Applied Student Visa ,Medicals reffered to Medical Assessor.

[Harry]

Hi frnds,

I applied for NZ student visa four weeks before.
the usual processing time is 15 days( although my agent told me that you will get in 3 days) but i didn't received it in 15 days.On 16th day we emailed to find out the reason for delaying my visa. I got reply from them that my medicals are referred to medical assessor. My BMI is 33 and waist is >102. During the time of medicals i underwent fasting lipids and Sugar test in which my cholesterol level was bit high so the Doctor referred me to some specialist , the specialist conducted some blood test (the specialist told me that if there will be any problem in your test i will call you ) he didn't called me that means test was fine. It's more than 4 weeks i applied for visa but no reply has come my classes have already started and i have missed my intake now i have to wait for 5 months for next intake.

May i know how much time it will take more and do i need to take any precaution ?

[dilanium]

I would request a write up from the specialist you saw and forward that on to the MA.

Out of curiosity- what are you intending to study?

[Harry]

I don't think that written request will work out .

[dilanium]

The more info that the MA has- the better off you'll be- so why not give it a try?

[sophiedb]

The more info that the MA has- the better off you'll be- so why not give it a try?

I'm with you - I submitted a letter from my consultant and copies of my hospital records with my medicals, to head the most obvious questions off at the pass.

[JandM]

There isn't any particular set time that the processes take, despite what your agent said. Four weeks ago means that your application arrived around New Year, when there will only have been a skeleton staff in any NZIS office, and this may not have helped matters.

With any point outside the norms arising on your medical, the COs at NZIS have to refer your case to an MA. The MAs are an entirely separate body - the COs have no control over whatever time is taken to review a medical. Also, medicals are sent to NZ for this review, by ordinary mail, which is another time factor.

The MA's job is to look over the medical to advise the CO if the applicant's state of health is likely to cost the NZ health service more than $25,000 in the first four years, if their are admitted to NZ. Therefore, it is highly likely that when they see your medical, they are going to ask to know what a specialist thought after further tests were taken - this is their duty, and they won't give an opinion without the information they ask for. It will not be sufficient that YOU know that 'no news is good news' - this has to be passed on to the MA, as a report from the specialist, as you are not allowed to contact the MA directly yourself. The sooner you get a report and send it off, the shorter the delay will be.

[Harry]

Hi guys thanks for your reply.


I have already send the medical report and written details by specialist with my medicals . the Doctor told me that if i will not go to specialist than the medicals process will be delayed by 3 months , so i went to specialist and he asked all my family history and done one test related to thyroid so that to ensure that the embassy doesn't ask for any other health test.

the doctor is very experienced and is doing these Medical tests from more than 10 yrs so he was aware what all test will MA ask so he already asked me to undergo them.

there isn't any fixed duration for the processing of the medicals by MA ?

[JandM]

there isn't any fixed duration for the processing of the medicals by MA ?

No. With the MAs, as with the NZIS offices, you are in the hands of a big bureaucracy, applying a set process to a whole queue of cases. There is no way of knowing where in the queue your own case is, what the workload for officers is at the moment, whether there is a flu epidemic in their office, etc. etc.. It takes as long as it takes.

I notice you say this.

done one test related to thyroid so that to ensure that the embassy doesn't ask for any other health test.

The MAs (nothing to do with an embassy, incidentally) are entitled to ask for whatever information seems necessary to them. It's not to say it will happen in your case, but other forum members have been sent to have extra tests, or had supplementary questions asked of the specialists whose reports they have supplied. Of course it's annoying and frustrating, but you need to be prepared for the fact that it can happen, and it's not against any rules if it does.

[Harry]

Well i mailed Embassy and asked for the time duration , they said it will take maximum six weeks ? May be It varies for student visa ?

[JandM]

Maximum six weeks probably refers to the MA giving a first sign of life. As many people here will tell you, if there is some reason for the MA to wonder what is going on with a person's health, the questions and answers can go back and forth for a long time, until the MA is satisfied.