SMC declined in 4 months of submitting ITA - Beijing branch

[sribhat]

This happened a few days back.. One of my friends had lodged their application for Residence visa under SMC. They had 140 points when submitted EOI and later the CO came back and said that they can only award 125 points... 1 month from the date that the CO mentioned about 125 points, she declined the application... By the way this was with Beijing branch...

He went back to the CO and asked if he can at least be given an opportunity to search for search a job or work visa.. She just said that they are not eligible...

I was pretty surprised to hear their story... This guy who applied, he has about 10 years of ICT experience in Infrastructure side...

Any suggestions or anything that you suggest.. or think what would have went wrong.. BTW, the CO even clarified that the background check went well...

[kuncle]

It was disappointing. I guess the deduction was a result of ineligibility for the 15 points from work experience of absolute shortage area. Try to have your friend double check if he had submitted insufficient material to prove he should have been available, or if he had misunderstood his availability, for those points.

[JandM]

An EOI can only be selected if the number of points is 'right' for the particular draw. Obviously, with 140, your friend's EOI would be selected immediately at the very next draw. Once the CO found that he only had 125 valid points after all, she would have to look at the criteria for selection for that draw when he was picked. If that draw didn't select any EOIs without job offer with 125 points, his EOI would have no right to be being processed at that time at all. Some people in this position have had their EOI put back in the pool, to wait out the remainder of the six months it's allowed to be there, rather than an outright rejection of the application. It might be worth asking if that could happen to him, as if he then managed to get a job offer, it would immediately get him selected again. (That is assuming that there is not some other reason for actual rejection.)

[Karen Phillips]

... there is no possibility is there that your friend inadvertently used the unlicensed adviser (Opulentus) in India that has caused such an upheaval recently? Anyone who did and failed to mention it on their EOI may well find they are no longer eligible for NZ Visas on grounds that they provided false or misleading information. Hopefully, this is not the case. It's just the timing is right. However, even if this is the case, every situation is different, so it would be worth exploring whether this is simply a case of wrong points and as JandM said, therefore not eligible for that selection. Regards. Karen

[amidala]

Hi! at what point was it declined? is it after submission of EOI? or after ITA lodgement? do you mean that after the CO has contacted him, he was outright declined without being given a chance to explain his side?

[sribhat]

thanks all...

JandM, I think your explanation tells the possibility.. I have another friend at 125 points and his EOI was in queue for 6 months and got rejected at EOI phase... Looks like INZ is getting enough application who has 140 or more than 140 points...

Karen, no, hin his case he did everything by himself..

There's an interesting thing that he shared - He had completed his Bachelor's (IT) in 2008. The CO mentioned to him that they can consider his work experience only post his education though he was working from 2005... Not sure, if the criterias have changed... When I had applied for the Residence visa, my case was same but, the CO considered the experience I gained before my Bachelor's..

Has anybody else here had such experience.. I could not find anything about this on the OpsManual...

[JandM]

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/30570.htm SM11.10.5 b is the cruncher on the point of whether work experience before the qualification can be counted. It is actually very rare that anything pre-qualification will count.

[Benjiamino]

Hi All,
I also have work experience before my qualification and relevant to it also but I will not take that risk. If you have other options, I would advise you not taking any risk because it is costly and very disappointing if ever your ITA was dropped.
Another thing I noticed. This precious 15 points for work experience and qualification in area of absolute skills shortage is easily removed from your EOI/ITA if you do not have an IQA clearly stating that your qualification is comparable to X qualification in column 4 of LTSSL. Pay attention to each detailed wordings.
Hope this help.

[sribhat]

Yeah... I see a point there! But, thanks for redirecting right section... that explains what would have gone there..