As if any more barriers could be thrown in my way, I had an email from immigration yesterday. It seems that there could be further delays to the visa process, due to the fact that I am already here in New Zealand.
The visa
Because I am the principal applicant, the visa has to be put into my passport first. That means the file has to be transferred to a NZ branch, I have to go to the immigration branch to get the visa in person. The nearest is a 3 hour drive from here.
After that is done, the file is transferred back to London, where they then process Mark’s passport and give him his visa. It must only happen in this order.
NIGHTMARE!!
His departure to join me at the end of this month is now in jeopardy too.
So, I spoke to my boss this morning.
- Lucky event no 1: She will grant me a day off to go to Dunedin, and lend me a works vehicle (thanks, and PHEW!)
- Lucky event no 2: I called the local immigration branch at 9am this morning. They already have the file and I do not have to wait the expected 3 days for transferal.
- Lucky event no 3: They will process and give me my visa on Monday if I can get myself there, and it will only take a few hours.
When I spoke to some people I work with, they were not surprised, knowing of others who have had to do the same. I only wish immigration had told me that when they granted me residency, I could have gone up to the offices in the school holidays instead, or better still, could have done it the LAST time I visited Dunedin!
I am hoping that means that by the end of next week, they can have the file transferred back to London and Mark’s visa sorted out.
There is not another thing I can do any faster than I have done at this end and I am grateful that I have an employer who is flexible and understanding when it really counts.
The house
A darned bank holiday and a postal strike in the UK are NOT HELPING!! That elusive cheque has still not appeared out of the post and into the hands of my solicitors. We continue to wait… impatiently
The job
End of the first full week. I have decided to flex things where I can to enable me to carry out my job without a melt down. It has in fact worked out quite well. The staff in the school where I work are brilliantly supportive. I have located all of the paperwork I am meant to be doing on a weekly basis (I think!) and managed to decipher it. My boss says I am looking a lot less stressed than I was earlier in the week, which has got to be a good sign.
I have decided that even though I ask, and they try to explain, they really won’t get it so I have to MAKE myself time in the working day to get my own head around it all.
The head and deputy in the school I work in came to talk to me today. Their message was simple, but nice, and I am glad they spent the time to come. They told me that they cannot possibly imagine how I must feel, they mentioned how simply moving jobs is bad enough, without all the other things I am having to deal with. They sympathise and want to help and support me in any way that they can, and if I need anything I have to simply ask.
That was such an important message for me to hear, and I really thank them for taking the time to tell me those words.
Melanie Magowan 