gaining acceptance

It's been an incredibly busy 24hours, but our application for residence in New Zealand has finally been accepted. In now-typical fashion the wording - 'Approval in Principle' doesn't make it seem as though we're finally there, but the following paragraphs makes it more clear;

'Approval in Principle' means that you have almost successfully satisfied all criteria under the Skilled Migrant Category. Now all you need to do is complete these last few steps and I will be able to confirm final approval of your application for residence.

We need to send our passports and a Migrant Levy of £450 to complete the process. The passports will be returned with shiny new visas inside, and then we're done!

Not content with shelling out another load of money, I spent a fair few hours on the phone to various agents trying to secure 5 seats on flights from Manchester to Christchurch on December 20th/21st. I knew this would be difficult, but it was more time-consuming, stress-inducing and hideously-expensive than I expected. But it's now done after a number of games of brinkmanship, and Cathay Pacific won the tender to fly us to our new home by virtue of the fact that no-one else could match the dates. I've never been to Hong Kong before, and I'm looking forward to our 90minute stay there!

Finally, we've booked the removal people to come on December 10th and 11th to ship all our stuff away in a sea-bound container. This gives us a week to clean up before our new tenants move in, but does mean that we'll be possession free until some time in late January / early February. No matter how it was planned this was always going to happen. Luckily t-shirts, shorts and jandals are de rigeur at my new office...

inch vs mile

Confirmation has come through regarding Maddie's medical, and NZIS are now happy that she doesn't pose any financial risk to the already precarious New Zealand economy.

This is obviously a massive relief to us all as it now means that all obstacles have been removed and that the relevant visas can now be processed. Well, they will be once all documents have been compiled and have been reviewed by someone other than our visa officer to ensure that all is present and correct. This is likely to be nothing more than a formality but, well, we're still a distance (albeit a small one) from the final, absolute, gratifying long awaited "yes!". Let's just say we're 99.9% of the way there...

The most frustrating aspect of the delays is that it's hard to move on and organise flights, accomodation, house-buying and school enrollment without knowing an exact date of departure. We've already revised our likely leaving date as now somewhere around the 20th december, but until I get the tickets booked (and these will be the hideously expensive and scarce tickets due to the popular time we'll be travelling) we're still in limbo.

However, we did get some good news regarding accomodation today; a holiday home we enquired about in the Christchurch suburbs has been offered to us for free on the condition that we feed the cats, doves and horses. Apparently the owner is just pleased that a family with kids will be around to do this, and the girls will be absolutely ecstatic about the horses. The house will also be big enough to accomodate our NZ friends who will be coming to stay for Christmas. Which is great.

waiting

I'm back from my month's training in my soon-to-be new job in Christchurch (more on this later), but there are other pressing issues on my mind at the moment.

Today could be - and hopefully is - d-day finally bringing a resolution to the ongoing NZIS medicals saga. This time it's not me, but my youngest daughter Maddie. Her issues have been described by her consultant as (and I quote)

... treated amblyphobia, an exotropia and right homonymous hemianopia.

This sounds incredibly scary - and relates to problems with migration of the brain during development - but basically means that although she can see out of both eyes, she can only see through one of them at a time.

Just like with my own reports, it seems that NZIS are incredibly nervous about signing-off anything that could possibly cost NZ money further on down the line. I can understand this to a certain extent, but they seem to need to hear it three or four times from different sources before they can finally relax and relent.

The final letter from the consultant (and it has to be final because there really is nothing more to say) finishes with:

As she is still young (< 2 years), I would recommend continued attendance at the orthoptic department. I would expect this to require 3 or 4 visits per year over the next 2-3 years. It is likely that patching will be needed to maintain the current excellent vision.

In the meantime we've managed to find tenants for our house, and they move in on the 17th December. So, just like my panic in getting the work-visa - the clock is ticking once again...

finally there. finally here

It's been a while (as per usual), but that's because things have finally started moving, and - at long last - I'm in New Zealand.

I've started doing some training at my new workplace in preparation for a start date of January 5th 2009 and all appears to be going well so far. There's plenty to learn and investigate, and it's vital preparation for when I start work proper. It also doesn't hurt to meet my future colleagues and attempt to integrate into the work environment. Anyway, so far so good, and everyone has gone out of their way to be friendly and helpful.

This has been interspersed with living in a bach, sussing out Sumner and Redcliffs (where we're hoping to live), searching for accomodation for when we all finally get over here, and checking out the local schools. Oh, and getting as much local knowledge as possible.

Of course, things can't be totally perfect, and we (as a family) still aren't completely sorted with regards to our residency. NZIS as *still* stalling over Maddie's medicals, and we're having to harras the already over-helpful and appreciative-of-our-plight consultants at York Hospital for even more information.

I've had to come over on a work permit rather than residency, so as ever we're nearly there, but as ever not quite there yet.

Video Skype has been my salvation in the lonely weeks that I've been away, but I'm desperately looking forward to getting back home on the 30th October and giving the girls a long and well-missed cuddle.

closer

Things are still moving in the right direction - all the relevant expensive consultations have now taken place and all is well in my world. Well, it will be after the obligatory 2 week wait!

I've got the all clear on my heart murmur and raised ALT results, these being the only barriers to getting the required work permit. This is great, but the good news is tempered by the necessary delay in getting things written up, sent out and accepted.

If there's one good thing to come out of the interminable waiting while the due process slowly grinds on and on, it's the fact that it appears that I'm reasonably healthy. My cholesterol is low, my blood pressure is ideal, and due to the fact that I had to make sure I was in as best position as possible for the medicals, I've lost over a stone in weight (although I could probably stand to lose another one, but it's a step in the right direction).

All those things that have taken time to sort out would probably have been flagged up in any case some time in the near future, and I also now know that I have no nasty diseases lurking in my blood ready to surprise me some time in the future.

However I won't be fully happy until It's all over, and I'm possibly being a bit ambitious, but a start date of 29th September is looking a possibility and one that I'm certainly aiming for. Let's hope there's some cheap flights still available...

the trouble with medicals

Just when we think everything is sorted and I'm finally on my way, another medical issue raises it's ugly head and spoils things.

I should actually be in Christchurch now, starting a 4-week training period for my new job in preparation of my 'real' start date of Jan 5th 2009. This would give me time to settle into the job and meet co-workers, as well as being a great opportunity to do some house-hunting and school-scouting for when we all emigrate together on or around mid-December.

However despite being passed as fit by my GP and paid-for private consultants, NZIS (or more specifically their medical department) want their pound of flesh and even more reports on things that have already been verified.

I was born with a "flow" heart murmur and had to have regular medical checks every couple of years until I was discharged when 18 (over 20 years ago). All the relevant paperwork has been sent to them, but only an expensive and private consultation with a cardiologist will be enough.

I also have what is known as a fatty liver. This can be caused by a number of factors - especially too much alcohol - but tests done by my GP and ultrasound scans from the hospital show there is no cause for alarm and my slight alcohol intake points to it not being serious. NZIS has this information, but wants more. Another expensive and private consultation awaits.

However it's not the cost that is bugging me, it's the time delay. My visa depends on my job offer, and the job offer depends on my being there very soon. If the delays become too great there's a chance I may lose the job. If I lose the job, then the application form is ripped up (and the medicals go out-of-date) and I have to start all over again and find a job and pay for another application.

It's all very stressful and I need to have a chat with the company tonight to see if it's going to affect anything...

relax, pause, scream

It's been a tiring time over the past couple of weeks, and it's all been due to the medicals that we (or more specifically, I) have had to take at the behest of Immigration New Zealand (NZIS). My wife and girls all sailed through their respective medicals, but there were two very small sticking points raised on mine.

I was assured that there was nothing seriously wrong with me, and that all I needed was some clinical proof to confirm that this was the case. After speaking to my GP (and indeed all of the GPs at our practice who have - without fail - been completely helpful and supportive of us when we've needed help and quickly) he set the wheels in motion and threw his full medical weight behind us.

It was only the next day that I realised that the NHS at large would not be quite so accomodating. The NHS is a wonderful thing, and I've not resented one penny out of the thousands upon thousands I have contributed through my National Insurance. But - and there's always a "but" - it can't really help when you need expediency above all else.

I am still due to start work in Christchuch some time in the first week of September. The fact that I could lose the job is of no concern if the appointment to see the consultant is due to take place a good month after this. That's not their fault, but I was left with only one option - to go private.

The amount of money we have spent on applying for NZ residency has become a bit of a black hole, and private consultancy fees were just another necessity on the tedious and twisting road to emigrating. This took us to over £3,000, and I'm hopeful that the financial demands will ease off for some time.

So, I got seen the next day, got signed off immediately and finally - finally! - managed to get the Invitation to Apply in the post a mere month after it joyously plopped through our front door.

That's not to mention the last-minute blip re job references (which, considering I'd already gotten a job, I didn't think were necessary) that NZIS insisted upon. The fact that my current employer was literally on his way out of the door for a 2 week break when I just about accosted him for a written and signed reference, is yet another comedy of errors for another time...

things are moving

As the title says, things are moving along now, with plenty of twists and turns punctuated by periods of condensed hyperactivity followed by tedious will-sapping lulls of NHS-inspired boredom... somehow I feel we're on the home straight without having anything resembling the finishing line in sight.

For my own sanity I think I'll just write a short-ish list of where we're at and I'll link through each item at a later date.

where we're at

1. I've got a job! This was the main reason why the blog has been so barren recently as I didn't want to jeopardise matters with any potentially ill-conceived comments.


2. We've been sent to Invitation To Apply (ITA) by New Zealand Immigration. This means that they're happy in principle with the job offer and things can now really start to happen.


3. I finally received a reply from Sheffield Hallam University which was underwhelming to say the least. Despite their best efforts, the system has really let me down.


4. We've had our medicals - and paid out a hefty amount of cash to do so. There's a few more final bits and pieces to sign-off (which may unfortunately take a couple of weeks).


5. I'm aiming to start a month's work (training and familiarisation) in September. That's right, September - which means that the tight schedule is getting tighter by the day...


6. Our house goes on the market in a couple of days. This in itself isn't stressful, but having builders, joiners and decorators in the house for the last couple of weeks has been. I'm glad that bit is over, believe me, but I fear there is more hassle to come...


7. I've also had a meeting with an independant financial advisor (IFA) in order to work out the best way to move monies over to NZ without either government getting any more than their due

Far from being the cathartic self-help exercise I envisaged, writing all that down has made me need a drink or two. I think I'll take a break before filling in the many gaps in the above.

to clarify

My final comments on my last blog entry may have - in hindsight - been a touch dismissive regarding the possibility of sorting out a job before moving to New Zealand.

So for now we sit and wait - although our plans might have to slightly change. It's possible to make up for the shortfall in points by getting a job before we go. It's not ideal, but something I'm going to have to consider...

Although my preference was to gain a permit without the need of a job, it was because a number of sources made it clear to me that it would be incredibly difficult to secure the right role without at least one face-to-face interview. In fact it was their belief that companies wouldn't even entertain the notion of considering someone without their work-permit.

However since the points debacle (and while waiting for my old university - Sheffield Hallam University - to come out of enquiries lockdown) I received a belated email from a company that I had spoken to at the Leeds NZ Expo - or more specifically a colleague based in New Zealand that had all my details - and he said that there were a couple of companies on his list that were interested in my CV.

It's early days yet, but at least I have another option to ponder. An equally good one, mind...

first hurdle

When filling out my 'expression of interest' for emigrating to New Zealand, I had a feeling that classifying my degree would be a minor problem in the process - something that would need explaining with corroborating evidence. Well damn my foresight, I was right! However the problem looks like it's a lot bigger than I had first thought.

Degree

I graduated in 1994 from Sheffield Hallam University with a 2:1 BSc in Applied Statistics. Although statistics is classified as a mathematical subject, my degree was classified as being part of the "computing and management sciences" faculty, presumably due to the large amount of computer science theory and use of statistical modelling software.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

The number of points gained in an EOI is vitally important with the process being used to weed out the time-wasters and unsuitable candidates. If the total is less than 100, then the process stops dead and there is no chance of becoming resident (unless the points threshold changes, which is does now and then). If 140+ points are gained an invitation to apply for residency is more or less assured. Anything between 100 and 140 is still good, but you may have to sit tight and wait. As it happens we managed to gain 135 points and were selected at the next ballot.

Out of these 135 points, 10 were gained for having a degree in an area of "absolute skills shortage" (computer sciences) and 15 for work experience in the same area.

Sheffield Hallam University (SHU)

The half-expected querying of my degree credentials came last week, with NZ Immegration requiring a transcript of my degree. I contacted SHU with my issue, confident that there should be no problems. Before I completed the EOI I had spoken to someone at SHU with precisely this issue and was assured that at the time of my graduation my degree could be classified as "computer sciences".

However I was informed that all transcripts for my degree have been destroyed as it was more than seven years ago. It may be possible to trawl the archives to find my individual results (and therefore the subject modules that made up the degree), but this wouldn't be possible until mid-July as the faculty was currently engaged in exam-marking and all queries of this nature are suspended.

The Result

I have to sit tight and wait for 6 weeks until SHU can look for my files in the archive. Success is not guaranteed, but I have been assured that all the information should be there.

However there is no guarantee that this information will be accepted by Immigration New Zealand, and if that's the case then my points total will become 110 - still enough to stay in the pool, but (from the last couple of ballots) not enough to be selected. It's frustrating as points gained from work experience are discounted due to not having a degree of the "absolute skills shortage" category, despite having 15+ years experience in exactly this field!

So for now we sit and wait - although our plans might have to slightly change. It's possible to make up for the shortfall in points by getting a job before we go. It's not ideal, but something I'm going to have to consider...

stage one acceptance

I've just logged onto the Immigration New Zealand to check how our Expression of Interest (EOI) is coming along. Before you're allowed to apply to live/work/reside in NZ you have to do an EOI (and pay $400 for the privilege!) and reach a certain number of points before you're invited to apply.

I suppose that this sorts out the serious from the not-so-serious which means it's money well spent, and the good news is that after only sending it in last week, we've been "selected". This means that our EOI has been plucked from the pool and - once they've verified there are no lies - we'll soon be invited to apply for residence.

Very exciting, and a small weight of our shoulders. There's still a long way to go, but the process has gotten off to the best possible start...