ITA May 2019

[JandM]

Please don't be surprised if EGoodhue doesn't reply to this - as you'll see on earlier posts, she is at present on maternity leave from work, expecting her third child shortly, and she is already going far beyond what she intended to do during her resting time by keeping in touch with her contacts at INZ in order to update people here on the threads with the latest news on the official line about all the backlogs. I've answered your question on another thread.

[EGoodhue]

Manukau Immigration Manager, Emma McFarland, confirmed to me via email today that the SMC queue still has applications lodged on 7 December at the front of it. This is the 6th week running that the front of the allocation queue has still had 7 December 2018 applications waiting to be lodged. So it's taking 8 months and 6 days (and growing) for an SMC application in the main queue to be allocated to an Immigration Officer. Emma McFarland also confirmed that weekly allocations are a mix of applications which meet INZ's own internally-set criteria for prioritisation, applicants who have successfully requested priority via the EmploymentVisaEscalations@mbie.govt.nz email address, Residence from Work applications and those from the main queue.

It's unclear when this mess is going to be sorted and it seems that INZ is putting all it's energy and focus on attending to the mess with Partnership applications and other certain Temp applications that are getting the most media attention or lobbying from the right groups. So the poor old SMC backlog seems to be being ignored and will continue to grow until someone speaks up about it.

Sorry to say that this will be my last forum post for a few months - I am now 37 weeks pregnant, huge and uncomfortable So I need to put my feet up from now and await the arrival of child #3. Sorry that I won't be around to update on here regarding allocation timeframes for a while. I hope that INZ pick their game up while I am on leave and you all get the outcome you deserve sooner rather than later! Best of luck to all and I'll be back towards the end of this year

[Jkms]

Well, my visa is finalized, and my flights are booked! Heading into a whole new life and adventure soon! Thanks everyone for being part of the journey!

[Jkms]

Any more updates?

[derekleegh]

Hi Guys,

Just to share my status. Finally my application is lodged and payment deducted !.

Now is time for the long wait. Was quite worry before that if the document successfully couriered to immigration nz.

[Toorsaab_001]

Any update May lodgement?

[Yanco]

Any update May lodgement?

Long wait ahead. They are still trying to assign December applications to case officers.

[Tweedie515]

APPROVED - SMC 💜 Claimed 160 points. Did not claim any extra/partner points even though we could have. Just wanted the minimum to prove.

March 2019 - Flew out for interviews / job professional registration
April 2019 - EOI
May 2019 - ITA
June 2019 - CO assigned

This information may be helpful for anyone in the same position prior to applying.

From June 2019 it has been a seemingly constant stream of extra information required including:

Getting a Court Order for the children to leave the UK even though their dad and I get along very well, were in agreement and had all permissions legally in place. Solicitors wanted tens of thousands to complete this and estimated it would take upwards of eight months. I took a day off work, wrote up all the documents, begged the local court for a hearing and my ex and I went along and represented ourselves. I had the court order in under a week for approx £250. INZ then requested the Judge put his signature on it even though it was all official with the court seal etc. That was interesting waiting for the judge to sign, I think he thought we were extremely fortunate to have got it (he entertained us as he thought my paper work was immaculate.....). Extraordinarily stressful.

I had a DUI from 20 years ago (£150 fine, licence returned early due to eligibility for Drink Awareness Course) which was not showing (No Live Trace) on my criminal record so that required Full Disclosure from ACRO which took four weeks.

I understood my Degree to be exempt but got it assessed anyway. I cannot remember if they requested this of me or not....

I am self employed in the UK. I claimed only 2 years experience (10pts) despite having 5 years as I thought it would be less/easier to prove. For the full five years: I sent all tax returns, all monthly statements from card machine, my re registration each year, my continued professional development, my insurances, my room rental agreements (re issued each year), bank account statements showing all relevant payments for room rental, monthly governing body/insurance payments etc, my CV, my website and social media. INZ also requested summary statement breakdown of accounts from tax returns (can be done online through your gateway login), a statement from accountant (which is me) and further evidence that I have worked/do work in said profession. This stumped me a bit because I had sent in everything I had. In the end 40 of my patients that spanned the 5 years wrote directly to my Case Officer on my behalf. This also included a statement from a Chief Inspector of the London Metropolitan Police which was great for Character Reference / Waiver when the time came for that.
We had our medicals May 2019 and one of our daughters was 10 at the time, she turned 11 in Dec 2019 and quality control (2pc) flagged that she now needed a chest x-ray and we were lucky to be able to get that done speedily.
We preempted them with requests for further relationship evidence and just kept it flowing.
Our Case Officer sent us a PPI the day before Christmas Eve and then went on leave. She is still on annual leave. Her boss picked up our case when she returned from leave and moved it forward so in effect we have gone from PPI to approved in 10 days all complete with EVisas etc. We were at risk of losing my job, our rental etc. During this time further requests were made of us.
We did apply for work visas but the advert I responded to did not meet INZ exacting parameters. We had already flown out to NZ and secured my job so it would have been unlawful and unethical to re advertise the position so we have had to wait for SMC to come through which has been extraordinarily bum squeaky. We lost over £1000 applying for the work visa and relevant family visas.

It has, hands done been THE most stressful time as I am sure all you folks are experiencing too.

I am so grateful to this forum which I have stalked relentlessly, to INZ for coming through in the end and for my new boss for also going through this (they were relentless requesting information from him too) and being prepared to wait this time for me.

I wish you all the best of luck.
My husband is working away at the moment so it’s not the loud bouncy reaction that I have spent long envisaging but it has allowed me to write this post in the quiet wee hours. I presume the more recently acquired insomnia will diminish now. Another three hours and I can wake the children.
Good Luck All xx

[JandM]

Congratulations.

[Tweedie515]

Congratulations.

Got our bananas! That’s what we’ve really been waiting for 💜❤️💚