Essential skills visa query

[Celtics]

Hi guys - need some advice on if I will get my visa approved.

I applied on the 13th November and it only got assigned on the 13th February. They asked for proof of work experience and I supplied a letter from an old employer I worked with for 5 years doing a similar job to the one I was offered. The letter was on letter headed paper and listed the dates I worked and what roles I did and has contact info for the employer.

Haven't had any acknowledgement that this document is ok but also it's been two weeks and they haven't queried or pushed back on it.

As the roles had slight differences I've asked many times of the CO if she has everything she needs. She's never replied.

She called my new nz employer last week and asked how she advertised etc and told her that I would have a decision by the end of the week.

On Friday I emailed the CO to say would there be an update by the weekend and she said 'I'll send you a response next week'.

Does this sound promising? I'm panicking because I'm uk passport holder and my 6 months is up in just over 20 days leaving me very little time to sort out what I'm doing.

I thought it would take two months to do my visa but it's getting close to 4 months and if it's denied I'll have 2 weeks to sort my whole life out.

[JandM]

If there was some problem, it would be normal for the CO to send you a PPI email (potentially prejudicial information), which tells the applicant about any way in which their application doesn't appear to match the requirements, and which would lead to its being refused if they don't give a reply to sort it out - this is so they have a chance to supply more evidence or information. You haven't had anything like this, so it would be surprising if anything went wrong at this late stage.

You have applied for a temporary work visa, so if your application hasn't been finalized by the time your present visa expires, INZ can issue you with an Interim visa to keep you legally in New Zealand in the meantime. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...a/interim-visa

Hoping you get to hear good news soon.

[Celtics]

If there was some problem, it would be normal for the CO to send you a PPI email (potentially prejudicial information), which tells the applicant about any way in which their application doesn't appear to match the requirements, and which would lead to its being refused if they don't give a reply to sort it out - this is so they have a chance to supply more evidence or information. You haven't had anything like this, so it would be surprising if anything went wrong at this late stage.

You have applied for a temporary work visa, so if your application hasn't been finalized by the time your present visa expires, INZ can issue you with an Interim visa to keep you legally in New Zealand in the meantime. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...a/interim-visa

Hoping you get to hear good news soon.

Thank you! I've been trying to get my account approved here for weeks lol going out my mind.

When they told my employer that a decision would be made by end of the week, they relayed that info to me as; it'll be approved this week!

So I was ecstatic for about an hour, then I asked for exactly what they said.

My employer say that since there are no issues, they haven't pushed back or queried and have said they are making a decision it should be done.

My only worry is they ask for more work experience info but what I've supplied matches what it says online...

The job I've been offered is recruitment and I've only done that for a couple of years. I did however have a job for 5 years and a month that involved recruitment, hr, staff management and client management and sales. All things that are on the job description for what I have been offered here.

They have the contact info to verify the document but I don't believe they have.

Would they approve my visa without verifying that?

Basically if it gets denied I know I can appeal, I could also get a job offer with an accredited company and apply for a different visa. I just really needed all of March to do that if it came to that.

It's been incredibly stressful and every day that goes by leaves me less time to do anything if it's denied as I'd have to leave the country with a couple of weeks notice.

[JandM]

There's nothing I can say that will take the worry right away. That won't happen till you hear directly from INZ. I know it's very stressful. Good luck.

[Celtics]

Would they approve it without verifying my evidence though?

[JandM]

I seem to remember that EGoodhue said recently that this DOES happen for temporary work visas. See what she says if she sees this.

[Celtics]

Ok thanks

I presume for work visa there is a tick box for 'evidence of experience' and they will just tick it off.

And yeah if there was an issue you think I'd have heard over the last two weeks.

I had originally only uploaded my cv as evidence which was a mistake on my part.

[EGoodhue]

I'm afraid I don't have an practical knowledge of processing Essential Skills applications, as when I worked for INZ I only ever processed SMC applications. But my understanding is that Essential Skills applications are meant to be "low touch", in that the immigration officer only verifies what they absolutely need to in relation to the risk of the application (fairly low given it's only a temporary visa application for a relatively short period). So I wouldn't have thought an immigration officer would verify work experience for an Essential Skills work visa, unless there was some concern that the evidence provided or the details claimed were not genuine (INZ have risk profiles for this sort of thing - info that's not publicly available). I think it's really unfair that they have been so evasive with an explanation about what is happening with your application - they know exactly what is happening with your application and for them not to share that with you is not being honest or transparent, as should be expected of a government department in NZ. I would expect you would have received a PPI letter by now if you were going to receive one, so try to keep cool until tomorrow morning and I think you'd be within your rights to ask for a detailed explanation of where in the process your application is up to tomorrow morning.

[Celtics]

I'm afraid I don't have an practical knowledge of processing Essential Skills applications, as when I worked for INZ I only ever processed SMC applications. But my understanding is that Essential Skills applications are meant to be "low touch", in that the immigration officer only verifies what they absolutely need to in relation to the risk of the application (fairly low given it's only a temporary visa application for a relatively short period). So I wouldn't have thought an immigration officer would verify work experience for an Essential Skills work visa, unless there was some concern that the evidence provided or the details claimed were not genuine (INZ have risk profiles for this sort of thing - info that's not publicly available). I think it's really unfair that they have been so evasive with an explanation about what is happening with your application - they know exactly what is happening with your application and for them not to share that with you is not being honest or transparent, as should be expected of a government department in NZ. I would expect you would have received a PPI letter by now if you were going to receive one, so try to keep cool until tomorrow morning and I think you'd be within your rights to ask for a detailed explanation of where in the process your application is up to tomorrow morning.

Thank you

My employer were certain after INZ called them that it would be approved based on them saying they would have a decision by the end of the week.

It's just frustrating for me and my family to just get an email saying 'I will have a response next week'.

If they just said everything seems to be in order and we will be in touch next week I might have been able to enjoy the weekend. I'm a very anxious person at the best of times and the last 4 months have been really hard work.

You get to a point where you feel like INZ don't want you to be here and you forget why you are.

I'm utterly baffled how INZ operates this way. Is it that they will only hire a small number of staff or are there simply not enough available people to work at INZ? Is it a cost thing?

From where I am sat, it seems there must be a lot of people who could be paying tax and money into the NZ economy who are waiting in line - wouldn't having more staff pay for itself if it got more people paying taxes?

[Celtics]

I uploaded the wrong document as my police certificate!

Just re uploaded - any idea how long thats going to hold things up??