Hi robbo - looks like we're in the same sinking boat It's literally the first thing I wake up to in the morning and the last thing I think about before falling asleep - I probably check this forum more often than my own e-mails!
I wonder how many other people are 'trapped' in a job where their employer holds the fact that they are essentially bound to them via the ESV...and can afford to treat us unequally to our kiwi counterparts, as they know we're reliant on them to get our SMC Visa.
I know most people on this forum are those that perhaps haven't been processed within the 50-70% SMC visa processing timeline, but I could really use to hear a positive story from one of us "regular" applicants to give me some sort of hope that our applications aren't on the bottom of the pile and that some attention is paid to us as well. I'm just worried that the INZ internally set rules for prioritization will keep becoming more flexible (e.g. prioritisation due to accredited employer) and us "regulars" will keep being pushed further and further down the queue.
I'll give it a couple of more months before I start re-thinking my options, as this is a massive slog on my mental health. Perhaps Europe isn't that cold after all