Processing times

[Kiwilad]

Hey guys,

Just 1 question on processing times. I'm looking on the immigration NZ Bangkok branch website at the processing times, they say that 79% of temporary work visas are processed within 10 days and 94% within 24 days, when they say processed does that mean completely processed as in visa stamp in the passport processed or is that just to be assigned a CO?
Just a bit confused as I've seen plently of posts here where people have waited months for their partnership visa to be processed?
Thanks

[Karen Phillips]

Maybe the other posts referred to residence as a partner? The standard processing times for temporary visas, if there are no complications are around 3 - 4 weeks in most offices. This is from date of lodgement to issue of visa.

[Kiwilad]

Oh fantastic, that's just what I wanted to hear!!! Haha! Thanks heaps Karen appreciate it!

[Kiwilad]

Hi Karen, sorry can I just ask you one other question, I noticed you were an immigration advisor so believe you might be able to give me some insight to this.

I'm a NZ citizen and my partner she's Thai, we plan on applying for a partnership based temporary work visa later this year, I believe all of our evidence we have so far is good, but our concern is proving that we live together in Bangkok, I have read numerous other threads on advice on proof of residence but this is Thailand and next to nobody sends letters via post. We live in an apartment here where only one name can be on rental agreement and that name has to be on the power and water as well! We have signed up to numerous things similar to a fly buys card in NZ, supermarket cards etc in the hope they would send mail but nope nothing. Even banks don't send mail!!! We get our phone bill sent to this address but because I don't have a work permit here my name is not allowed to be on the phone plan, so we get 2 seperate phone bills but both with her name on it. So we are kind of abit stuck as to what we can show for evidence of us living together.
So far we have a joint bank account which we can get a certified letter from the bank with proof of address we also pay all household bills with this account, the company that manages the apartments will write a statement that we have both lived here since X until Y date, my partners parents will also write a statement that she moved out of home on X date to live with me, we will also get friends to write that they can confirm we live together when they write supporting letters.
Do you have any other suggestions as to what we can do and what INZ would accept?

[Karen Phillips]

Phew - that's a tricky one! You seem to be doing all the right things. Are you registered with a doctor, dentist, the library, the local gym etc? Letters and documents don't have to have both names on - if there are two similar documents both with the same address on, this can work. I sometimes suggest to clients that they think like a detective. How would a detective prove you were living at that address if they needed to? For example, there is obviously a phone registered in your partner's name which you use. You can show a bill that proves it is in your partner's name. Is the bill itemised? Who do you phone regularly - anyone in NZ such as your family for example? Can they access itemised bills (I seem to remember NZ Telecom Bills requiring an entire forest because of the detail level). With this trail, you can see a phone owned by your partner regularly making calls to your family in NZ? You then need a really good cover letter that explains exactly the difficulties you have faced getting partnership evidence and the reasons why. You can also use this letter to walk INZ through the paper trail you have managed to provide. Include a few photos of the two of you together in different places at different times - some famous landmarks e.g. The Grand Wat, with different groups of people, invitations to friends' wedding or a birthday or a Thai festival. I hope that helps. If I have any more ideas I will let you know.

[Kiwilad]

That's the problem with technology haha, who wants to pay a ridiculous amount of money on an international phone call when you can use things like Skype and Facebook call for free haha!

Thanks for your help! We've tried so many forums, my partner even joined a Facebook group of Thais living in NZ in the hope they would be able to offer some advice on what they had done to show proof of address but nobody really come up with anything spectacular!

Any way thanks again for your help it's much appreciated and yes please let us know if you manage to come up with something else!
In the mean time we'll keep our eyes peeled for other alternatives and keep signing up to our reward point cards in the hope they will send us some form of mail!

[Karen Phillips]

Well, you can use Skype and Facebook logs if the content would either prove you are in Thailand - "we went to see..... today " and they mention your partner????

[Kiwilad]

Yes we will certainly be using those, great thing about that is they also have the date and where they where sent from same as all the photos we have together where and when they were taken. My main concern is really just proving that we are living together but I'm sure if we put our thinking caps on we can come up with something.

[gtoktoshova]

Hi,
I really do need an advice on my situation with a student visa.
I submitted my application in Suva, Fiji on the 8th of June and on the 9th of June it was sent to INZ.
I'm applying for a student visa (Bachelor of Commerce at Victoria Uni of Wellington) and I have paid my fees as an international student for year.
Previously, I've had visitor visa and limited visa, this is why I had to go to Fiji to apply for a student visa.
My partner lives in NZ and he's supporting my application. Unfortunately, we weren't qualified for a partnership-based visa, as we've lived together for only 5 months approximately and met for New Year in China.
We provided only photos as a proof of our relationships. As we thought we wouldn't need much, because I'm applying for a student visa.
I would like to minimize the processing time as much as possible, as the uni messaged saying I have to attend the international student orientation on the 8th of July. Otherwise, they might doubt my ability to start this semester.

Also, the immigration officer hasn't contacted me yet. Does it mean I haven't been given a case officer?

And are there any ideas which docs or proofs I might need to provide?

Is it possible to ask them to process the application urgently, because of the int. orientation?

I appreciate any information. Thank you.
Cheers,
Gulnara

[Karen Phillips]

If you have provided proof of course offer and fees paid, insurance in place, $15,000 NZ in your bank account for maintenance/accommodation, IELTS if required, this should be fine. It is possible that they will want more, but I can't say. If it has only been a week since it got to INZ it will probably be at least one more week, maybe 2. If it does take time, I suggest you contact VUW and explain that you are still waiting for your visa. They may be able to be slightly flexible on arrival date so long as you have kept them informed. It's much better to be there for the new student orientation but so long as you are not missing vital course delivery, it should work out.