no charge to submit it so no harm there... Time is flying by and i'm already freaking out about it! We're leaving in 46 days!

OH already used the WHV... is there anything that he could get so that he could work while we wait on getting approved for PR?

[925dancer]

SO... I've just applied for a WHV... that way one of us could start working once we get there! There was no charge to submit it so no harm there... Time is flying by and i'm already freaking out about it! We're leaving in 46 days!

OH already used the WHV... is there anything that he could get so that he could work while we wait on getting approved for PR?


I don't know if and how it operates in the States but I'm going on a BUNAC visa, I can work for one year on it and as I need a job before I can apply for PR this was my easiest and quickest way into NZ! Downside is it is quite expensive as it is a kind of work experience holiday program. Worth the monetary sacrifice for me though.

I head out in less than 4 weeks now! Arrrrgghhh!!! So excited too though.

[Mrs Pony]

ahh yes.. the BUNAC... that i know about... I was just wondering if there was something else he could get once we got to NZ... I wonder if he could skip the orientation since we'll be flying right to Welly...

[BkyMonster]

If he gets a job offer there's always the option of a general work permit.

[Mrs Pony]

We just called BUNAC and they said that they could get everything done in time...

Step 1 = submit your application & $495 (we will over night this on Monday)
Step 2 = send your passport to them - the rest is case by case... proof of funds, tickets, travel insurance and police records

With our luck Brandon will get into Park Road(his dream company) and this BUNAC will be pointless...

[Mrs Pony]

WOOHOO!!

My WHV has been approved and I just need to print out the evisa!

OH's BUNAC is approved and he should be getting his passport back in 2-3 weeks!

40 days until we fly!! OMG OMG OMG

[Tui2too]

:clap:clap:clap

[cani]

Congratulations:clapand fair journey:bluebanana

[L00pback]

Have a :bluebanana and all the best. Nearly there now.......

Cheers

Alan

[clairelouise]

40 days will totally fly by! You'll be out here before you know it! Congratulations :bluebanana :raebanana :bluebanana

[Georgebulldog]

What a long journey you have already have, the flight will be the short bit! Start counting down the days not long to go now, just make sure you bring some sun with you, says she sat here with a blanket wrapped around me :D
Best of luck it'll all be worth it:clap

[JandM]

:clap:nice1:bluebanana

[Mrs Pony]

oh time has already been flying by! Almost everything is already packed and ready to go... all we have left to pack are a few big framed items, bathroom stuff and our clothing!

We're planning on having a yard sale on the 28th and what we done sell is being donated. Now we really need to get rid of all our furniture! Sold a good bit of it already we really need to get rid of the living room set so we can pay for the shipping! ha! We're just going to get some beach chairs for the living room until we leave. heheh...

I'm soo ready to give my notice at work! Which I'll be doing on the 20th...work has been horrible since I now have to share an office with two really annoying guys... who are both new and LOVE asking questions and make inappropriate remarks...grrr... I just put my headphones in and listen to my audio books! Plus it's been crazy slow so i'm going out of my mind with boredom! (OMG 3 more weeks of work ....heheheh...) OH has been on workers comp (again) but should be going back next week... just in time to say "peace out!"

We're going to have a going away thing here in Orlando on the 7th of March.... Our 1 year anniversary is on the 8th (yeah!) ... Concert with our best friend Mr Bill (yes you call him mr) on the 13th... The 14th we leave Orlando for good and drive down to Sarasota to see my family and give my car to my mom (it was my first car and she got it for me so it's only fair to give it back)....from there we go up to Atlanta to get BIL and meet up with SIL then we're all going to Tennessee to see MIL...THEN back to Atlanta to fly out!

I'm getting really excited and nervous... I'm really worried that I'll hate it there because of the cold weather... I like it but my fingers and toes hate it! We've already talked it over and just in case we're going to have a trial year. But I really don't think we'll come back.... Just worries in the back of my head...

I've got my last dr appointments next week and I'll see about getting my medical records to take with me to NZ and see how many months of meds I can get before we leave.

I think my novel here is gone! Thanks for all the help/support and the blue nannas! :bluebanana


... I need more room for my signature on here!...

[TheNaylors]

Sounds like you have it all wrapped up now and things seem to be coming together nicely...won't be long now!!!! Exciting!

Well done Ponies for your perseverence...you deserve to have a wonderful life in NZ once you get there!!!

:clap:bluebanana:clap:bluebanana

[victoria24]

get yo selfs over!

[Janey]

my mind is dizzy just reading your itinery get here before the sun goes! oops seems to have disappeared today already!

[DMcG]

As someone who was still trying to fix things in the flat which we were renting out, when the taxi arrived to take us to the airport; I can understand some of the mayhem you must be going through.

Hold out, because once that plane finally leaves the ground - there's nothing else you can do. At that point, you just sit back, breathe and wait for the drinks trolley to appear :cheers

Dougie

[Mrs Pony]

hahah yea it's going to be a busy month!!! OH wants to go to a Fleetwood Mac concert in Detroit! for our 1 year anniversary...which is the 8th.. so if we get those tickets there is another crazy weekend! I had to print out a simple calendar and taped it to the door and have pencil writings all over it so I know what we're doing when and where!!

I can't wait to give my notice this week!!!! Can you guys hear the angels singing!? OH went back to work this week (was on workers comp) and he will give his notice this week as well. Good thing too... I'm not sure his back can take much more... I think it's messed up for life now. :( My last day of work will be the 6th March and it's going to be a world wind from there!

I can't believe we're soo close to leaving...(starting to hyperventilate) after all the mess that we've gone through! It's finally paying off!!!

[Tomsk]

Cor, not long to go now, and it really sounds as if things are finally coming together for you...as they should after all you've been through. Your enthusiasm, perseverence and humour seem to be finally paying off :nice1. Good luck with the final days..they sound chaotic but fun :).

[limeo]

SO exciting to read your post. :-D SWEET AS!!!!

[Red Devil]

My last day of work will be the 6th March

... snap, that's my last day too!

I've been working from home for the past 6 months for my UK company, but I'll be in the office for my final week. I can just picture it now "work, what do you mean work... no chance, time for another bru" :D

Well done Ponies and best of luck with your move to NZ :nice1

[Mrs Pony]

... snap, that's my last day too!

I've been working from home for the past 6 months for my UK company, but I'll be in the office for my final week. I can just picture it now "work, what do you mean work... no chance, time for another bru" :D

Well done Ponies and best of luck with your move to NZ :nice1

oh congrats to you too!! Yeah... I'm already like that! :clap

[skibumwa]

Good news, but as the CJ says, don't over commit yourself until you get approved. PR approval can take up to 9 month for many reasons. Do you have a backup plan if the ITA does NOT go through by the end of March?? Just wondering..

Where are you moving to? What city? Cheers :nice1


Here's hoping the ITA is successful. Don't over-commit yourself until it is :)

[skibumwa]

If you move to Welly, send me a PM so we can meet up for coffee, or dinner. Cheers..
:-)
John

[Mrs Pony]

Good news, but as the CJ says, don't over commit yourself until you get approved. PR approval can take up to 9 month for many reasons. Do you have a backup plan if the ITA does NOT go through by the end of March?? Just wondering..

Where are you moving to? What city? Cheers :nice1

We're pretty sure that we'll get approved... and if not we will have a year in NZ at least! ha! I have my WHV that is good until Feb 2010 now and OH is waiting to get his Passport back from BUNAC.

We will be staying with friends in Khandallah for a little while until we get on our feet... hopefully no more than 2 months... We want to live closer to CBD though (Thorndon, Kelburn, Te Aro, Mt Cook & Vic, Oriental Bay...)

[Mrs Pony]

So... I have my WHV... OH has his BUNAC visa...

We just booked our shippers Ocean Star International (http://www.osishipping.com/) and they will be picking up our stuff in 5 days! They said that it should take up to 40 days for us to get our things. So we will have to pay the shippers, the port fee, and the customs fee.... super....

I have 5 more days of work... which has been horribly boring which isn't helping me with wanting to be there! OH has 3 days of work left.

It's slowly starting to sink in that we're actually leaving... and I have moments where I just can't stop smiling! And I think I'm about to start hyperventilating!

Now we wait to get our PR approved! :clap

[victoria24]

well done renee... itll be great to meet up in a couple of months :)

[ant7jen]

I hope to say that one day, me and the family can meet up with you and Brandon as well. :)

I am happy you too are a heartbeat away from a new beginning. :D


If you ever want me to mail you some special USA goodies, just let me know what you need!

[Mrs Pony]

I hope to say that one day, me and the family can meet up with you and Brandon as well. :)

I am happy you too are a heartbeat away from a new beginning. :D


If you ever want me to mail you some special USA goodies, just let me know what you need!


indeed and will do!

[Sovenok]

... and I have moments where I just can't stop smiling! And I think I'm about to start hyperventilating!

Now we wait to get our PR approved! :clap
I caught myself smiling the same way when the decision was successful ;)
However, the global recession and prolonging of the ITA timelines make me a little sad, this can be treated only by approving the PR.
Other than that, the more I approach the end of the process, the more I feel I've made the right choice, NZ is the best counry in the world :nice1

[M-Squared]

Many congrats Renee and Brandon! :nice1 We'll see you in Welly soon!

[Watna]

Congrats to you both!

You'll love Wellington. I'm really enjoying it at the moment and had the most awesome summer, loads to do and we were really busy.

We got here last May and only caught the end of Spring. Prepare yourself for winter!

If you have any Welly questions, feel free to ask. I came on a WHV and just got my residency approved so I've been where you are!

[Mrs Pony]

yea OH lived there for a year as well on a WHV so he's told me what to expect. I don't do well with the cold weather so I'm worried about that... but I've got 2 wool coats and plan on getting some good gloves when we get there! (any suggestions on where to get gloves are welcome!)

The house is a mess with stuff we need to get rid of ...we need to have a yard sale on the 7th... which i don't want to deal with at all.. I just want to pack my clothes and go!

[Ana&Steve]

(any suggestions on where to get gloves are welcome!)
I've fallen in love with NZ possum/merino blend products, so warm and soft! I've mostly seen them in boutiques that are priced for tourists so not sure if there is a better/cheaper place to find them.

[Syed]

Good luck all the way..

[andrewp]

Hey Ponies - awesome news. Looks like we may also end up in Welly so looking forward to the meetup.

[Mrs Pony]

AHH! Shippers arrive tomorrow!!

[Janey]

ahh! panic not just relax once they have gone you fell the stress running out of you!

[Mrs Pony]

I think we have everything packed already... OH's last work day is done! The rest of this week he will be getting things ready for the moving sale... ugh! hopefully we sell everything!

[Mrs Pony]

So... The Shippers are coming today between 3-6pm according to OSI...

OH tells me that they truck driver that was coming to get our boxes "couldn't get into the complex so he wasn't coming." !@?!*:eek: And this was around 1! No call that they were going to be here early just a call from the trucking company that they can't get our boxes and maybe we could meet them?! (OH is telling me this while I'm thinking ummm... Are you freaking kidding me!? I'm still at work and trying not to freak out!) So OH tells them that isn't an option because we have 23 boxes and that is why they were hired!

So I tell OH to call Kevin at OSI now! Kevin (who has been great so far) said that he will work on getting a new trucker and will call back in an hour... which he did and tells OH that the new trucker should be there around 4.... It's currently 3:54 ...

Hopefully the next message from OH will be that all the boxes are gone!

[Mrs Pony]

4:17 - Boxes are gone! and it took 15 minutes! WOO!

[clairelouise]

Do you feel all free and cleansed now??! :D

[dusk]

15 minutes?! Aww bless. So everything you have left is going in a suitcase or polished up and ready to sell then?

[Philip10]

4:17 - Boxes are gone! and it took 15 minutes! WOO!


:raebanana:raebanana:raebanana

[Mrs Pony]

Actually I think I feel worse! The butterfly's in my stomach are having a wrestling match in there... and I'm hungry all the time... I think it's stress... other than that I'm ok... girls at work tell me I don't look stressed so that's good...

Everything else in the house is either getting packed (clothes,few shoes, toiletries, towels & bedding)... or going to be sold...

[victoria24]

great news renee, see you there next month!

[Wonderbob]

Yeah, go the Ponies! You're gonna love it ! I believe attitude is everything in life and you guys have it in spades, and don't forget Welly is a sensational place to live! All the best. :nice1

[Waters9944]

Holy Crap! I'm feeling excited FOR you! Good Luck! Take pictures! :cheers