Ffs Nz!

[peasea]

Oh, don't get me wrong - you get bureaucrazy everywhere... It's the difference between the politics and the rule of desk-jockeys that is frustrating.



Hard working - sometimes, sometimes not... But yes, working and paying for my own way through life.

White - most certainly, since coming to NZ I haven't dared getting proper tan!

Class - most definately not, I'm a lewd and rude bastard...

Heterosexual - dunno, can only say that so far I've only established that I am not homosexual.

Morals - if you were to trust the forum authority on the matter then no, I have no morals.

Vehicles - between my girlfriend and I we have 6 vehicles, only three petrol powered though.

Discipline - good thing somebody has it, it would get too chaotic otherwise, but I see your point.


All in all I am quite happy with where I am, what I do and how I do it. I'd like to have the option of continuining being so in NZ - with minimum hassles - that is all. If I can't, there are plenty of opportunities out ther - and I am sure my mother would be absolutely stoked if we moved back to Europe permanently...

There are many good places on this earth and NZ is one of them. There are positives and negatives wherever you go but my old man, a well travelled old bastard, straight-up and a worker, reckoned this was a pretty good place to bring up a family. I've followed in his footsteps to a large degree and never had the urge to set up camp anywhere else. Sure I've only seen England, Scotland, Oz, Panama and here but seriously, the way I see it is; NZ is fine, why leave?

Sure, some things are expensive but there is good, flavoursome food everywhere. You won't get that in many countries around the world and I like food.

[Tumbles]

That is amazing. I tihkn you are right in saying that the checking officer must have been having a bad day because I thought we were short of pharmacists? Getting the quals checked by NZQA makes sense. Immigration wouldn't have a shmick what the quality of various degrees from various places is, but making you pay to get them sent back? That is the biggest load of bollocks I've ever heard!!!!!

[fire eyes]

She may reconsider her approach if you send her a naughty picture of yourself!

I LOVE NZ .. but its no secret our beloved little country is being turned inside out .. we are not alone in this ...thinking other countries have it better can go either way .. personally I feel the entire planet is going through massive changes with a rapid breakdown in all systems we have come to depend upon as a society .. you don't have to look far to see it happening!

However, Mikkel .. my only encouragment would be .. if you really want to stay and bless our country with your illustrious presence .. do what you have to do and focus on more positive & inspiring things. I do not like it when people in a position of power (or anyone in general for that matter) undervalue others especially when thier skills & experience will only be of benefit.

Unless of course you have some hidden secret agent past that we do not know about! lol

[Coyote]

Thats so true. So far I havent figured how national is much different from what weve got. Key couldnt even give an opinion if NZs involvement in vietnam was wrong. So far uncle Hellun has shown more balls.

Same suck ups, different fuck ups.

Whoa, shit. When I got a quote notification I thought "oh dear, I've pissed off some nut again...", I really didn't expect anyone to agree with me

Key is such an obvious prick saying to whoever he's talking to what they want to hear, and sadly it's working. That's one of the problems of democracy, you give a vote to people that don't know any better.

[MSTRS:Me]

I suspect it's more to do with timing than anything else. The (brown) head of immigration has just been outed as a liar about her quals.
Smells of arse covering...

[Mikkel]

Now guys, this is a not a thread about political ravings - enough of those already. Please stay on topic, cheers

I do not like it when people in a position of power (or anyone in general for that matter) undervalue others especially when thier skills & experience will only be of benefit.

I just find the list of countries from which certain degrees are accepted rather ridiculous. And no, that is not to say that one country is better than another... However, none of the scandinavian countries are on the list. Why? I mean scandinavians is quite well know for possessing decent english skills and having a high standard of education. There are no issues with entering the country since these countries have a visa waiver agreement in place.
I suspect it's simply due to the fact that not that many educated scandinavians are moving to NZ, and as such noone has bothered adding said countries to the list...

That combined with the tone of the letter and the message 'You got 2 weeks to sort your shit out - although the bureaucratic wheels will take 2 months to turn. Thanks for calling, don't let the door smack you in the arse on your way out.' (phew, that was hard work, time for the 3rd coffee break today...)
Oh well, we'll have to see what happens. $450 bucks to have someone look at your exam papers (yes, they come in english as well) and give them the thumbsup seems a bit steep - then add $46 to have them send your documents back to you. Multiply that with the number of degrees you hold btw. Sounds like a bad joke to me honestly!
All this, to be able to work at less than half the salary you could get elsewhere and doing so in a country that is suffering from considerable brain-drain and significant infrastructural issues. When I word it like that I begin to wonder why one should bother. But still, I do want to...

Unless of course you have some hidden secret agent past that we do not know about! lol

Now, that ought to count as additional qualifications I'm sure. Certainly, no one in their right mind would send anyone to spy on NZ...

[007XX]

007XX disagrees with you, though.

Tu me connais si bien...

All this, to be able to work at less than half the salary you could get elsewhere and doing so in a country that is suffering from considerable brain-drain and significant infrastructural issues. When I word it like that I begin to wonder why one should bother. But still, I do want to...
...

It's not much different from what it was like 14 years ago when I landed here. Admitedly, I didn't have a PhD to offer, but the process wasn't any easier.

During the process of interrogation at the end of a very long drawn out procedure of paperwork back and forth, I was asked very bluntly (and borderline rudely) whether my (then) husband and I were serious about having gotten married or if it was so I could stay in NZ (ex hubby was french born but had NZ citizenship).

By then, my blood was severely boiling, so I sweetly outlined the roundness of my 6 months pregnant tummy, and asked whether being pregnant with his child would do?

As I had been sitting when the guy came in, he hadn't seen that I was pregnant, and so he proceeded to melt into profuse apologies

The thing is Mikkel (and pardon me for being blunt): you are not going to be able to change the system, so raving on about it is only likely to give you a hernia and bugger all else...

Go through the process or don't, but ultimately, it is your choice...I feel your pain, trust me. I'm going to have to go through it again to get my citizenship, and I do not relish the prospect. I've been delaying it so long because it was so very darn annoying the first time, just for residency.

I'll finish with saying: NZ's system has a lot of crap systems, I agree...but trust me when I say there is way worse out there. Try living under a french government, and you'll think that NZ is a paradise.

[Coyote]

I'm pretty keen to move to Scandinavia myself. So many hot metal chicks

[Mikkel]

It's not much different from what it was like 14 years ago when I landed here. Admitedly, I didn't have a PhD to offer, but the process wasn't any easier.

During the process of interrogation at the end of a very long drawn out procedure of paperwork back and forth, I was asked very bluntly (and borderline rudely) whether my (then) husband and I were serious about having gotten married or if it was so I could stay in NZ (ex hubby was french born but had NZ citizenship).

By then, my blood was severely boiling, so I sweetly outlined the roundness of my 6 months pregnant tummy, and asked whether being pregnant with his child would do?

As I had been sitting when the guy came in, he hadn't seen that I was pregnant, and so he proceeded to melt into profuse apologies

It's nice to hear that they have managed to improve their customer service - we haven't been personally insulted yet.

The thing is Mikkel (and pardon me for being blunt): you are not going to be able to change the system, so raving on about it is only likely to give you a hernia and bugger all else...

Oh, I'm not trying to change a thing - I'm just ranting... I don't think I am the first one who have ever taken that liberty on KB. As for the hernia - I got one of those already. Not too bad, it's the gastroscopy that is nasty

Go through the process or don't, but ultimately, it is your choice... I feel your pain, trust me. I'm going to have to go through it again to get my citizenship, and I do not relish the prospect. I've been delaying it so long because it was so very darn annoying the first time, just for residency.

That's my point. I wanted to, but now I'm not so sure - and that is a bloody shame TBH.

I'll finish with saying: NZ's system has a lot of crap systems, I agree...but trust me when I say there is way worse out there. Try living under a french government, and you'll think that NZ is a paradise.

Never lived under a french government - but I won't doubt you for a second there. There are things that suck badly in Denmark as well, but the bureaucrazy seemed slightly more efficient. I can not stress this enough - I HATE bureaucrazy with a passion!

[Conquiztador]

I came here over 20 years ago. Had an occupation that was then needed. Got working visa and then applied for residency.

Then I wanted to travel out for a few months, and as I had heard nothing re my permanent residency (after a year of applying)I went to NZ Immigration to fill in an application to get a re-entry working visa. This girl behind the desk, could not have been more then 20, looked at my foreign passport with all the required stamps in it. She then found out that I had applied for residency. And I kid you not: She said:"It will be much easier if I give you the permanent residency now, is that OK?" She then used her stamps etc and I was a permanent resident.

2 years ago I befiended a couple with Swedish and Scottish passports (dual citicenships). They had come here as she had been headhunted by the HB District Health Board to fill a position in Psychology that they had no luck in filling here. But she could not work as she had no work permit. And after her papers had been in same process as Mikkels for 8 months they gave up and went back to Scotland. They had been living on what the hubby had managed to get in working in orchards. And on their creditcards. They were by then at their creditcards limits and had no more money. So they had no other option then to leave. And they are not coming back.

Perhaps they should just have done what all others do: started driving taxies!!

[007XX]

That's my point. I wanted to, but now I'm not so sure - and that is a bloody shame TBH.

. I can not stress this enough - I HATE bureaucrazy with a passion!

Oh I hear you loud and clear, trust me. Hope it'll come right for you guys.

[Morcs]

stop the influx of foreigners i say!

lol

[Mikkel]

I came here over 20 years ago. Had an occupation that was then needed. Got working visa and then applied for residency.

Then I wanted to travel out for a few months, and as I had heard nothing re my permanent residency (after a year of applying)I went to NZ Immigration to fill in an application to get a re-entry working visa. This girl behind the desk, could not have been more then 20, looked at my foreign passport with all the required stamps in it. She then found out that I had applied for residency. And I kid you not: She said:"It will be much easier if I give you the permanent residency now, is that OK?" She then used her stamps etc and I was a permanent resident.

2 years ago I befiended a couple with Swedish and Scottish passports (dual citicenships). They had come here as she had been headhunted by the HB District Health Board to fill a position in Psychology that they had no luck in filling here. But she could not work as she had no work permit. And after her papers had been in same process as Mikkels for 8 months they gave up and went back to Scotland. They had been living on what the hubby had managed to get in working in orchards. And on their creditcards. They were by then at their creditcards limits and had no more money. So they had no other option then to leave. And they are not coming back.

Perhaps they should just have done what all others do: started driving taxies!!

Sad isn't it?

Oh I hear you loud and clear, trust me. Hope it'll come right for you guys.

Well, I had a call from my girlfriend earlier this morning and it's pushing me further towards the 'Ah, fuck it!' attitude.

She'd been on the phone, first to the 'immigration officer' and then to the NZQA... Apparently the short deadline for getting back to immigration is due to the 'immigration officer' leaving her job soon sound pretty professional to me.

Furthermore, to get her qualifications assessed my girlfriend needs to send in and have the following assessed:

- Her Ph.D. exam papers (english copy provided by the university in Denmark, no worries) - $450
- Her M.Sc. exam papers (english copy provided...) - $450
- HER HIGHSCHOOL EXAM PAPERS (these are not provided in english since they are not considered an international qualification and thus we would need to have an authorised translator translate them into english and put the Kosher-Stamp on them) - $???

And then you have to pay $46 to have your original papers (your property) returned to you after the examination has been completed.

Now, seriously, what the hell does your highschool grades matter when you are seeking entry based on 8 years worth of university qualifications? Is this just ridiculous or what?

The irony of it all is that it's just a formality. Her qualifications are more than up to scratch... It appears, IMHO, to be merely employment therapy for bureaucratic personnel. We pay the money, wait for a ridiculous amount of time and then we can proceed along the road to residency.

The processing time is 36 days for NZQA - you can pay another $150 to cut that down to 20 days. When my girlfriend asked about this she was told that these figures were 'of course only approximate guidelines' I mean WTF!
Seems like a money machine to me.

[007XX]

Seems like a money machine to me.

And that is exactly what it is.

[jrandom]

It sounds like NZ's immigration processes really are quite pointless and inefficient.

Mikkel, why don't you write to your local MP about it?

Complaining on KB won't actually fix anything, but you'd be amazed at what a sympathetic MP (particularly in an election year) can achieve. After all, that's what our electorate MPs are paid to do - represent us personally to the machinery of Government.

Seriously. Get in touch with him or her ASAP.