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.