[Tash]

Hi All
Found out some interesting facts from NZIS, though I'd share them with you. We were selected on Aug 4, 165 pnts, working in NZ. No ITA yet. Have noticed from the forum that some folks selected in Sep already have their ITA.
Was told that because we're claiming 20 points for work experience, there is a lot of checking to do. They contact all previous employers (most on 3 different continents). I feel sorry for those who have been working for 20 years and have had many more employers. Basically, the more info you put down on your EOI, the more there is to check, the longer it takes. It doesn't seem to be the case that those with jobs are processed faster. It all starts in Wellington, and after the first checks, the EOIs get asigned to appropriate offices, depending where you live (Auckland, London etc). Then a visa officer is assigned and things might actually happen. They're aiming at 12 weeks from selection date (already passed 12 wks), then 3 months if PM is to be granted. Quite why it takes 3 months when they've already checked everything, I don't know.
Why we're really annoyed: if you get PM before 1 Jan 05, you can apply for citizenship after 3 years, not 5 (the new Bill has been ammended)
:wah .
Good luck to you all.
Tash

[Moorf]

Good info Tash, thanks :nice1

We've probably held ours up by transferring it from UK to Christchurch branch, but we've stopped stressing about any ITA's etc and just got on with the job hunting knowing that we'll get a work visa which will more than cover the time it will take for ITAs to get processed etc.

Must be getting that laid-back Kiwi attitude :nice1 It's a bit like the cold - I no longer turn up the heater when it gets chilly, I just put on another jumper :laugh

[Tash]

Good attitude, Moorf.
No point stressing if there's nothing you can do about it. It's possible that Christchurch will go faster than UK. Our's was only transferred to Akl last week, so it' possible yours didn't even make it to UK before being sent to locally. I think they aim to do work visas in 2 weeks, and they last 2 years, so you'll be sorted any which way.

[xanctus]

Tash,
thx for sharing the info and update on your application. Moorf, I actually get the stage of not waiting the ITA too much...it's too much stress if keep waiting and waiting. :angel

[Babette & Andy]

Tash, thanks for that info. One thing worries me though, you mention that they contact previous employers to check if you rightfully claimed work experience. Surely NZIS don't contact current employers without our knowledge? This could have very serious outcomes for many I'm sure, as I would imagine not many people share their emigration plans with employers until things are far more advanced than the EOI.

What did you find out about this?

Thanks
Babette :cheers

[Tash]

Gosh, that's a really good point. I remember reading someone's post that nzis phoned them first before ringing their employers. My husband rang them again today (he's principal aplicant) and they said the same thing again: they check with each of his stated prior employers. We've given up on phoning - they're now saying 13-16 weeks to process eois backdated from June! story keeps changing, maybe they just don't know. we've written a letter to ask clarification on exactly those point (ie phoning employers, then also wanting paperwork to confirm it). will keep you informed when (maybe if?) we get a reply.

[markkellaway]

I'm really surprised by this, I thought that the checks at EOI stage would be to weed out the obvious mistakes and "over claims". If they go to the length of phoning employers why the need to provide proof at ITA stage? :?

As fas as NZIS is concerned I think it all depends on the individual that picks up the phone as to what information you receive. I've called three times and been told different info each time. I'm hoping that the information posted on the UK part of the NZIS site is accurate, given that they put it there, and I'm "working" to that timetable. :hopeso

Mark. :P

[Tash]

Mark, I have to agree with all your points. I think they tell us what they think we need to hear, and I've just relayed what they told us. i think we're all just a little anxious, for myself it's because we are not being told the truth about what's going on. But phoning is not getting us any closer to the truth.

[cagcagb]

hey for everyone's info, nzis is actually verifying with the employer.

I gathered today that they faxed a letter to my employer confirming the certification of employment I submitted.

:mrgreen: \cathy

[xanctus]

Guys, when you said NZIS will contact the employer. It means that NZIS will contact the person whom we put on the EOI application as contact person right? just want to make sure this.
Moorf, I hear you about the laid back of Kiwis...hehehehe my distance relatives who are PR in ChCh told me that Kiwis a bit laid back compare to americans hehehe, and it seems so. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[clg]

This is a bit worrisome for me. I will be submitting my materials for the ITA by the end of March but I don't want to move until August or give notice until June/July. I will be checking in with my case officer to see exactly what they do. I will post what I get back.

[Danpoll]

Yet with my case officer they made no contact with anybody. I even stated that one of my contracters I did a lot of work for and served my apprentischip with, that we had a major finicial dispute and that it would serve no point in contacting him. The tax paperwork invoices and corresponding port folio were adequate.

Interesting point regarding PM before jan 05 does that include PR?

Dan

[leslie]

we haven't heard yet - agree with point of not paying attention as too stressful - old watched pot situ. contacted nzis london and got some non-kiwi - totally useless for anything other than door-prop. just annoying.

hub's last/longest employer was kinda bitter when he went out on his own and i forsee verification trouble. am going to nz house tomorrow to prod and will ask about verif process/ post useful details.

do feel sorry for anyone trying to contact /verify people in the uk as it must be a nightmare to get hold of anyone. not surprised it takes ages.

[shagen]

I listed all the companies I worked for on the EOI but they only called the current employer (the contact person specified on the EOI) and no other employers!

I got the ITA and supplied reference letters for all the employers dating back to only the last 10 years.

I hope it is smooth sailing from now on...

[Jo and Andy]

I have put down Andy's employment History for 10 years, to prove his work experience.

But do not want to let him employers know just yet what we are planning. When do they contact them, is it when selected from your EOI.

If so how do make sure they contact you first?

Some of the companies he worked for have now bust or been taken over by others, (a couple of years after he left them). How do you prove these employments?

Did you all contact your previous employers to find a contact name, incase personnel change?

Thanks

Will start finding all this letters of employment.

[markkellaway]

Jo,

Nobody contacted my employers prior to being selected or invited to apply. The lady at NZIS said it was possible but I don't know of any stories where current employers have been contacted at the EOI stage.

After the application is submitted and you are waiting for the PR to be sent out, well I'm not yet sure what happens there because we haven't put it in yet. I would imagine they would do some checking but it probably depends on the strength of the evidence you submit at that time.

Mark. :P

[Jo and Andy]

Thanks Mark.

Don't know what contact names to put down for the old company's I mean who knows who is there anymore. Do you think it is OK to leave blank.

[markkellaway]

Jo,

If it was me I would put down the contact that was there at the time. If NZIS follow up they will just get forwarded to the relevant person, I would have thought. the other option is simply to put "the personnel director" or something like that? I'm "lucky" in that all my professional experience is with the same company so dodn't have the same issues, I'm sure others here have though.

Mark. :P

P.S. Get back to work!!! ;)

[shagen]

Hi Jo and Mark,

In my case they called only the current employer and they did not call me first. Lucky for me, I told my HR Manager whose name I gave, so he told me. They just wanted to know if I was still employed and at what capacity. Still I think they shodul have called me.

Since I had reference letters from all my employers going back 10 years, I listed the names of the people who signed the letters. Beyond 5 years, I am not sure if the person signing the letter is still with the company let alone remember who I was!

We are in the next process and so far nothing yet! I believe they will call if they believe the evidence you provide is insufficient or not can't stand by itself.

Shagen

[foolsgold99]

To the best of my knowledge, the NZIS did not contact any previous or my current employers before granting us PR. I submitted letters from all previous emps, and a copy of my contract and payslips for my current.

I might be wrong about this, I have my annual review on Monday, I'll find out then.

I haven't discussed my move with my employers at all, I did think about letting them know now (we plan to leave in June), but decided against it, as I want them to pay for training courses and give me time off for exams over the next few months.

It's a hard decision to make when to tell teh current emp. I'm torn between wanting to be responsible, and looking after my own interests. I've decided to say nothing until 8 - 12 weeks before departure.

House is going on the market next week.

[Moorf]

Perhaps you could start practising some "shock and surprise" faces in the mirror so when our employer confronts you about NZIS ringing them up you can blame the wife or something

:laugh

[MB]

Just hoiking this thread to the top to see if anyone else wants to offer their experiences re. employer checks and the like. Thanks in advance for any input.

Cheers,
Matt.

[feathers]

I spoke to a guy at NZIS Washington a while ago and he told me that it was much easier for them to verify applications from the UK or USA then it was from other countries such as India or China. He didn't really elaborate as to why this was but I guess there might be a level of local knowledge involved.

So for instance if you are from the UK and send your app to NZIS London and you claim that you are an accountant and have worked for Barclays and Sainsburys they will probably look at it assume that its likely they have accountants at these companies and that will be the extent of the verification. But perhaps for countries where the NZIS staff have no idea about companies etc they will choose to do further verification.

anyway thats my two pennies worth of thoughts on this matter!!
i am off to forlornly stare at all the snow out of my window we had over 12 inches of the stuff yesterday and I really hate it!!
Feathers

[feathers]

Oh and I forgot to say I have my ITA and nobody verified anything with my employers present or past.

[MB]

Thanks, feathers. Keep warm there! If you imbibe, maybe it's time for a late-evening glass of something! And yeah, yeah, folks, don't start quoting booze-actually-lowers-temperature stuff at me. I imagine feathers isn't sitting in a field :laugh

Cheers,
Matt.

[Moorf]

Yep, we got our ITA and there was NO calls to Woz's last employer.. how do we know that you ask.. because he ran his own company and they never contacted us! :laugh

[MB]

Thanks, guys. What a few of us seem to be saying here is that verification isn't done at EOI stage. That's interesting in itself, and was indeed how this thread started.
But here's something: what about after you submit your ITA with your employer paperwork? How many folks are finding that employers past or present are being called/faxed to verify that paperwork (to make sure letters aren't fake, etc.)? :booby

Also: some of my wife's previous employers simply don't have a fax machine as part of their business. I assume that phone number, postal address and e-mail-address combo will suffice in these cases?

Cheers,
Matt.

[shagen]

We just submitted our ITA last week. NZIS did call my current employer before we got the ITA.

If they do call the others after this, I will post it here.

Someone here said that they might call employers not located in teh US and the UK, perhaps that is why they called mine.

Shagen

[MB]

Our experience so far:
as far as we know, none of my wife's (all-US) previous employers were contacted before Decision Successful.
The one area we thought might give NZIS pause at the EOI-verifying stage was what I started a thread about here a week or two ago... which is that the UK institution that actually conferred her MA was different from the institution at which she studied. What this means is that her paperwork has NZIS-recognized City University's credentials and endorsements all over it, so everything's completely legit. But we thought it might be confusing. Yet apparently not. Mind you, we did put City's name in brackets after the name of the college in which she physically studied.

Cheers,
Matt.