Essential Skills Visa Application

[soph44]

Hi all,
I am new on this forum but have been reading through posts for a very long time.

I have applied for my first Essential Skills Visa on December 13th. I see now the estimated wait time is 64 days (Almost reached that in a few days)

I was told yesterday by the call centre that I was assigned a case officer in Suva on the 17th of December and an assessment was done on the 21st of January. I'm yet to hear back and my employer is becoming impatient about how long they have had to wait. Therefore I uploaded a document to my online application from my employer stating they are urgently requiring me to commence work. I was also given details of my case officer by the call centre and they advised to email her (which I done yesterday with no reply)

Today the call centre advised my case officer has alot of visa applications and I must be patient which I totally understand (I know I am not the only one and I truly appreciate that my CO is under alot of pressure) My biggest concern is that they mentioned today 'if your case officer requires further information she will be in touch" I really hope after all this time waiting I am not going to be contacted for more information as I feel this could have been done when the initial assessment was done?

My visa in Australia is due to end very soon, I currently have no working rights in Australia and my lease on my house is up on Monday. I really am fighting against time

Can anyone who has applied recently please share thier time frames?

Thanks

[EGoodhue]

I would query where your application is currently sitting, as I'm not aware of any INZ office in Suva. And the last information I received from the manager who supervises the team processing Essential Skills work visas in Manukau (last week) told me that they are currently "in-flow" for Essential Skills processing, meaning that applications are allocated to Immigration Officers within a few days of the application being lodged. Did you email the letter from your employer directly to your CO?

[soph44]

Hi Egoodhue,

Thank you for the quick response, yes I have called almost every day and have had different responses from every call centre operator I spoke to however all of which I have spoken to have advised that my CO is based in Suva (I don't know if this is because I have applied from Australia)

So far calling alot and checking in on my realme, I have got the following information:

Applied on 13th December
Allocated CO on 17th December (Suva, Figi)
Assessment completed on 21st January

And they cannot give me any further update from that

I have never been contacted by my CO which I know from reading these forums is not abnormal. However I did get her information and sent her an email directly, attaching the document from my employer to the email and also uploaded to my realme.... No response.

I am going out of my mind checking over and over with no real idea of what is happening

Thanks

[soph44]

Also I'm not sure if this is relevant or not, but my employer was able to advise that they have made no attempt to contact them or any other person I have referenced on my application.

This is worrying me alot

[JandM]

I really hope after all this time waiting I am not going to be contacted for more information as I feel this could have been done when the initial assessment was done?

No, it couldn't. The initial assessment is done by a clerk, checking to see if it LOOKS AS IF, just from what you have said, the application is sound. It is then the responsibiliity of the CO, when the case is assigned in its turn, to verify the evidence and check that each point meets the criteria as set out in the requirements for that particular visa.

It is a normal thing for anyone with an application in to INZ to feel anxious and impatient. You are not alone.

[soph44]

No, it couldn't. The initial assessment is done by a clerk, checking to see if it LOOKS AS IF, just from what you have said, the application is sound. It is then the responsibiliity of the CO, when the case is assigned in its turn, to verify the evidence and check that each point meets the criteria as set out in the requirements for that particular visa.

It is a normal thing for anyone with an application in to INZ to feel anxious and impatient. You are not alone.

Sorry JandM, I should have specified, they have advised that this was a note on my file from the CO herself, stating she had done an assessment on the 21st of January. I also reconfirmed this today.

So my CO has infact looked at it already.

Thank you for being reasurring, I have to give it to the INZ call centre, every person I have spoken to so far have been very nice to deal with!

[JandM]

So if it's HER initial assessment, I would think that means that she then saw things she needed to check, and/or maybe refer to seniors. (Nobody can KNOW, exactly. It's not possible to follow every step of processing.) All COs have a rotating queue of many cases, so when she'd taken whatever the next step needed to be on yours, your file would go to the back while she took up the next, then the next, acting on whatever is 'live' with each case. Any replies about yours would go in your file wherever it is waiting, and she won't look at them till it's your file's next turn for attention. Also, any request for further information could arise from whatever she finds out as she goes along. The only thing to do is what you are doing - follow up as much as you reasonably can, and be ready to respond promptly to anything that comes from her.

[soph44]

Thank you very much JandM, your responses are really reasurring.

I guess the only thing to do is be patient and give the CO time to do her job effectively.

From what I gather the wait times outlined on the websites are only guides and cannot really been taken literally? I had more or less assumed I would have it within the 64 days they have on thier website, would I be wrong is saying so?

Another question you may be able to help with... I know it is frustrating if I am constantly trying to follow up and asking for updates. Does this taint my Co's view of me? I do not want to annoy her in anyway, I truelt appreciate the time and effort that goes into ALL visas, and understand I am not the only person in this situation

[JandM]

I guess the only thing to do is be patient and give the CO time to do her job effectively.

Yes.

From what I gather the wait times outlined on the websites are only guides and cannot really been taken literally?

That is very true. The times quoted are averages of what HAD BEEN happening at the time, and no case is 'average'. It's not ever a prediction, and can't be taken as a promise - no timing mentioned by INZ either on a website or directly from the call centre or a CO, is ever a promise.

I had more or less assumed I would have it within the 64 days they have on thier website, would I be wrong is saying so?

I'm afraid so - that's wrong.

Another question you may be able to help with... I know it is frustrating if I am constantly trying to follow up and asking for updates. Does this taint my Co's view of me? I do not want to annoy her in anyway, I truelt appreciate the time and effort that goes into ALL visas, and understand I am not the only person in this situation

There is a middle ground to try to find when following up. As you've said yourself, the CO has to have the time and mental space to do the job properly. There will be times when yours has been (quite properly) dealing with other people's concerns, not your own, or is waiting for reactions from other people before she can take the next step for you, and she's not going to take the time to update you at every turn. Multiply the work - the time to find your file, remind herself where things stand, write you an email, so maybe 20 minutes at least each time. If done for EVERY applicant this would mean that actual cases weren't being advanced. I think we calculated once that a weekly update for every person in the allocation would mean roughly one working day spent NOT processing cases, so obviously, that is not allowed to happen. So you can't expect a businesslike or polite relationship with the CO, where every query from you gets a reply if there's nothing to tell you. When there is something to ask or tell, you will be contacted.

That said, if you personally had been given reason to think (by the CO herself, or the call centre) that there would be some action by a certain date, or within a certain length of time, and that hadn't happened, then it is reasonable to ask for news.

Every CO has to process every case according to the guidelines laid down, not according to their personal feelings. That said, you will know yourself that, if you're given a task, then the boss starts to look over your shoulder - 'Why did you do that? Why didn't you do x? Have you asked what A thinks? Have you checked for a reply from B?' - this emphatically doesn't make life easier, or incline you to want to hear anything he says. The CO knows about phone calls, and has the received emails. This is the person you hope will calmly do her best for you.

[soph44]

That is very true. The times quoted are averages of what HAD BEEN happening at the time, and no case is 'average'. It's not ever a prediction, and can't be taken as a promise - no timing mentioned by INZ either on a website or directly from the call centre or a CO, is ever a promise.

OK well this is what I had thought, I just wanted to believe that it would be set in stone, which I off course understand how it can't possibly be.

I think we calculated once that a weekly update for every person in the allocation would mean roughly one working day spent NOT processing cases, so obviously, that is not allowed to happen.

OK wow, thanks for putting this into perspective for me. I am making it sound like I have been constantly following up, I haven't. I've sent one email and made a handful of calls to the call centre. Other than that I've just been checking my real me.

That said, if you personally had been given reason to think (by the CO herself, or the call centre) that there would be some action by a certain date, or within a certain length of time, and that hadn't happened, then it is reasonable to ask for news.

Well yes I was told by a call centre operator to keep calling if I hadn't heard anything after 60 days. And off course this is my first application, I took thier word as gospal trying to do the correct thing.

That said, you will know yourself that, if you're given a task, then the boss starts to look over your shoulder - 'Why did you do that? Why didn't you do x? Have you asked what A thinks? Have you checked for a reply from B?' - this emphatically doesn't make life easier, or incline you to want to hear anything he says. The CO knows about phone calls, and has the received emails. This is the person you hope will calmly do her best for you.

I needed to hear this, this is a pet peave of mine in the workplace. I get that Co's are just normal people with a guidelines to follow, deadlines to follow and people on thier back.... No need for added stress from me! I am going to refrain from checking in. As you've said, she will contact me if and when she needs too!

Hopefully the next time we speak I will be sharing a success story!!

Also would just like to say this forum is very very helpful!!