New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[Eldron]

#WayneIsAwesome

 

aaaa how I miss them.....

#metoo

 

I miss that bugger and his family.

[patches]

But ja. As for kiwis inviting you to their homes, give it time, they have all their friends already, it is you who needs friends not them. It's also different in AKL vs regions; people here expect you to call in for a cup of tea or a beer, for example, you don't actually need an invitation. And if it is my neighbours, they will see me working in the garden (like this past Saturday) and climb over the fence with a six pack

 

If I look at my core group of friends, all of us are immigrants. 3 Aussies (2 from Perth, 1 from Sydney), and 3 Saffers (All from JHB).

 

At least once a week someone will post on our chat-group "Who's keen for hanging out and playing board games?" and the group usually erupts with approval. Then someone will offer their home, and we have an awesome evening.

 

Once again, I think because the 6 of us are in the same boat (wrt being away from family and long time friends), we break down those barriers.

[intern]

If I look at my core group of friends, all of us are immigrants. 3 Aussies (2 from Perth, 1 from Sydney), and 3 Saffers (All from JHB).

 

At least once a week someone will post on our chat-group "Who's keen for hanging out and playing board games?" and the group usually erupts with approval. Then someone will offer their home, and we have an awesome evening.

 

Once again, I think because the 6 of us are in the same boat (wrt being away from family and long time friends), we break down those barriers.

 

You need to do the right thing, Patches. Get at least one Token Kiwi ® to join in the festivities...    haha

[MrJacques]

Received a reply from an agent. I should be able to get a skilled visa. Their agent fees seem quite steep, an extra R40k.

[intern]

Received a reply from an agent. I should be able to get a skilled visa. Their agent fees seem quite steep, an extra R40k.

Good luck, go for it.

My agent cost NZD11000-odd. Worth every penny, got residence and passport as fast as possible...Paul Janssen at Immagine. Here's a youtube vid of him:

[patches]

Good luck, go for it.

My agent cost NZD11000-odd. Worth every penny, got residence and passport as fast as possible...Paul Janssen at Immagine. Here's a youtube vid of him:

 

If I remember correctly, Nolipoli and his wife also used Immagine.

[Ramrod]

Probably a wise decision, but I imagine it was a tough one.

was really tough

[davetapson]

Don't miss the opportunity, it may not be there in the future. The immigration landscape wrt NZ and OZ is changing rapidly.

 

Yeah - late 90's I had the opportunity to walk into the States (more than a few of my colleagues did) but I went for Ancestral visa in UK.  By the time I got the citizenship, I loathed the UK and the US option was gone. 

 

Not sure what I was thinking.

[DawieO]

If I remember correctly, Nolipoli and his wife also used Immagine.

Yip, we used them too. Very good.

[davetapson]

We've (well our agent) has put in our EOI. 

 

They have said to us tho that we should get new police clearances as if anything gets delayed, our clearances will expire while the ITA is being processed.

 

How best to get SA Police clearances from here?  Fingerprints at post shop then courier those with certified copy of passport to someone in SA who can drop off / pick up from police station or police clearance place in SA?

[patches]

We've (well our agent) has put in our EOI. 

 

They have said to us tho that we should get new police clearances as if anything gets delayed, our clearances will expire while the ITA is being processed.

 

How best to get SA Police clearances from here?  Fingerprints at post shop then courier those with certified copy of passport to someone in SA who can drop off / pick up from police station or police clearance place in SA?

 

Yup! Courier to someone in SA that is willing to help out.

 

Alternatively if you're under time constraints then you may have to courier to one of those services like Passports4u. They can turn a police clearance around in days. It ain't cheap though.

 

This is what their website says:

 

Please send us the following:

Your original fingerprints on SAP 91A form

A copy of your ID or passport

Receipt for the amount of R114 per person payable to the address below:

South African Police Services

ABSA Bank

Account Number: 4054522787

Branch code: 632005

Swift Code: ABSAZAJJ

USE YOUR SURNAME AS REFERENCE PLEASE

Living abroad?  Please go to your nearest SA embassy for the fingerprints, remember to take a copy of your ID/passport.  In countries such as New Zealand or Australia you can go to your nearest post bank for the fingerprints.

 

Hope that helps.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Has anyone on here needed to renew an RSA passport from NZ?

 

As far as my research can tell, it can take 6-12 months (from home affairs website)

 

I need to present myself in Wellingon to apply.

 

Basically I need to renew mine and the two kid' passports as they expire before citizenship. 

 

Is the above correct and do you need to book an appointment or simply rock up?

 

Thanks

[Clippies]

Wayne, we have done it. For my daughters, because she is under 16, you dont have to go to Wellington. Posted everything to them and got her passport in about 6 months. They were helpful over the phone and with responses to email.

My son is 17 so had to book an appointment (you cant just arrive) got his ID after about 6 months, still waiting for his passport.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Wayne, we have done it. For my daughters, because she is under 16, you dont have to go to Wellington. Posted everything to them and got her passport in about 6 months. They were helpful over the phone and with responses to email.

My son is 17 so had to book an appointment (you cant just arrive) got his ID after about 6 months, still waiting for his passport.

Thanks.

 

Ill give them a call.

[patches]

Has anyone on here needed to renew an RSA passport from NZ?

 

As far as my research can tell, it can take 6-12 months (from home affairs website)

 

I need to present myself in Wellingon to apply.

 

Basically I need to renew mine and the two kid' passports as they expire before citizenship. 

 

Is the above correct and do you need to book an appointment or simply rock up?

 

Thanks

 

Friends of mine had to do it. Wellington told them the same 6-12 months. They didn't want to risk it, so flew back to SA to renew.

 

Was a pretty expensive passport by the end of it   

 

As far as my dealings with the consulate go... I am convinced they have employed people from Home Affairs to run it. They never answer phones. Seldom answer emails. And everything has a ridiculously long lead time. I was told 9 months to get an unabridged birth certificate. I told them I wasn't trying to make a baby, just trying to get details of an existing person (me).

[patches]

I just finished applying for yet another Aussie tourist visa.

 

I go through the same process each year.

 

This time however, as soon as I had submitted my online application, I got an email straight away requesting my biometrics (this sometimes takes a week or 2 of assessing before they send this). I then did biometrics at the earliest available date (yesterday, a week after submission) and in less than 24hr they have granted me the visa AND given me 2yrs in stead of 1.

 

So yeah, not sure if it's quicker and a longer visa now that I have Kiwi PR, or it's because they see I visit Aus pretty often and have been applying for these visas 3yrs in a row. Either way, thanks Aussie Government!