[denisesykes]

Thought it was too good to be true , we have been here in NZ for 14 months, both got good jobs , kids settled in school etc etc.We have 3 year work visas and passes all our medicals and x rays in the UK with flying colours so thought that the medicals here would be a formality!
Unfortuntately we are having a bit of a nightmare.
There are 5 of us in the family so the inital cost of the medicals was $1100.
Both my daughters and husband were found to have blood in their urine although once the results were sent to the lab only my husbands remained positive. (Extra $165 paid to find that out!).My husband will have to have another test next week so fingers crossed!
Then both my daughter and I were found to have a 'blob' on the xray. Both appear in a bone, mine in my rib and hers in her neck.They do not think it is a significant finding but I was given the choice of having a bone scan ($700 each!) or just sending the reports in to immigration and hoping for the best! I decided to do the latter so once again 'fingers crossed!' The doctor charged an additional $55 to tell me that!
What is annoying though is that the xrays are identical to those we had done in the UK just 18 months ago and nothing was said!
Lastly I had to have additional blood tests (an extra $65!) because of a mark on my eye which could have indicated increased chloesotral (spelt wrong I know!)
There was no worries on that but it did show a lack of Vit B12 so I have to have another test today!(another $60!)
We are beside ourselves , we have already spent $2000 on these medicals and have no idea whether the immigration dept will accept us or not! None of the findings are thought to be significant, can they refuse you for having a lack of B12!!
Does everyone who get residency have no abnormal findings whatsoever? How picky are they?
If anyone has had any experience of a situation such as ours please let me know as I so worried. My OH is just angry with the whole system and says that he will just pack up and go home if we cannot get residency this time around.!!!
Oh one last thing , our ITA needs to be in my early Feb , we have asked for a 2 week extension but heard nothing.Do they usually give you extra time?
Thanks for reading, not very exciting subject I know but it feels like make or break to me and I really don't want to go home!

Denise

[StevieD]

Not exciting, but interesting. It is one that must be absolutely bugging you, considering you have already been through it in UK. I just wonder why the NZ system seems so efficient at picking up what the UK doctors missed!
It is a pain, both financially and personally, but we just wish you all the best. Keep positive, we found that we sailed through when we had ours done for ITA, but would it be the same now? You just have to be thinking that all will be o.k. and you will get residency, after all, you have done the hard part already and been there for 14 months.

Sure it will be a fly in the ointment, and you will soon be putting it behind you.

Steve

[gil]

Denise, sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations with the medicals. Hopefully it will just be "nit-picking", which whilst hurting the pocket will get you through to residence. Looking on the bleakest side, if they DO pick something up, it will be found early and if they don't, then you will be fine and carry on with your lovely new lives here in NZ.
Sorry I can't help re the extension question, I'm sure someone will know something helpful.
Wishing you all the best and keep us posted,

Gil

[The Hodges]

http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy100.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

Our medical was not 100%, and we were told that not everyone's is (by our doc), so I'm hoping that yours should be the same.

It doesn't make the worry any less though, so I have my fingers crossed for you.

I'm trying not to be cynical, but I wondered whether the docs know that they have you over a barrel?

With regard to the last question about an extension, not sure but I'm sure someone will be able to help.

Fingers crossed for you and your family, good luck with everything, and please keep us updated.

P.S. I like the name of your pet.

[sarahw]

Friends of ours medicals were not straightforward & one of them has a serious illness, much more serious than what has been found on your results and they were still accepted as residents because it is managed & they don't have to have any treatment.

Hang in there - basically immigration are just checking that you're not coming here to be a drain on the health service - i.e. if you have a major problem that is going to require ongoing treatment.

[Mexican in NZ]

Hi Denise,
Just want to say that i wish that this bad situation goes away soonand all your problems get solved...you just need to have faith and patience and u will be fine.
Wish all of you good health and that the problems that were incountered are just little things so u all can b healthy and happy.
God Bless,
Adriana

[Avalon]

We are beside ourselves , we have already spent $2000 on these medicals and have no idea whether the immigration dept will accept us or not! None of the findings are thought to be significant, can they refuse you for having a lack of B12!!
Does everyone who get residency have no abnormal findings whatsoever? How picky are they?
If anyone has had any experience of a situation such as ours please let me know as I so worried. My OH is just angry with the whole system and says that he will just pack up and go home if we cannot get residency this time around.!!!

Denise,

They are looking for serious conditions - mostly infectious diseases. I cant find the list on the NZIS website - but its there somewhere. Its going to have to be serious for them to deny you a visa.

Bear in mind - that should the worst happen - you can appeal the decision. At that point I would be slapping the UK x-rays on the desk and asking why its only now that there is a problem.

If I were in your shoes - I would be tempted to try and get an appointment to speak to a manager at NZIS and ask them thier opinion on all these extra tests. Because I'm slightly on the same tack as the Hodges here - and Im a bit dubious as to the neseccity of this. However - it may all be above board - but I fell NZIS are the people who can talk you through that and maybe put your mind at ease athat you are a/ not being taken for a ride, and b/ not about to be frogmarched out of the country.

I now its easy to get angry at the system. When we were trying to get out here - there were so many occasions that I felt just too frustrated to carry on - and a number of times since I arrived too. But you just have to take a deep breath and carry on.

Its HIGHLY unlikely that you will not get residency because of these medicals.

{{{HUGS}}}}

[Smiler]

Hi Denise

I'm sorry to hear you are having such a tough time with the medicals. It's doubly hard when all you do is just shell out money too, while walking backwards.

As Av says, is it worth popping into NZIS in Wellington and asking face to face? They are just looking for serious illnesses that will drain the health system here. They surely know we're not all perfect specimen immigrants? :uhoh


Good luck and hang in there, we're all with you. :yes

P.S. Tip for anger management - find all your old crockery and fling it against the wall. Then get someone else to pick it up. Works wonders!

[wilson182]

How friendly is your case officer. My OH has colitus and so his medicals went backwards and forwards for a while. I noticed online that the date received kept changing. I flicked an email to my case officer and she was very quick to reassure me. At the end of the day, you both have jobs and children in school - you are not the kind of people that they are going to want to lose in a hurry.

[Nienke]

I'm sorry to hear about your medical troubles. Hang in there, and good luck!

[Ana&Steve]

Just wanted to add to the well-wishings, and I hope all the hassle passes quickly!
Ana