[Nettie]

Hi people, Just discovered this site and have been interested & impressed in everyones advice to one another. (not quite sure of all the abbreviations used but perhaps I'm just thick or inexperienced!)
A quick resume. My full name is Annette known as Nettie to all my mates. My partner is Kevin. We live in Porlock Somerset UK but have recently sold our house and are hoping to get to NZ soon. Kevin is a kiwi but has lived here for nearly 30 years. He has had enough of England and wants to go home.
I thought it was going to be easy to get there...ha ha what did I know?!
After reading some of your messages I thought I'd better start looking a bit deeper than I had been. I was hoping to come over there on the 6 months visitor visa and apply for residency when I got there, but it would appear that I should be a lot more prepared. (Told you I was thick!)
So tonight I have completed my application, I have already applied for police report, will phone tomorrow for medical appointments, got all my evidence together to prove we are a genuine couple and then off we go to NZ House in London.
I now realise that it could take up to 8 months to receive and we were hoping to be there in the new year...am I naive as well?
Any advice out there? Should I get my application in and come over on 6 month visa anyway? Always the optimist I feel sure it will work out but I'd love to hear from anyone who might be able to reassure me.
Cheers Nett. x

[jess]

Welcome to the forum!!!:)

I don't have your answers, but someone will come along who can tekk you. In the meantime, I started an abbreviations thread (http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?p=98375#post98375) that may help. If you have a sepecific one you don't know feel free to ask.

[Nettie]

:cheers Thanks Jess, looked at abbreviations, at least now I know what everyone's talking about!
Look forward to hearing from all you old & new hands. Great to know there are people out there experiencing the same feelings as me.

[StevieD]

Hi Nettie - welcome to the forum. As Kevin is a kiwi, I take it you will be going on the family category??? Don't worry bout the abbreviations they will soon become clearer.

Steve

[Nettie]

:confused: Hi Stevie, Yes that's the idea anyway. I'm just hoping he doesn't get fed up waiting and goes sailing off into the sunset!! Just my luck. Joke! His family are all there waiting for the happy return of the prodigal son, I just hope it's sooner rather than later.
Any advice to the newbie from a senior member?

[kiwidebs]

Hi Nettie

Welcome aboard the emigration roller coaster. I'm a Kiwi and my OH applied thru the partnership route. It took about a month once we submitted all our 'stuff' to get PR in Principle. Whereabouts in NZ are you planning on heading?

Debs

[Nettie]

Hi Debs, One Month! Hey, you've made me feel so much better!
We are heading for Bay of Plenty, Mt Maunganui, where my youngest son is living at mo. He is in the process of applying for PR {getting the hang of abbreviations already!) He is also applying on family category as he is engaged to kiwi girl. We visited last year and loved it there, but don't think we will able to afford buying there unfortunately. Kevins sister lives at Lake Taupo so we have the option of staying there too. We will be doing a lot of trekking I think to see where we like & I would love to visit the S Island as I hear so many good things about it.
Keep feeding me this positive info, I was on a real downer before I came onto forum! Cheers. :clap

[StevieD]

Hey Nettie, you only have to ask on here and you normally get an answer! Glad you found some info, there are others far more qualified to help you than me on here.
I just going on the PR skills route, so slightly different circumstances to you.

But good luck, sure you'll be fine.

Steve

[khhill]

Hi Nettie,

I'm another "married to a Kiwi PR" forumite. From start to finish from the Washington DC embassy took 3 months. Husband and I had to move to NZ before Permanent Residency was granted (he was starting grad school) and told case officer the plans. I entered NZ on a visitors visa and 3 days after arriving in NZ I got an email that I was approved in principle. They were able to transfer my paperwork to Wellington with one computer button push and I got the stickers in Wellington's office while I waited.

Long story short, go ahead and submit application now.

Cheers!

[Diny]

And I'm another .... married to a Kiwi. Although the official guideline says 8+ months - or sometimes even longer, in actual fact it takes alot less.

Right from the very first step of my application for PR via family category to getting the blue stickers in my passport took exactly 3 months, and I understand that my application was rather slow !!!

I think you'll be OK.

By the way .... Porlock ..... I had kittens riding my Harley along Porlock Edge a few years ago !!!! Lovely part of the country you're leaving behind.

Diny

[dawn]

Hi Nettie, welcome, as your other half is a Kiwi (I'm assuming you're married), you'll be able to come under the family category. It took 6 weeks for me to get my VISA (my hubby is a kiwi), so not as long as they say.

Good luck!

[keeweescot]

Hi Nettie & Welcome :)

We're in much the same situation as you - I'm a Kiwi & my OH is applying through the partnership visa. You're a wee bit ahead of us as he's only just applied for the police report.

We're also heading to Tauranga/the Mount - keep us posted on how you're getting on :nice1

Sal

[Jo_b]

Hello! I'm from just round the coast from you - Lynton in fact, though have been Hampshire based for the last few years. We are going out on 1 year working holidays visas and hoping to convert to something more long term when we arrive, so don't worry, there are people out there being more chaotic about this that you!

Good luck!

Jo

[Lupin]

We applied under the family partnership category too as I also had the good fortune to marry a Kiwi. All my timings for getting the pr are below this in my signature and as you can see are much, much shorter than 8 months. My advice would be:
*get to know the form inside out before you send it so that you tick every box and dot every i to prevent delays,
*get the police form sent off asap (as it can take up to 40 days and more than one person on here has had problems with the form going awol :roll ),
*get the medical done asap
*and keep coming back here asking for guidance when you need it :nice1

Good luck :)

[Nettie]

:cheers
Hey thank you so much all you guys out there. All your messages are so reassuring. It seems I don't have to get my knickers in quite the twist I was imagining!
Well today I have made the appointments for my medical & my x rays. They are both in the next 3 weeks. So getting somewhere with it. I didn't realise I had to print off forms for the medical as well tho. That's my next job, hunting them down on the NZ site.
Seems a few of you are from my neck of the woods, so you can appreciate the running around I'm going to be doing in the next few weeks. Why can't everything be under one roof instead of hours away from one another?!
Anyway, thanks again all of you for your replies. I will definately be logging on again soon.
Speak soon with my next problem. xx :)

[Hannah]

Hi Nettie
Welcome! Do stick around on this forum - you will start to learn the lingo and after a while you will be answering other people's questions too!
I agree with what's been said about PR application waiting times. I applied for PR in NZ (skills category and job offer) after having travelled out on a visitor visa - I was told 12 months wait on the phone - it took 2 months. I think they don't like to get your hopes up, or set themselves up to fail (or maybe they are trying to put you off). If your application is straightforward (no serious past crimes, no serious ill health) then i think that it will be really quick - i've heard on this forum of people being quoted 9 months and it taking just a few weeks, as others have already said.....so hang in there, submit your application, and be ready to fly out on a visitor visa if need be as you can always have your application transferred to your local NZ office.
good luck Nettie, stick with the forum as it is invaluable (And very friendly!!!)

hannah

[Nettie]

:wah Hi guys, a quick up date. Not a happy bunny today. The house sale has fallen through. So much for worrying about a quick result with PR! Ah well as Kevin (OH) says it could be for the best, at least I can get organised before the big day arrives. Still, can't help feeling sad, thought we would be on a beach for Christmas this year but looks like I'll be dragging me trimmings from the loft yet again! Any one want to buy a house in Porlock?!

[Trigirl]

oh you poor thing. i know exactly how you feel. it'll be for the best in the end. try and use the time to enjoy the things you might miss once you've gone.

[Lupin]

I'm sure many people on this forum can empathise and I sympathise :(

You've probably found it by now, but in case you haven't here is the X-ray and Health certificate (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/DE431E92-0ADE-4B5F-81F9-18DF08E5B2EA/0/1007Aug16.pdf) forms you need and here are the applicants notes (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/782F07E0-4CB2-4F58-9166-F0A9D63C4D68/0/1133Sept22final.pdf) to go with them.

[Jo_b]

I'd love to buy a house in Porlock! Lovely village. Downside is, I can't afford it (oh why did I not buy the place in Doverhay I saw and loved in 2002?! I'd have made a packet!), oh, and I sent my boyfriend to Wellington yesterday, all my wordly goods this afternoon, and myself in two weeks! Eeeek!