Immigration at Auckland Airport! BE WARNED!

robothamma

Hubby arrived at Auckland airport yesterday, after flying with Korean airlines stopping in Seoul. When he got to Auckland he was picked straight out and marched to immigration! He has only gone for 10 days and has his return ticket Eek

During the 5 hrs they held him they wanted to know why he flew through Korean Airlines (because it was £300 cheaper than others) what he was doing in New Zealand (trying to get a job offer so he can apply for a work permit and SMC to satisfy NZIS) He even had his current Police Certificate with him just in case he needs it but this still wasn't enough! The bloke then asked about his work visa to which he answered he didn't have a job offer so he hadn't got one after the bloke went away and checked this out, he came back and asked about his EOI Application, he explained we were in the pool and he even had his NZIS invoice for the EOI with him which we had printed off. Away the bloke went again, came back and said he couldn't find us in the pool Eek

We put it in 2 weeks ago and so it had better be there, eventually he spoke to his supervisor who agreed to let him in Clapping

So a normal looking british bloke who is legally visiting NZ in order to jump through all the hoops that NZIS have got us all jumping through, with an occupation that is on the POL with no criminal convictions is singled out! This certainly wasn't the welcome we expected from such a so called friendly country!
Don't get me wrong to a certain extent I am pleased that they are so thorough in that they don't let anyone in - one of the many reasons we are leaving the UK! - But this Immigration bloke didn't have a clue about visas and permits just what is going on with NZIS? and where has our EOI gone? I've read the posting on points going missing but never the entire EOI Eek

I've checked the website and it says they have received payment so fingers crossed

and, NZIS because of this incompetance, Hubby missed 2 interviews. Perhaps they need reminding just how expensive a flight from UK is just to try and secure employment it wouldn't have been so bad if they had offered to ring the 2 employers concerned and let them know but they wouldn't

It looks like our no.2 choice of Canada could very easily become no.1 choice Nice One

To anyone just going as a visitor and then hoping to apply from within I'd be very careful that you at least have an onward ticket to somewhere, Oh and don't go through Korea! Laughing

xanctus · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:38 am Post subject:

Hmmm, most immigration are really painfull I must say. However, good to hear that your husband could go through. Also thank's for sharing with us this story.

alexh · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 34

Sorry to hear of all that grief, and hope it works out in the end.

I knew it was like that in the USA (personal experience), but never for a second did I think NZ would be like it.

Canada is also my 2nd choice, but there doesn't seem to be the jobs there

Good luck either way, and thanks for the prior warning.

Nice One

(I'll email myself as many documents as possible, and maybe post copies of others to a hotel when I go!)

Moorf · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:41 am Post subject:

Perhaps we'll grow some dreadlocks and don a kaftan so we look like a couple of backpackers (with laptops! Laughing

)

Seriously though, not a nice experience - I wonder how much had to do with his flight via Korea....?

Strangely enough, our 2nd choice is ALSO Canada!!

alexh · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Posts: 34

Moorf

Your second choice Canada too!!

I wonder what the canadians on the site think of that?

Comments ??

alex

Moorf · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:59 am Post subject:

In particular B.C....

Yes

Azazel · I Like It Here Joined: 08 Jan 2004 Posts: 64

I think .... he probably got uptight as you aren't really meant to look for work without a work visa ....

robothamma · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 6:45 am Post subject:

Hi all,
I'm alittle calmer now, sorry about that! bit forewarned is forearmed?
Moorf, BC is just where we were looking, canadian "South Island" we thought Nice One

Azazel, that is all very well, but don't you need a job offer first before they will give you a visa? and seeing as every company and agency all say "see you when you get here" how on earth do you get a job offer without going over? NZIS really need to address the issue of work visa's/permits esp where EOI's are concerned. They want the skilled workers but they don't want you in the country looking for work and they don' t push international recruiting hard enough as far as I'm concerned. What I would like to see is a "get me outta here, I'm a prospective immigrant!" featuring members of NZIS that have to abide by their own rules and try and emigrate to NZ from a foreign country. If we have to have all these reality & moving abroad TV programmes lets combine them and have something worthwhile watching! Did anyone follow that ? I seem to have gone off on another rant Embarassed

Sorry.

evelynne_r · I Like It Here Joined: 25 Jan 2004 Posts: 94

Snap with regards to Canada!

When I first arrived in NZ on a working holiday visa, I struggled to find a job and almost gave up on NZ. At that point, I applied for immigration to Quebec (I speak fluent French) and now hold an Invitation to Apply and a Certificat de Selection du Quebec (IA equiv)!!! Decisions decisions...

Evelynne

Dave & Sandra · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 6:51 am Post subject:

So sorry he had such an awful experience. Maybe it was the Korea thing do you think. When Dave arrived the customs officer said to him 'Now be a good boy now' and he thinks that meant - I know exactly what you are here for and you haven't fooled me at all. But that was the only comment.

I would have been terrified if it was me - and why did it take 5 hours!! Is he a bit disillusioned now? It's lucky he had so much paperwork with him. Wonder what would have happened if he didn't have any.

Well let's hope it was worth his while and he's succesful with his job hunt - did he manage to rearrange his interviews?

robothamma · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:00 am Post subject:

They were certainly concerned that he had flown via Korea! They said it was unusual, I'm glad it was via South Korea, lord only knows how long he'd have been there, had it of been North Korea!
I don't know about the interviews he missed, I'm still awaiting his call which should be very soon fingers crossed

He couldn't ring the companies concerned as he didn't get to leave the airport until 6.00pm so he has to wait for the morning (now our time!) to ring them, but he is on a tight schedule as he has a flight booked to Christchurch at 11am (thats if he can face Auckland airport again Laughing

) so it doesn't give him much time.
I'm glued to my online EOI in the meantime to see if we change from "payment received" to "lost" Confused

Dave & Sandra · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:12 am Post subject:

Didn't Jamie want info about problems with NZIS.

I know it's not directly involving them but with their policies the way they are, they are forcing people to travel to NZ looking for jobs. Didn't I read in another post ages ago that it's almost expected by immigration that people are going to be turning up job hunting.

It's a rotten shame the way they've treated him. I bet you've got one cheesed off husband comfort

robothamma · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:22 am Post subject:

Hi Sandra,
I contacted Jamie a few weeks ago about the problems we were having getting interviews without being in NZ! But I think he has gone over to OZ now. Confused

Then we got a buyer for the house with no chain Clapping

so we decided to get him a flight ASAP because things were starting to move fast, then on Friday we had the surveyors come and it turned out that the buyers had decided to have the full monty survey Sad

so now we have to wait to make sure that was OK, the surveyor didn't seem too concerned but we have learnt our lesson with surveyors in the past ( no insult meant to any surveyors on this site!) Hubby was a little cheesed off at the time (glad I'm many thousands of miles away Yes

) but even he agreed that to a certain extent it's good that NZ isn't the same as over here Clapping

it's just sooo b****y annoying

To put the icing on the cake one of the interviews is in Queenstown and sounds like the best so far, but then they go and get severe blizzards and weather Hmmm

Never mind it wouldn't be any fun if it all went to plan and what would I post about? It would have made great footage on one of the "Emigrate" films though! Laughing

veronica · Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:31 am Post subject:

I think that it has to be put in perspective. The guys at the airport are only doing their job, the main issue would be that he had flown in from Korea and the customs/immigration people have more to look for than immigration. Drugs from Asia is a big problem and all sorts of ways are tried to get them into the country. They have to treat everyone they pull in as a suspect unfortunately, even more unfortunate in this case they pulled your bloke who is here just looking for a job.

hamish65 · Testing The Water Joined: 15 Aug 2004 Posts: 6

Robothamma, what a horrible experience, and thanks for letting people know about it. Hopefully you will save others from going through the same.

I'm wondering now what are the safe routes and which are dodgy? Does anyone know?