WTR and family stream

[Eireann013]

Hi everyone. So glad I found this website, as just looking through other posts have led me to some of the information I have been looking for!

I signed an employment contract in September and am currently trying to get all of my documents together to submit my work visa application (WTR Talent application - already have the medicals, waiting on the US police certificate). I found out about the family stream for visa applications through someone else's post (for which I am really thankful as I hadn't come across it on the INZ website and we were starting to worry we might end up separated for a lot longer than we anticipated!)

In that post, someone had mentioned that you submit both visa applications together, but when I look at the family stream form (form 1146) there is a section where I have to fill out the information about my visa. So do I need to get my visa before we submit DH's visa application?

Another quick question - the information I got about the visa application process from my future employer says that I should submit all of my documents for the visa together. So I am currently waiting to receive my US police certificate before I submit the application. Is that the best way to do it? My employer really wants me to start on 10 January 2011 (they actually had hoped for the end of November, but that definitely won't happen), but with the US taking up to 12 weeks to provide a police certificate it could be the end of December before I even receive that.

Thanks!

[JandM]

No, you don't have to get your visa first - send the applications together, with a covering letter. Obviously, YOU can't fill in the details of your visa, but your CO will be able to.

It isn't any use submitting until you have everything necessary (like the US police check). They won't process anything till all the evidence is to hand. This is understandable if you imagine an office FULL of people each dealing with their allocation of hundreds of files. If they had to hunt through all the paperwork every time an odd piece of information came in separately, so as to connect it with the particular case it applied to, it would delay everyone's application.

[Eireann013]

Thanks very much! Will work on the cover letter while we continue to wait for our police checks.

[maurim3]

Hi everybody! I am in the same situation with my wife, I am applying under the WTR Visa (Talent) with a job offer, but in my case I want to apply first and after being in NZ, if everything goes well, my wife will apply for hers. Is this a valid option? Or do we necessarily need to apply together?
Best regards!
Mauro.