Well, it sat in the queue for nearly three months before someone picked it up, but my SMC residency application is now being assessed. The case officer emailed me directly and said she did a quick initial assessment of my application and didn't need any further information. I think/hope that's a good sign I'll be approved for residency, and soon.
When my application was lodged in January, they sent along a note saying it'd take 9-12 months to process. That freaked me out, because my then-current visa expired at the end of March. Through some dedicated wrangling between my employer and immigration, I was able to get another visa through the beginning of October… but I still worried INZ wouldn't even start processing my application until after my work visa expired.
Just the fact that they've started assessing my visa "already" is a huge load off of my mind.
Does anyone know how long it usually takes to finish the assessment and make a decision? I know it depends on a lot of different factors; I'm hoping that the fact that I'm from an English-speaking country, have a postgraduate degree I earned in New Zealand, and have been living here continuously since mid-2008 will all work in my favour.