Hi - please give experiences / opinions on our situation:
I'm here with my family on Essential Skills Work visa since Dec 2012 - so I've been in NZ for 18 months, but been in current job for 1 year.
We've applied for SMC Residency - ITA lodged 28 April, CO assigned 26 May
CO emailed my current employer on 26 May asking a lot of questions about my job description, my purpose in the company, what I do with my time, a full explanation of how I do each ANZSCO task, asked if he'd been paid by me to employ me, if he'd created the position to help me get residency, etc. etc...
And the CO also emailed me asking to send 6 months bank statements, 6 months payslips, and IRD summary of income for 2012 - 2014.
CO wanted all this by 28 May - DONE. No reply or acknowledgement yet from CO.
My employer answered all the questions - he showed me what he said, and it's all very complimentary and positive - and matches the ANZSCO anyway.
What I want to know is, would the CO also have contacted my previous employer also back in my home country? Obviously that verification was done for my work visa approval - would the CO do it again? (I can't get hold of my previous boss to ask him - he's not answering my emails, don't know if he's still there - and am a little concerned about what others within the company would say about my job description at the time, as they weren't fully aware of my tasks).
Another thing that bothers me is, why do I have to send all these IRD things, payslips and bank statements for 6 months? I have a job offer and 140 points, and DIDN'T claim any points for work experience in NZ - shouldn't that be enough?
I have a friend who arrived in NZ on visitor's visa to job hunt, he was in his job for 2 month (still in probation period!) and got residency already. We applied for residency at the same time - it just seems so unfair - I've been here longer, firmly settled in my job etc., and yet he gets everything approved no questions asked. Could it have something to do with the fact that I'm doing my own application - and he used an immigration adviser company?