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Thread: Partnership work visa delays

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand
    Posts
    70

    Unhappy Partnership work visa delays

    Hello

    Has anyone applied for their FIRST parternship work visa this year and have had any progress? We applied on 15 April 2019 (partner is currently on interim visa which expires 6 January 2020) and have still not had a CO assigned. It will be 6 months since we applied soon.

    When we applied in April the timeframe was that 95% of applications are approved within 4 months. Then that changed to 5 months. and this month it changed to 7 months

    We are that unlucky 10% who may fall into the 7 months.

    Could anyone please share their recent experiences. We are getting really worried and are scared that my partner will have to leave NZ if the timeline increases again 1st of November like it has been for the last few months since we applied

    Many thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    27

    Default

    I applied for my 1st partnership work visa mid-July, haven't heard anything and like you felt helpless as timeframes continue to increase especially the 2 month jump in the latest release of timeframes. All the undecided Mumbai applications have also been moved to Hamilton and they don't have enough staff, they're increasing staff numbers but the time training them up means we probably won't see the benefits of that for a while...

    Speak to them about your situation, they might bend their own rules and issue a 2nd interim visa in December, never know with all the uncertainty and knock on effects caused by the slow processing, it's just causing increases to their already massive workload.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    37

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    I applied on 11 May (both work visa and residence) and still haven’t heard anything for both applications. Have already issued a 2yr partnership based work visa before and it expires in 2 weeks...
    So frustrating

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

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    lovelife95, if nothing happens in the course of the next month, so you DO go over the seven months, in your place I would go through the complaints process https://www.immigration.govt.nz/cont...aint-about-inz on the grounds that they haven't followed their own process (the timing that was given when you first applied, or communicating with you now the end of the interim visa is nearing about what to do). The fact of there being a complaint will bring the matter to the attention of the branch manager.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    36

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    Hi lovelife95,

    I applied for my first partnership visa on April the 1st so a couple of weeks before you. My work visa before this was just an essential skills one and that ran out in mid may, so I haven’t been able to work for over 5 months now. I left it a little late to apply but I was told I would get it within 6 weeks when I eventually went for it and now it’s been nearly 7 months. I have an immigration adviser doing it on my behalf but I’ve found I’ve had more information by ringing immigration direct. On the 30th of August my visa apparently was given to a CO and it’s now under processing apparently. But the CO has had it over 6 weeks now and I’ve still not heard anything despite ringing immigration atleast twice a week and uploading more documents so they get the notified.

    Immigration are really not following their time scales at all, and every time I speak to them over the phone they have a different time scale, some say can take up to 8 months, some say 7 months, some are saying still 5 months yet when I tell them over the phone I’ve been waiting nearly 7 they can’t give an answer for this. I would suggest ringing them up regularly as it shows on the system that you’ve called regularly checking on it.

    It’s been really tough living off just one wage for all this time and I just wish immigration would hurry up as its getting harder and harder not knowing if I can stay here with my partner.

    I hope you hear something really soon and I thought I’d just let you know my situation.

    Thank You

    Craig

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    36

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    Quote Originally Posted by JandM View Post
    lovelife95, if nothing happens in the course of the next month, so you DO go over the seven months, in your place I would go through the complaints process https://www.immigration.govt.nz/cont...aint-about-inz on the grounds that they haven't followed their own process (the timing that was given when you first applied, or communicating with you now the end of the interim visa is nearing about what to do). The fact of there being a complaint will bring the matter to the attention of the branch manager.
    Hi JandM,

    Just been off the phone to immigration again after my previous post just before this. and this time they’ve told me my visa is delayed for a reason as it’s going under a procedure that they can’t reveal over the phone. Any idea of what this could be? It’s been nearly 7 months since my application and he said it’s normal for it to take this long if this process needs doing that he can’t reveal unfortunately.

    Thanks

    Craig

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand
    Posts
    70

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hab View Post
    I applied for my 1st partnership work visa mid-July, haven't heard anything and like you felt helpless as timeframes continue to increase especially the 2 month jump in the latest release of timeframes. All the undecided Mumbai applications have also been moved to Hamilton and they don't have enough staff, they're increasing staff numbers but the time training them up means we probably won't see the benefits of that for a while...

    Speak to them about your situation, they might bend their own rules and issue a 2nd interim visa in December, never know with all the uncertainty and knock on effects caused by the slow processing, it's just causing increases to their already massive workload.
    I called them last week and the phone operator was really kind and started telling me that the application will definitely be processed in the next 6 weeks before I even got to ask about its status. She sounded really sure. I thought they weren't allowed to tell us how long it might take? anyways I told her about my concerns about the increasing timelines and she said those timelines mostly affect applications in Mumbai as the processing has been slow there and that the Hamilton staff are very efficient and have been processing a lot of applications very quickly. so apparently the 7 months reflects more of the Mumbai applications (which is funny since my application has been waiting in Hamilton for 6 months). I still don't know if I should believe this if the Mumbai applications have all been moved here??? She kept saying that I should not worry and that my application will mostly likely be processed in the 6 upcoming weeks. I don't know what to think but this is the only time a phone operator has given me an actual timeline. Maybe they know something we don't?

    I didn't know a 2nd interim visa would ever be possible perhaps I could pitch that at them if it ends up coming to that. thanks!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand
    Posts
    70

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    Quote Originally Posted by JandM View Post
    lovelife95, if nothing happens in the course of the next month, so you DO go over the seven months, in your place I would go through the complaints process https://www.immigration.govt.nz/cont...aint-about-inz on the grounds that they haven't followed their own process (the timing that was given when you first applied, or communicating with you now the end of the interim visa is nearing about what to do). The fact of there being a complaint will bring the matter to the attention of the branch manager.

    Thanks JandM. We have been waiting every month for our application to go beyond the processing time however its like we are chasing the timeline. Every time we near the maximum time it increases again before we actually reach it and can question it. however the processing time was 5 months and ours reached 5 months we were still told that it can take more than 5 months. Then it suddenly became 7 months and we are worried that will increase again next month to lets say 8 months and then we won't be able to do anything.

    If the timeline does increase and our waiting time is not that can we still complain? Will they just say these are the processing times now and we just have to deal with it?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Auckland, New Zealand
    Posts
    70

    Default

    CraigSFC

    Thanks for sharing. I feel for you, its really hard and I wish they could see how individual lives are affected. My partner and I are in the same boat and we can't make any solid plans for the future yet as this is holding us back.

    Knowing that your case was assigned after 5 months gives me some hope although for us it will be 6 months and still no CO. I thought they have a date order queue?

    Also are you from an at risk country? perhaps they are doing an NSC? You could request all information INZ hold about you from their website and that might reveal what is actually happening with your application. When my partner and I were applying for the work visa we first requested the immigration file for all previous applications (declined partner visa and approved general visit visa) and on that we saw literally every comment from the CO and everything that they did with the timestamps. We even saw when NSC was requested and received. getting the file might take more than 20 working days but it can really be worth it for future applications. For example when we read the file we saw that the CO commented that she is satisfied that we are in a "genuine and stable relationship" following our phone interview which was a relief

    Please keep us updated.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

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    Quote Originally Posted by CraigSFC View Post
    Hi JandM,

    Just been off the phone to immigration again after my previous post just before this. and this time they’ve told me my visa is delayed for a reason as it’s going under a procedure that they can’t reveal over the phone. Any idea of what this could be? It’s been nearly 7 months since my application and he said it’s normal for it to take this long if this process needs doing that he can’t reveal unfortunately.

    Thanks

    Craig
    Not being part of INZ, I don't know. And I've never heard this said before - that there is some process they can't mention over the phone. Maybe it's NSC, as another poster suggests, as that can take months, but I didn't know that that was unmentionable.

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