[Annierobrigado]

hi all (diny, nicola, helen, marie, suzy, shagen, etc....)

the road to nz is indeed long, with many a winding turn! we've been interviewed by our case officer last march 7, and last april 13 she writes us to tell us we need to take the IELTS exam for proof of english proficiency... but we already submitted with our ITA all the certifications from our elementary, high school, college and medical schools that our medium of instruction is English, and that we teach medicine in English, and our nature of work requires us to speak to many international students in English... :confused:

and didn't you guys say i spoke and wrote good english? wish i could ask you to vouch for me, but i don't think the case officer would accept that. oh well, might as well prepare myself for the exam. the reading and writing parts are okay, it's the listening part that's kinda hard, coz we're mostly used to hearing american accents (and that's mostly california or new york. not really the genteel southern accents). the examiner is either a brit or an aussie, and we're not that used to hearing british and australian accents. mr. bean is our constant british companion and he doesn't even talk! haha.:laugh

anyway, just ranting and sighing.:wah.. i feel like someone who's been invited to someone's house for dinner and was made to cook it myself as well as clean up afterwards! but i want nz so badly, i'd be willing to cook a marathon if it would mean a visa!

just chillin'

annie

[Moorf]

Hi Annie,

Amazed that you need to go thru the IELTS, but your english is soooo good that I can't see it being an obstacle for you! Seriously, I've seen native English speakers with less proficiency!

Your road does indeed feel long, hopefully you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and will be here soon (and if you fancy a cooking marathon then I'm first in line for some home cooked grub :nice1 )....

Keep us posted and all good wishes
Helen
x

[voth30]

Dear Dr Annie,

I agree that your road is indeed a long and winding one. The thing about NZIS is they gauge your qualification based on the country you obtained it. We are very fortunate that NZIS recognized the Singapore qualifications and hence we did not have to go through any exams.

Anyway, wish you all the best for our exams.

Vincent

[Annierobrigado]

thanks helen


hope to see you real soon...

annie

[Annierobrigado]

hi vincent!

thanks anyway, yes, it's really based on the country where we come from. hm...if we were made the 51st american state, then it wouldn't be a problem. haha.

keep in touch!

annie

[MB]

Annie,

Hi! I'd bet money that my reaction to your post was pretty much identical to others' reaction, which is that I know that you will power through this wonderfully but I couldn't help a quick sigh and a bit of eyes-flicking-upwards as if to say "Oh, for goodness' sake... something else Annie has to do?"
:laugh

All the best if you have to do it. As others have said, with your skills you'll surely do terrifically. :nice1

Regards from the three of us!

[knx501]

Hi Anne
I agree that the road is indeed a long and winding one. Good Luck.

Mabuhay! (Long Live)

Regards,
knx501

[Diny]

Annie ....... you seem to have been travelling the road for years. The additional tests you are being asked to sit are (IMHO) nothing but an insult. Red tape gone crazy, and the most frustrating part is the fact that you simply have to go along with the charade.

Anyway - your command of the English language is perfect, just look upon this next step as an inconvenience rather than a hurdle.

Hope to see you and your family over here soon.

Diny

[Annierobrigado]

hello matt,

i laughed and did an eye-rolling upwards thing too when i read your reply. oh well, i just hope i'm still within the age limit of migrating to nz when i finally hurdle all these migration requirements! thanks for the kind thoughts and hello to your family too!

cheers!
annie

[Annierobrigado]

hi diny

thanks for the boost! i have been travelling the road for years now, and i just hope you're still in nz by the time i get there! wouldn't that be a funny thing that just when i'm finally flying to nz, you might be thinking of going back to UK??? hope not!

cheers
annie

[Marie P]

Good luck and best wishes Annie ...

I have lots of dancing banana's ready and waiting for when we hear your good news at last .

Marie x

[baboonworld]

this in addition to some other posts i have read seems to me that the phillipinos get a really hard time from NZIS - maybe you could claim discrimination!

U will have no probs passing the test - you seem very well written to me - just dont use all our "english" posts as examples of good spelling since most seem to speak txt talk these days!!!

Good luck!

[willsken]

Hi Annie

"Some things are sent to try us" - well YOU can certainly say that. I know you will walk the tests (I know that doesn't make it any less unfair that you have to do them!) see this as the last hurdle and that you really are on the home straight.

The very very best of luck to you! :nice1

[Lukas]

Well...beware that for most non british immigrantsthe difficult part will start just after the arrival in NZ...

[Al_S]

Hello Annie,

Good luck with everything. Have you looked into other countries? I am Canadian and I know for fact that there is a huge demand for doctors here. They are also looking at making it easier for foreign trained doctors to practice in Canada.

Don't have to live here in winters; there is always Florida or Arizona for those 4 months (that’s what many here do). And I bet you donut to a dollar you might just get paid three times as much here than in OZ or NZ ;-)

All the best to you and your family..

[Lukas]

...three times as much as in OZ or NZ?...I think you are exagerating...that's crap man

[Smiler]

Annie
I'm sure you will be fine, your english is excellent. As Baboonworld said, you do seem to have more hoops to jump through on your journey here. It seems very unfair to me.

Good luck, Marie will have the bananas ready for you and I'll have the clinking glasses. :laugh Looking forward to reading your post when you have completed the test. :nice1

[Annierobrigado]

Hello Annie,

Good luck with everything. Have you looked into other countries? I am Canadian and I know for fact that there is a huge demand for doctors here. They are also looking at making it easier for foreign trained doctors to practice in Canada.

Don't have to live here in winters; there is always Florida or Arizona for those 4 months (that’s what many here do). And I bet you donut to a dollar you might just get paid three times as much here than in OZ or NZ ;-)

All the best to you and your family..

hi al

thanks for the thought, although we initially tried canada. we actually passed the points-mark for migrants. the problem is, canada needs us to show that we have money in the bank to tide us over for six months, and converting the amount to pesos (for the whole family, even if my husband will go ahead of us and pave the way), we need about PhP 4 million. That's to show immigration and they will check it out even when we land in canada already. We don't have the 4 million, but if we were given jobs there we would be able to earn that much in no time. but canada needs to see it before we go there.

and we were advised that even if they advertise for doctors, we would still need to have some education from canada before we can practice as doctors. so if we do succeed to fly to canada, we can't immediately practice there. i'm really not sure if this is still the case, as i've stopped reading about canada when we went full speed ahead with nz.

it is a pity, though, coz ironically i have more relatives and close family friends in canada than i do in nz! :wah

well, we'll know this year if nz will finally be given to us. :o

thanks again
annie

[Annierobrigado]

hi marie, smiler, nicola

thanks, i missed your posts so much, but there hasn't been much for me to share these past months. i do hope the next time i post a thread here it would be dancing bananas and clinking glasses all the way!

here's keeping my fingers crossed for a good ielts result...
annie

[Annierobrigado]

Well...beware that for most non british immigrantsthe difficult part will start just after the arrival in NZ...


hi lukas

yes, i know! the accent and some of the quirky meanings (to me) of many english words. as long as the person doesnt eat his words, i'll be able to understand him. and hope the kiwi doesnt lose his sense of humor!:laugh

cheers
annie

[Smiler]

Annie

I was talking to the PHO's management service, WIPA this afternoon. They have a (the lady stressed chronic) chronic shortage of GP's up on Kapiti coast. They are crying out for them.

I haven't a clue in which direction to point you to find out more, sorry, but if it helps this is the site http://www.wipa.org.nz/Index.aspx?Menu=Index

[Annierobrigado]

hi smiler,

wow, thanks, i'll look into it asap.

i really appreciate this group.

annie