[robothamma]

Here is some info for everyone waiting for their full NZQA assessment or yet to have it done.
I spoke to someone at the Emigrate show at York on Sunday from NZIS, I asked her hypothetically what to do if we were running out of time for submitting our ITA and we were still waiting for NZQA's full assessment!

Heres what she said: " NZQA do seem to take ages getting their assessments done. If that is all that you are waiting on submit your ITA with a note explaining that you are still awaiting NZQA's full assessment. The ITA will go into the queing system (ie; sat on someones desk!) and be processed in the normal way but no decision will be made until they have received it from you once you get it! Now for the good bit.... It is very rare for NZIS to see a qualification downgraded from the provisional report, quite often they see a qualifiaction put up an extra grade from the provisional report or it stays the same.." :clap :clap :clap

Whilst this is great news, please don't take it as word that all will be OK! I would hate for someone to get their hopes up as a result of this post. I have posted it merely as encouragement and because I thought there are quite a few people on this forum who would benefit from this snippet of info. We still have to get our full assesment done and are just waiting for a reference coming back before we can send it! So I am still keeping my fingers crossed especially as we are forking out for the meds on Thurs! :eek

Good Luck all
Michelle

[Chicken Legs]

Hi Michelle

I'm at the same stage as you and that's a really useful bit of information......thanks.

At least it allows you to access the NZIS system whilst NZQA to do their stuff.

I see from the NZQA application form that we need to provide "employment records or employment references". Do you know if they have a "standard" or preferred form of wording for the references? What did you ask your employer to provide?

[Going2NZ]

Dear Chicken Legs-

I sent a letter from my current company's Human Resources department, on company letterhead stating my dates of employment (start date and that I was currently on staff), employee ID number, employment status (as in "active"), standard number of work hours (to prove full-time employment), name of the department, job title (which is a pretty stright-forward descriptive one or I would have asked for a description too) and contact information for the HR person. I was fortunate that a good friend of mine works there and treated it confidentially since I haven't told anyone I'm headed to NZ so he simply copied and pasted the suggested text from my email.

I asked for the same for my previous job but all they provided was basically a report from whatever convoluted software the state agencies use, printed very fuzzy and poor quality; and, for my freelance years, I sent copies of invoices with check vouchers attached (just a year's worth). Both of these seemed acceptable even if they weren't ideal.

To be absolutely sure copies would be alright, I had everything notarized (my bank does this for free), highlighted and added little description post-it notes near anything significant but not easily legible such as dates of employment on the state agency report that was a nightmare.

Hope this helps.

Susan

[robothamma]

Hi Chickenlegs!,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you! We are still waiting for the employer to do us a reference! :eek I know I should have looked at what NZQA required :eek We have just given him a copy of the bit from NZIS that tells you what is required in a reference (Application for Residence Guide Section G Pg15) Maybe that is what is taking him so long :eek :laugh :laugh :laugh Hopefully NZQA just require the same :? I'm off now to double check :oops:

All the best
Michelle

[Chicken Legs]

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for that :smile . I found the same section in the Guide as you and have sent my previous employers a "pro forma" letter which they can cut 'n paste onto headed paper. That's the theory, anyway! I also emailed NZQA and they confirmed that they do not have a standard form of wording and will be happy so long as it coveres the essential information.

Thanks again.

[Bern]

As I was reading this post, I began to worry that I've missed a step in the process...

I've submitted the EOI, but have not done anything with the NZQA. Does this happen at the ITA stage or did I miss a critical step? Or is this something I should be working on now?

Thanks.

Bernadette
__________
EOI submitted 20th May 2005
Selected 25th May 2005
Waiting for ITA

[robothamma]

Hi Bernadette,

Welcome to the forum :nice1 I would be looking at getting all the info you need for NZQA ready. Do you have to get your quals assessed? If so did you get the prelimary assessment done for EOI? If you do need to get thaem assessed, and you have already been selected (Congratulations :clap ) then I would send off for NZQA Assesment the minute your EOI changes to sucessful, or your ITA lands on your mat (or box if your american :laugh ) as it can be a very lengthy process I'm told - just type "nzqa" in the search and you will see what I mean :eek
Whereabouts are you heading for in New Zealand?

All the best and good luck!
Michelle.


Chicken legs,

Finally got the reference back off the employer, now I have to photocopy everything that is going to NZQA, three times! :eek Another job I should have done while waiting for ITA ! :oops: :laugh I need to get copies to send to NZIS in case NZQA don't reply in time! and then I have to get them certified! Does anyone know if a Citizens Advice worker can sign them? I know they can in NZ but I wondered about UK? Also I think I will use NZQA's courier to return the docs, but any info on couriers getting them there? I think I will use Royal Mail Airsure? Anyone had any experience of them?
One last thing on NZQA form it asked "reasons for assessment tick all that apply" am I right in ticking Immigration and Work purposes ? I read further on in NZQA's notes (pg 7 Item 10) that there is a charge of $225 NZD if you later want an assessment report for work purposes as the immigration report wouldn't be sufficient! :eek WHAT? We fork out all this money wait months for a reply and it still isn't the full works unless you specify? Something tells me NZQA must be a secret part of the UK Government :eek :laugh :laugh :laugh Unless ofcourse I have read it wrong? ;)

All the best
Michelle

[Bern]

Hi Michelle,

I talked to someone at NZIQ when I was filling out the EOI and they said that since my degree was from a state university, I didn't need to submit a preliminary assessment for the EOI - and so I didn't. I guess I'll find out if that was a mistake if the status doesn't change to successful. :(

I went to the NZQA site today and it looks like I better start working on this! Thanks for clarifying what I should be working on next.

Right now, I'm thinking about Wellington. In August, we'll be visiting/job search and then I'll have a better idea of where to settle. :)

Bern