Another milestone ...

[KiwiHopeful]

Just finished my NZQA assessment application, which will be in the mail tomorrow. Have an appointment Monday with the doctor and hopefully blood tests and x-rays soon to follow!

Just trying to keep the feet moving, one after the other ... :P


Is it true (and if so is it likely) that it can take 9 months [smiley=118.gif] to get my Application for Residence processed?!?!

[MotherBear]

How long it takes all depends on your circumstances i.e. how many points you've got, whether you get a job offer, how badly NZIS want to get you and your skills to NZ and how smoothly your medical goes. Looking back, I believe you have 145 points? That should be enough to fast track you through the process within a couple of months. ?

Some people seem to take ages to get through, but others fly through it. ?I would hope that once your medicals and police certificates are sorted and the paperwork goes in, it shouldn't be that much longer before you get the green light.

Great help, aren't I? ?

[KiwiHopeful]

Great help, aren't I? ?

Any encouragement is of great help! :)

[KiwiHopeful]

There's just SOOO much to do, but bit by bit it's getting done ...

Medicals--a little trouble, as one of my blood tests revealed a slightly elevated something or other related to liver function. Had another blood test Monday, visit doctor next Tuesday. He doesn't think there's a problem, but he's being thorough so that when the paperwork goes in there'll be plenty of proof that I have absolutely nothing wrong with me healthwise. ;D

Still waiting for my NZQA report, which is holding up my Teacher's Council registration ...

Still waiting for my police background check ... but I think once I have my NZQA report I can submit my TC registration without it ...

Definately going to miss my February 14th deadline for having the teaching certificate (and maybe my police clearance?), so is it too early to contact my case manager or should I wait until say early- to mid-January?

It looks like a July-August (maybe September?) target date for making the move.

[MotherBear]

....... so is it too early to contact my case manager or should I wait until say early- to mid-January?

If you've already been allotted a Case Officer I don't suppose there's any reason why you can't contact him/her if you need any advice. ?I think they are there to help you through the process.

Hopefully your next blood test will be OK. ?Seems like a lot of people have problems with the liver function test, yet they still seem to make it to NZ.

Sounds like you've got a bit of waiting around to do with police checks and the NZQA report. ?Well, they do say 'Everything comes to he who waits'. ?Let's hope, in your case, you don't have to wait much longer. ? Good luck.

[KiwiHopeful]

[smiley=Drunks.gif]

The residence application went in this week, minus only my NZ Teachers Council certification (thanks to some difficulty getting the necessary paperwork to prove I can speak English!) and my wife's NZQA report (which I totally overlooked!).

Now, it is 'hurry up and wait' as the job hunt begins, the sorting-and-throwing-away continues, and the beginning ends.

Word has gotten around work, and everyday for the past 2 weeks coworkers have come up to me and said, "I don't know if I'm supposed to know this or not, but I heard you're going to New Zealand." What's strange about that is I've been talking about it for 3 years now! Admittedly, however, I've probably talked about it less in the past year since it stopped being an idle dream and started being a potential reality. I'm pretty tight-lipped about it because I don't really want to answer any questions about why. How do you explain to someone the million reasons you pack up your family move to the other side of the earth?

I've always been more of a "life's a journey not a destination" kind of guy, but this journey is killing me! :D

Oh, BTW, medicals were all fine ... liver is normal as confirmed by every blood test known to man and an ultrasound--good news--it's not twins! ;)

[Glenda]

Congrats on reaching this stage ... and keeping a healthy liver! ?;) ?;D

Good luck sorting out your life's possessions and the job hunting, am pretty sure there are quite a few teaching positions available throughout the country.

I don't really want to answer any questions about why. ?How do you explain to someone the million reasons you pack up your family move to the other side of the earth?

You don't. ?Explaining how you think your home country is going downhill, how you disagree with this and that and how you want a better life for your family, can just leave blank stares on those patriotic, with strong roots, or who have no way themselves of making such a move. ?My sister and her husband thought we should stay and fight to make life better rather than running away to the other side of the world. ? Best to say something like you just feel like a change, a challenge, etc.

:) ?

[MotherBear]

You're nearly there now, Kiwihopeful. Congratulations on getting this far.

As Glenda says, don't try to justify why you're leaving your home country as some people will be enlightened and understand your reasons, but a lot of others are still blinkered and the cent ( or 'penny' as we Brits say) hasn't dropped yet. Just hinting that you'd like to see and experience a new culture and country will make you out to be a man of adventure and a free spirit (or maybe a crackpot if they're the negative sort ).

Good luck with the rest of your journey.

[KiwiHopeful]

I knew you guys would understand the 'million reasons why'.

'Adventure' (followed by awkward silence) is my standard response, and I generally leave it at that. ;) Of course, my boss syas it's so I can get as far away from her as possible, to which I reply 'Well, housing is really expensive on Mars." 8-)

[selchie]

I'm glad the additional bloodwork came out well. Good luck with the remainder of the process.