[icemaiden]

Too complex to go into on the forum here, but I would be really, really delighted if anyone out there who has had to get a character waiver would PM me please. I need some reassurance here:wah

Pretty please ....

[Duncan74]

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-6049.html

[icemaiden]

Thank you - this was quite helpful reading.

[M-Squared]

I have sent you a PM. :)

[Mr&Mrs&2+Dog]

Hi Icemaiden,

Never posted before but picked up lots of helpful tips, but could also do with some reassurance with regard to Character Waiver. We are unlikely to be processed any further if we don't get one for an incident 23 years ago.
Can anyone give us any pointers please???

Mrs

[JandM]

Hello, and welcome to the forum. :)

Click on the link in Duncan's post above, and you'll find what someone else in this situation did, and that it turned out all right for him. Basically, you have to come clean about whatever the incident was, and tell them that you now think completely differently from your youthful self. It's also helpful to provide several character witnesses who have known you as an upright citizen for as long as possible since those days.

[icemaiden]

Mrs ? - I will let you know as soon as I can what happens with ours - I think also it might be helpful if you had a job offer - not sure, but I get the impression that it definitely helps. I'll be back in touch with you through PM as soon as I can.

[JandM]

Mrs won't be able to send or receive PMs until they've made five posts. If it's urgent and you've nothing else in particular you want to say, you can just put one-word things on this same thread.

[Mr&Mrs&2+Dog]

Hi Guys,

I've read the link you mentioned, so realise there may be a way through this, but still worried!!
The incident in question involved my husband, and was mentioned in all our EOI and ITA paperwork. We've always been upfront about it - it's out there it happened there's no getting away from it! We have a job offer & it was all written about then too.
We should have two character references, from friends, both of whom are in respected professions, & hope to send them off next week.
Still a fraught time right now. Hope things go well for you Icemaiden, & thank you JandM for your advice.

Mrs

[JandM]

I think you're absolutely bound to be worried, but it sounds as if you've done everything you possibly could to deal with the issue. Good luck.

[Mr&Mrs&2+Dog]

Dear JandM,

I think that's why I'm so worried, as we have done everything we can think of & still our dream may be shattered. We knew it would come up, but thought it would be a bit of formality, whereas now I'm seeing it as possibly a complete change of our 'life plan'.

Really appreciate your comments, thank you.

Mrs

[icemaiden]

M-Squared - tried to PM you but it wouldn't let me!

Thank you all for your comments - my grovelly three page letter is going off to NZIS today with various character references so fingers crossed.

Not quite the last hurdle, but getting there!

[tea drinker]

Hi icemaiden
hope it all works out for you

[JandM]

Yes, good luck.

[icemaiden]

Thank you both.

[Mr&Mrs&2+Dog]

Best of luck Icemaiden!! Fingers crossed here for you, Mrs

[icemaiden]

Thank you - I still haven't heard anything but in this case I think no news is good news. I have an interview for a teaching job in just over a week and if I'm offered that then hopefully the whole process will be speeded up a little.

[Cpt. Canuck]

Does anyone have a timeline for the Character Waiver process? I have been waiting for my Visa with a job offer for 10 weeks now and still no sign of any progress. I'm probably going to loose my job offer if this keeps up.

[JandM]

Has your CO told you that the delay is specifically to do with the character waiver?

Actually, whether or not, I would think you would be justified in politely asking about progress, and when you can expect to hear a response, stating that you feel your prospective employer is getting impatient.

[Cpt. Canuck]

My Co has told me that my character waiver is still under review and that's about all she is saying. She has already reviewed the application and requested additional information, all of which was returned to her within 48 hrs. That was about a month ago, and she hasn't asked for anything else so I'm guessing the Character Waiver is the only sticking point. I just wish that if all timelines are off once one has to undergo a Chararcter Waiver that it be brought to your attention at the ITA stage. Something like "don't bother getting a job because we're going to hold you up for six months," would have been helpful. Now I've gone ahead and completely purged myself of all possesions, house, car, obtained a great job, have everything lined up in New Zealand and they're saying "hang on a minute, you're not going anywhere but I can't tell you how long you're going to have to wait."

This has ceased to be fun weeks ago. I've spent a year of my life devoted to relocating to NZ but now I don't know whether I should just give up. I can't continue to put my life on hold.

[JandM]

...because we're going to hold you up for six months...But I don't think there is anything institutionalized. We see so many people on the forum who hit a snag of ANY kind with their application - medical, proof of partnership, proof of qualifications, OR character - and they ALL have a tendency to think there's something evil in the system, directed against them. Truly, I think it's just the creakings of a huge bureaucracy, and how some people working there are more efficient than others, or someone gets sick and their workload is shared round, or goes on holiday, or picks up your papers on the back of someone else's so they get out of order. There AREN'T guaranteed timelines, it takes as long as it takes, and yes, it's very hard to accept. Everybody here will know just how you feel. ((()))

In your particular case, since you don't know why the hold-up (as despite what you assume, she may still be at the stage of checking the additional information you had to send, and it may not be to do with the waiver at all), I still say that you could perfectly well tell the CO again that your job is waiting, and ask politely if you could have a Work Visa to enable you to take it up, if they aren't quite ready to move on the PR yet. As a month's gone by, it's not as if you've badgered her every day.

[joules1000]

All went well for us...to our surprise. We didnt have to do anything. CO did it all... contacted us to say she had got the waiver and we have interview. If anyone wants to know more please PM.

Mind you, we dont have PR yet, interview Thurs!!!

[Cpt. Canuck]

Thanks for your advice JandM but I’ve already tried those approaches to no avail. She knows my timelines and I have been sitting here quietly waiting for her to process the application until now, until the day I was to report to wok came and went and now I’m starting to push. I know they keep saying that there are no timelines but I work in a Government Office too and I process applications, in a different discipline, but similar enough and far too often it’s the person that behaves the worst and creates the biggest fuss that gets service first. Once the politicians get involved the wheels start moving. The only frustrating thing is I have no avenue for appeal. The only thing left to do is call, pay the 1.00 BPD per minute and ask to talk to her supervisor I suppose?

[Jo Jo]

The only thing left to do is call, pay the 1.00 BPD per minute and ask to talk to her supervisor I suppose?

Use this number instead: + 44 (0) 1344 716199

It's the number NZIS gives to people calling from overseas.

Good luck.

[JandM]

All the very best.

[Cpt. Canuck]

Well......I guess it takes about 9 ½ weeks. After a lot of pushing I have received my Residency Visa. Next stop Southland, see you in NZ in two weeks.

[JandM]

You made it! :clap Safe journey, and good wishes for everything to come. :nice1

[victoria24]

:nice1

[Susan2502]

Excellent, this gives us hope, we also have a character waiver outstanding...

[joules1000]

Congratulations XXX

:bluebanana:bluebanana:bluebanana

[Mr&Mrs&2+Dog]

Just to say Thanks to the advice you gave me on here regarding Character Waivers, ours has now been granted, we sent an explanation of the incident, then followed up with two references from friends who are both respected in their careers. Thanks again, & good luck to those still trying.
Mrs.

[JandM]

Congratulations on your good news. :nice1

[Mr&Mrs&2+Dog]

Thanks!! Now looking at our lovely new visas, time to start booking, dog first! Good luck to all of those still trying, Mrs etc. :bluebanana:bluebanana:bluebanana:bluebanana