[SoCal Gal]

Hi there,
Just thought I would pass this info along, as I just heard from the consulate office in L.A. We were selected from the pool on Sept. 1 (no job offer but on growth area list) and I have not received anything other than the letter stating that we were selected. I probably got that mid-September. Today I contacted the L.A. NZ office, and was told that according to our selection date, we may get our packet next month....or the next! :-( So, it seems as if they are pretty behind. I was also told to go ahead and get the FBI clearance, because those are backlogged for several months already (at the FBI). Anyway, just thought I would pass this update along, as I don't see too many Americans doing the timeline thing (hopefully I am not overlooking some of you good folks from the USA!) :cool

[clg]

Thanks for calling them and posting the update. We were also selected on Sep 1. We just sent in our FBI background checks about 2 weeks ago. With luck we will be getting everything back around January.

Good Luck!


Chris

[MB]

Thanks for this. Did you get any clue as to which office does West Coast applicants' EOI processing, and/or whether these EOIs pass through London office at any point early on? A recent call to NZIS makes us think the latter might be true at some point.

Matt.

[xanctus]

So guys, getting the FBI letter is actually take some times???
:wah :wah

[feathers]

Yes unfortunately the FBI check takes forever so get it in as soon as you can!!
I sent mine off at the end of August and I only got it back last week!!! I think they advise you that it takes 8 - 12 weeks and judging by my experience thats about right.
Sorry I don't have better news!

[SoCal Gal]

Right, I forgot to mention, the guy I was working with in L.A. today told me he would check with his contact in LONDON about when my packet may go out. Keeping fingers crossed for all of us! :cool

[MB]

Feathers - don't want to shove you into the spotlight, so to speak, but given that USA (at least West Coast???) apps. seem to go through London, do you have any further idea about your terrific speedy change of online status from Selected to Approved? Or am I remembering your situation wrongly?

I'm delighted if something worked in your favor. I'm just curious about any further clues you may have had.

Matt.

[xanctus]

Yes unfortunately the FBI check takes forever so get it in as soon as you can!!
I sent mine off at the end of August and I only got it back last week!!! I think they advise you that it takes 8 - 12 weeks and judging by my experience thats about right.
Sorry I don't have better news!

that definately would be not a good news for me. My deadline to submit my ITA is somewhere in Feb. 05. If I send my police/finger prints this week...that would make the ltter from FBI itself around the same time that I have to submit my ITA.

[xanctus]

Is there any particular reason why the FBI letter takes longer? that does not make any sense to me. :? :? :no :no

[feathers]

Hi Matt

I'm certainly not averse to my few minutes in the spotlight!! I was selected on Sept 15th and my status changed to Decision Successful on October 10th (100 points no job offer) but after that it has been a big fat nothing!! No ITA or any communication from NZIS at all, so I'm beginning to doubt that the status on the website is anything to get excited about or in fact downhearted about cos I don't think it really reflects much of what is happening!!

I guess if EOI verification is done in London that might help me as I'm in fact a Brit, (just living and working over here) and so all my qualifications and most of my work experience is in the UK. But then that really doesn't make sense as there are loads of Brits selected at the same time as me waiting for that change of status.

I wish I had an insight into how all of it works but I'm as mystified as you!
Feathers

[MB]

Feathers - cheers! I, too, am a Brit in the USA. Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, it's all very interesting, isn't it? I, too, have had many wonderings about the criteria used. I think the simplest explanation is probably more or less right... which is that after job-offer EOIs the rest get processed chronologically. Just as intriguing is the example we all discussed a while ago: if the NZIS mission is to get the best migrants, would an OCtober 120 points get priority over an August 100 points? I doubt it, somehow.

Don't mean to sound like a broken record, but if we no-jobs are just a futile nuisance to them why, why, why is NZIS still keeping seleciton point low and why the relaxed amendments that don't even kick in for weeks yet? Answer: we're not a futile nuisance! After all, everyone including Opposition in NZ agress on the migrant 'crisis'?

Matt.

[feathers]

Hi Xanctus

I think the FBI just have a backlog and that's why it takes so long. I just checked their website http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm and it in fact says that it takes 6 - 8 weeks so you might be lucky.

All I can tell you is that mine took over 2 months from sending it off to getting it back in the mail. Hopefully yours will be speedier but I would definitely make it a priority to get those fingerprints in the mail!

Good luck
Feathers

[xanctus]

Feathers, thank's so much for the link to fbi. Yeah, I hope that our luck will be on our side when we get our police report. :hopeso :hopeso
This 4 months of timeframe make me nervous I must say :( :?

[xanctus]

Feathers and MB, don't worry...I also had to wait my ITA for quite sometimes. I got selected on August 4th, and then changed the status from selected to Decision Successfull 4/6 weeks later, and then another 4 weeks or so I just got my ITA. So, I believe you guys will get your ITA package pretty soon. Just hang in there...and the funny thing is, I thought that since we are living in US that our contact officer would be the one in USA branches, but as a matter a fact it's in London. :?

[catjlin]

I called the LA embassy yesterday and was told I needed to contact the Washington DC embassy. That done, they told me that our EOI had been sent to Dunedin :? for processing. Is that normal? We live in Colorado, which is technically the West. Hmmm. I've emailed Dunedin, but have no response as of yet.
100 pts, EOI selected 1 September, still waiting.
Oh, and do we need both FBI letters of clearance as well as clearance from our local police and fingerprints? Thanks in advance!
Cat

[cloudboy99]

Kat, as far as I know, the local/state police are not involved in any of the checking. All US checks go through the FBI office (CJIS) in Clarksburg, WV. The only thing you'll need from the local/state police is the actual fingerprinting (just tell them it's for a FBI criminal background check, it's form FD-258). My wife and I just had ours done at the county sherrif's office for US$10 a piece. It was rather nice too as they didn't use ink (all computer-based now, a lot less messy). Per the NZIS documentation, be sure to include:

1. Letter signed by all fingerprint card submitters stating that you require a background check as you are applying for residence in New Zealand (must be signed by ALL fingerprint card holders)
2. A cashier's check or money order (no personal checks, cash, or credit cards) for $18 made out to the "Treasury Department of the United States" . Also note that it is $18 for EACH fingerprint card included. For my wife and I it's $36.
3. Mail it to:

FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306

You can view http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm

[catjlin]

Cloudboy,
You rock!! :mrgreen: Thanks so much for all the info, you made it sound so simple!
Cat