HELLO From New Zealand

chevalier

Yep we in NZ are now in 2009. This is going to be OUR YEAR fellow MSE'rs!

Go for your goals. FOCUS. Don't give up.

WE WILL GET THERE.

GO FOR IT!

chev

whatatwit

Happy New Year, Chev.

Just looked out the window and it's snowing here :eek:

Have a fantastic 2009.

chevalier

Well as some of you may know, me staying in NZ is contingent on getting the right paperwork through.

After much procrastination and beating myself up over being so slow, i finally applied for my visitos permit, which is, in effect an extension to the visitors visa that everyone gets on arrival at NZ.

So I put on it that the reason for the extension is to apply for my residency.

After a very tense wait, where they failed to live up to their promise to have 90-95% of applications back to you in 6 weeks, I finally got mine back 4 week later (ie 10 weeks). Yippee I thought now we can all rest easy I am legal and can start doing the next round of paperwork.....

Until I saw the expiry date of the extension 14.06.09. !!!!!!? Now residency applications take months to sort out at least 12 and nearer 18, so why had they only extended my visa by 5 months?

So of course I phone up. Oh yes that is right madam a visitors visa can only be 12 months in length. So then he says, but let me just check, and asks me a few questions. Then he says (and it really isn't his fault), but you should have applied for a work permit due to partnership (ie my OH being australian), not an extension to the visitors visa, and put in your residency paperwork at the same time.

NO ONE TOLD ME THIS!!! !!!!!!. I have had at least 4 detailed chats about these forms, and NO ONE mentioned this to me. It is SO frustrating it is untrue. And to top if off my police check is not out of date (only valid for 6 months), so that will cost £70 for a new one.


AHHHHHH

Bl**dy new zealand immigration. When I had heard of people complaining about how inept they were, I just thought they were wingers. But now geez they are just so so so (can't think of a good word here).

Right rant over. This is my task for this week. I am going to fill in these chuffing forms!

chev

Seaxwyn

Oh Chev how maddening, you poor thing!!!

How are things otherwise?

Wol2

Awwwww Chev.....:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Bureaucracy eh!!....thee and me both! Let's see whose quicker - NZ Immigration or my insurance company :rotfl: :rotfl:

WE WILL GET THERE

Hugs Hun
Wol2
xxx

chevalier

Thanks guys.
Seax other than that things are pretty good. The boys are in holiday club, with a trained sports instructor this week. And it is costing about £30 a day for both of them. It would cost at least double that in the UK.

And it is getting really hot now as well 27 centigrade yesterday. Of course then you have to worry about sun burn. Still it is a nice pace of life out here.
Wol I honestly think both your insurance company and NZIS (nz immigration service), are as inept as each other... But you are on.

cheers guys I appreciate the support
chev

ms_london

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous!!

Where are you going on your travels? If you need any tips or advice give me a shout! I am hoping to move back to NZ in the next few years, love it!!

xx

ms_london

Oh you have moved out there? Where are you living??? Immigration in any country is a nightmare, people in the call centres dont know what they are talking about (you think they would??) - caught me out too!

If you would like any cadburys chocolate or anything sending out, let me know!xxx

chevalier

Well we are getting towards Autumn now. Went through littler one clothes yesterday, and boy he has loads, so no need to buy him anything for the winter. Phew

A few thoughts. I got my paperwork in so now I am waiting for it to be sorted. After all the c*ck ups with Immigration they reckon it will only take 2 weeks. Can't think how that bit can be so efficient when the rest thing is so carp.

Sleep deprived at the moment as we are trying to get younger Ds dry at night. SIGH he is such a bright little spark, but he just doesn't get about going to bed and going to sleep, and then getting up if he needs to go..... I think it is because he is such a deep sleeper.

I love seeing the birds here. We have dozens of blackbirds in the front and back garden, and I have been watching them entranced, as they busily eat the windfall apples in the back garden. I don't think I have ever seen that behaviour before, so that is fun. There are also many more thrushes here, which is always lovely.

Anyway looking at this rambling I can tell I am sleep deprived so will be off to bed. Ms London it is great here. We are in Rodney District so nice with a lot of countryside.

chev

Horace

Sorry to hear that you are still entangled in a web of bureaucracy and to think they keep having that tv programme over hear called Wanted Down Under which looks at workers from the UK who want to emigrate to Oz and NZ, they make it look simple.:rolleyes:

The days are warming here and I noticed that the hawthorn hedge along the path to the railway station is greening up. Spring has sprung at long last and I am glad we got rid of all the snow.

Hope you have a lovely time living in NZ and thanks to the internet you can keep in touch with fellow MSE addicts:D