Timing of Visa Processing Affected by Request for Additional Medical Info

[teclo2019]

My predicament is causing a lot of anxiety and sleepless nights. My 1-year work visa, based on a partnership with a New Zealand citizen, ended in September 2020. I applied for another one and currently on an interim visa that ends in early March 2021.

My health is good now but INZ's medical assessor (MA) has requested the collection and testing of 3 sputum samples followed by a chest X-ray. Processing of my work visa application is on hold until the MA has reviewed the test results. Unfortunately, I have learnt they may not be ready to be sent to INZ until late February or early March 2021. That may be too late because the 3-month wait is going to affect the time required by INZ to reach a decision about my visa. It may have an undecided status when my interim visa ends in early March 2021

Has anyone been in a situation where INZ hasn't made a decision about their work visa before the end of their interim visa? And were you able to resolve it?

Is a 'section 61 visa' the only option for me to stay in New Zealand lawfully until INZ makes a decision about my work visa application?

Can anything be done to ensure INZ makes a decision about my visa before the end of my interim visa?

Sorry for asking many questions. I'm stressing out about the possibility of leaving New Zealand before INZ can make a decision about my visa application.

[JandM]

I am asking the LIA who regularly posts on the threads if she has heard anything about what is being done these days about Interim Visas which end before INZ have finalized the case that is in waiting. When Interim visas were first introduced, it was just about unthinkable that any application for a temporary visa of whatever kind wouldn't be processed within six months, but that was before 1) the messed-up reorganization of INZ, and 2) the pandemic. The NZ government has put various holding measures in place for SOME temporary visas, but I haven't heard of anything since the pandemic rules eased A BIT.

Question for you... Have you asked INZ all this? - you could ask the call answerer to put you through to a supervisor, as the answer is not going to be on the data base. Or has your application been sent to a CO? (The requirement for further medical tests may have been automatic, based on when your last medical was used. They sometimes get marked as requiring to be rechecked the next time.) If you have, you could ask this question of him/her.

[EGoodhue]

Hmmm...not sure of an answer for this one, sorry! It's not a situation I've come across before and is not covered in immigration instructions. I do know that a few temp applications that had been hanging around for a long time (for no other reason than INZ being overwhelmed with workload volumes + processing inefficiencies) were rushed through the process late last year (?) because the client's 6 month interim visas were about to come to an end through no fault of the clients.

I don't believe there's any allowance in instructions for a second interim visa to be granted but I think it would be worthwhile proactively asking INZ about this, just to be sure you don't fall through the cracks and become unlawful. The situation to become lawful again is much harder than getting things sorted before a visa expires (even if it's through no fault of your own!).