My Application for Residence in New Zealand Has Been Approved
June 24th, 2007* Phew! *
Now, a little backstory for those of you who continue to dawdle.
If you think that you’re just going to be able to snap your fingers and sail off to a far away land, friend, it’s probably not going to work out that way. You might be in for a long, hard, tedious, confusing and expensive slog, regardless of where you’re headed. And that’s under the best of circumstances.
My situation happens to involve New Zealand. While your destination country may or may not be as difficult to obtain residence in as New Zealand, I want to give you an idea of what this was like.
The New Zealand Immigration Service is swamped. Overwhelmed. As the global collapse accelerates, lots of Kiwis are returning home with their foreign husbands, wives and partners. Previously, NZIS told me to apply for a work permit (family category), as a stop-gap measure, because my residence application wouldn’t be processed before my visitor visa expired. That’s what I did. They issued me a work permit that was good for two years and sent me the fancy ‘Welcome’ book for residents. That was nice, but I didn’t yet have that all important sticker in my passport.
I’m married to a New Zealand citizen. I have the easiest of all possible paths to tread when it comes to getting residence in New Zealand. This is part of a letter I got back from NZIS:
We wish to advise you that, due to an overwhelming number of applications received by the New Zealand Immigration Service for your application category; we are currently unable to allocate your application to a specific case manager, and that it has been placed in a managed queue. Please be advised that it could take between six to nine months before you are allocated to a specific case manager…
Now, check this out. This was my application package:
Nobody said it was going to be easy…
Those are stacks of application forms, medical clearances (full physical, chest x-ray, multiple blood tests), proof of my longstanding relationship with and commitment to Becky, original government documents, original fingerprint card with FBI clearance and certified copies of blah blah blah. Would you believe that the package above—containing all of those original documents and my U.S. passport—was temporarily lost using an overnight courier service! (DHL this time, not FedEx. And no, it wasn’t found in some spook’s suit box. It eventually turned up at New Zealand Immigration after a couple of weeks. Not bad for overnight service! Maybe it was actually lost this time. After all, it’s not that weird for two different overnight courier companies to “lose” the same passport and immigration documents twice in a row in two different countries. That must happen all the time… *sigh* Hint: Don’t run a website like Cryptogon. It’s really not worth it.)
I couldn’t afford to hire a professional immigration adviser or lawyer to help out with this process. If you’re going to go through this on your own, expect surprises AND avoid them if possible! Try to spend as much time as your sanity will allow reading through the instruction manuals if any (yes, New Zealand Immigration applications have separate manuals), fee schedules and FAQs. If you can, hire a lawyer and pay that person to do this stuff for you. While doing that would probably cost a mint, it would be worth it. We would have done that if we were better off financially.
Now, why am I telling this story?
Look at the amount of time and effort this took. There’s no obvious crisis. There’s just an, “overwhelming number of applications.” The point is that moving to another country is a VERY BIG DEAL, and getting the legal details sorted out takes time, a lot of time, even under the best of circumstances. It’s complicated. It’s expensive (for us, anyway). If there’s an “overwhelming number of applications” now, what will happen in the wake of some international breakdown? How long will it take to get the pretty little hologram stickers in your passport then?
Now, a quick note on getting your “rap sheet” from the FBI. The immigration authorities in the country you’re moving to will require you to submit a criminal history report. For Americans, this involves sending your fingerprints to the FBI, paying a fee and waiting (are you ready?) two to three months. That’s right, it took the FBI three months to stamp “NO RECORD” on the back of my fingerprint card and send it back to me. Make damn that sure that you send good quality prints or FBI might decide to return them to you and tell you to try again. Thankfully, that didn’t happen to me.
Well, I hope this lights a fire under the butts of those of you who are planning to leave.
Oh yeah, you do have your passport already, right?
CONGRATS!
I completed my residency last October and encountered all of the same problems including lost and damaged papers. The bureaucrats in Wellington are not particularly evil, but they are grossly incompetent. Of note the official figures indicate a recent decrease in immigration to NZ. Perhaps the claimed residency application boom relates to the 2005 and earlier migrants deciding to become residents.
PS: Interesting hearsay, FWIW – Heard at a party, an acquaintance of an acquaintance who works at an international mobile phone company is alleged to have said that archival backup copies of all the worldwide phone/email/browser/search records are stored in company’s office in NZ. How weird is that? I guess that means that the global spying archives are likely to survive nuclear war. But what use would they be in that circumstance? Most of the people who were spied upon would be dead, right? Or is this so the surviving elite controllers can control the surviving sub-elites?
Also the helicopter taxi service is soon to be operational for the Bay of Islands where the global elite are building their inaccessible deluxe hideouts for when TSHTF. I guess this is good news.
Congratulations Kevin. For the record, how long was it from the day you got off the plane until your immigration application was approved?
I had no idea the FBI had to rubber stamp your file after you’re on another continent. Would you have sought political asylum if the Feds blackballed you?
“You’re either with us or against us.” -GWB
I actually dawdled myself… Once I was in NZ, I’d look at the red tape and then put off dealing with it. Red tape like that just takes takes the wind out of my sails. Anyway, from the moment Immigration had my application package, it was about six months. I actually think I got off easy because my “case” was so obviously straight forward. They sent me a letter that said if I could submit additional material from my medical exams, they would be able to make an accelerated decision. I did what they asked, and I guess it was ok.
Re: the FBI thing: I’d rather not think about it. I’m just glad it’s over.
Well done Kevin. My sister-in-law wants to get married to a South African guy who she met in the UK. This guy was so keen to leave S.Africa than he joined the Royal Army – of course he hated that so much that he tried to get our before his time was up.
To many people’s surprise (and against the wishes of most of his superiors) he actually did get out. He needs to stay in the UK so he can live with his fiance and build evidence of their committment but he’s not allowed to work and must enrol at an educational insitution to justify his presense over there.
The current situation is that despite wanting to emigrate to NZ it’s the UK immigration department that currently has his passport (6 months and counting) while they assess his application to go university. They have an application in with NZ immigration but are completley in the dark about what is happening and when they will get approval or if they are doing enough to prove their committment.
I think it’s going to be particularly tough on him because there is an overflow of S. African’s trying to enter NZ and our immigration is suspicious of them, they don’t want to get married until they are here and there is s suspicion that because of his early release from the army and the fact that he nearly went AWOL things may be going on behind the scenes that are impeding his progress.
So your right, it’s not easy.
Well done Kevin.
Reading this post reminded me of applying for Permanent Residency in Australia. It took 18 MONTHS from the day I started applying for this visa until the day it was approved and in my passport! And this was without any problems/issues.
The amount of red tape was insane. I needed an FBI clearance too since I worked in the USA. Also needed medicals, English tests etc etc etc. My FBI clearance also took about 2mths but my one from South Africa took 3mths.
I used an immigration lawyer…and yes it does cost a mint and a half but well worth it.
If you haven’t started applying for residency by now that window of opportunity is quickly closing.
Again, congrats Kevin and enjoy.
Nice post Aaron.
I understand (white) peoples need to leave South Africa since I fleed from there over a year ago and boy am I damn glad I did! Again, that window of opportunity is quickly closing.
Keven, one thing I forgot to ask in my previous post…will you be renouncing your US citizenship? From what I have read regarding US tax laws, you have to pay tax to the IRS on your worldwide income!
What are your thoughts on that?
Just out of curiosity, how do you like life in New Zealand? I live in the UK for the past 2 years, and I hate it. Before that I lived in Florida for 15 years and I liked it a lot, but I couldnt stay. I would really like to move away from the UK and I am thinking of Canada or New Zealand, maybe Switzerland.
I don’t have New Zealand citizenship; just residence. So, there’s no point in speculating about what I might or might not do several years from now. I realize that the primary reason for Americans to renounce their citizenship is because of the income tax. This isn’t a burning issue for us since we make so little money. I filed my taxes online and the system asked if I wanted to receive information about food stamps. HA.
Hah hah, thanks Kevin!
Sorry, I assumed you had been granted citizenship since there was a photo of a New Zealand passport! My bad.
John, I hated the UK too. I did a LSD (Look See Decide) trip to Australia (Perth) and was really impressed. With the shit coming down the line in the future my first choice would be Tasmania…
Congrats to you.
I live in the Netherlands and am a dual citizen with the USA. I left the USA in 1989 to take a job for a DOD contractor on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
I was born in the Netherlands but when my parents immigrated to the USA in 1953 I became a US citizen in 1962 under my father (I was a minor).
After high school I joined the USAF and served 10 years including one year at DaNang AB, Vietnam.
After coming back from Vietnam I had many emotional problems (they didn’t know about PTSD then. Slowly I got better and my life turned around, however, I became very political and angry with the US govt. I saw so many lies during Vietnam.
I decided I was going to try and get out of the USA. Not easy……it took over 3 years to get the overseas job and after spending 5 years on Kwajalein, I took a job in Frankfurt Germany are Rhein Main AB, a NATO contract. Still I only had a US passport and as long as I had NATO job I could stay in Europe. Then in 1997 I decided to try and get my original citizenship back. At first the Dutch govt said NO because they don’t accept dual citizenship. They said I had to either give up US citizenship then they would do it. I was still hesitant, and waited. Then about 2 weeks later a woman in the Dutch govt called me and she said she had found a loophole in the law.
She asked me if anyone had asked me at age 13 if I wanted to become an American citizen. I said NO because I automatically became one when my father did. She said , well, by virtue of the fact you were a minor and not able to make a qualified decision that they were going to award my my birth nationality back without losing USA citizenship.
What a great day that was!! After that all kinds of doors started opening for me in Europe because I wasn’t tied into the US system anymore. I immediately got a Dutch (EU) passport.
I got a job in aviation in Luxembourg and lived there 3 years. Then moved to Holland where I got a better job in Amsterdam.
Last year my employer gave me a 50,000 Golden Handshake because they wanted to get younger guys in.
I have had a relapse of PTSD after watching the crap about Iraq (bringing back memories), so I went to a Dutch pychiartrist. He diagonosed me as having PTSD with a formal letter and the Dutch govt know pays me 2000 Euros a month for the rest of my life because they say I am disabled. (anger problems).
I find it ironic that the Dutch govt is doing this for war veterans even though they were never involved with Vietnam. I was always treated with the utmost respect and courtesy , thats more than I could say about the VA.
Again, congrats, and welcome to the real modern world. The USA is fucked and have no desire to go back there EVER. Its won’t change no matter who is in power. The military industrial complex runs the show.
I still voted via absentee ballot the last 2 times but AIPAC and Israel will choose the next President. Meanwhile the common people in the USA are screwed and too gullible and dumb and cowardly to take to the streets.
Peace!!
# Kevin Says:
June 24th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I don’t have New Zealand citizenship; just residence. So, there’s no point in speculating about what I might or might not do several years from now. I realize that the primary reason for Americans to renounce their citizenship is because of the income tax. This isn’t a burning issue for us since we make so little money. I filed my taxes online and the system asked if I wanted to receive information about food stamps. HA.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Just a little info for you.
You don’t have to be a citizen to draw US social security anywhere in the world.
If you have a SS number and paid in 40 quarters you qualify. At age 62 or 65, your choice.
There is NO benefit in US citizenship anymore. With my Dutch passport I can fly to any country on earth. Try that with a US passport.
BTW, if you renounce your US citizenship I do not think you would have to renounce your Social Security. Even legal aliens get that.
I know someone trying to get their US permenant residency (chinese citizens). Their process has been going on for years too. I think everyone’s trying to shuffle onto a less sunk ship.
All of you other commentors sound as though you are very learned, accomplished, and well-travelled people. Me, I know what’s really going on WRT collapse and all that, but for all practical purposes, I’m what you would probably call just some guy. The midwestern American state in which I live is the only home I’ve ever known, and besides, if I were to leave, where would I go and what would I do? I sometimes think about what it would be like to live in Ireland, the country I consider my ancestral homeland, but that’s a pipe-dream at best. People who can bug out are a highly priveleged minority indeed.
So do white South Africans want to leave because the now in-power black majority doesn’t appreciate them, or is it because of the attitude of other white South Africans? Or both?
The stuff about the UK being an unpleasant place to live is interesting because I just hear so much that strongly gives me the impression that that Old Blighty is a very unhappy country full of very unhappy people. (One might dare call it “The Minnesota of Europe”!)
BTW, Kevin, congrats on finally getting your residency in NZ; I totally understand how and why that would be really important to you. You do indeed know of whence you speak when you refer to average US citizen-consumers as “zombies”.
The process for residency is quite tedious and full of beaurocratic mine fields. The shame of it all is that you hear time and again of immigration lawyers and other companies stiffing their clients. I’ve got my eyes on Australia, Argentina, NZ and other places.
The ironic thing is that while many of these nations are clamoring for people and capital they make you jump through unimaginable hoops. You have to ask sometimes WTF is going on!
And now having been laid off, and living the life of the self-employed, better yet I call it a “sabbatical”, I’m struggling with either finding some stop gap employment or chucking it all in and taking the dive right away.
My gut feeling is that the window is slowly closing and I need to take action. The idea of letting go of my citizenship appeals to me but more so for my kids. I don’t want them in any way to be siphoned up by uncle sams future military “needs”.
Congrats anyways on the good news. Thats one less burden to bear.
Don’t ask me how or why but my experience with NZ Immigration was the most painless and nearly instantaneous turn around process for me. Living in walking distance to the Office in Auckland may have had a factor in it but…I hand delivered most documents and my case worker gladly met me in the lobby for document additions and paying checks and fees. I just called the lady on the phone with questions and they were able to process everything immediately. I never waited in a line once.
I got my skilled migrant residency in a matter of days after all my paperwork, fees, and medical results were complete. (which is a bit of a seperate ordeal)
The FBI proof of record took 4 months, and the Medical stuff and gathering eveything for the EOI was a pain but once the stuff was submitted to NZIS it was smooth sailing.
All said and done it was nearly 2 grand in fees but the NZ “red tape” for me was non existant.
Maybe there is special treatment for Short list skilled Individuals with double the points needed to qualify, or maybe its cause I am white, and English is my primary language?
I was worried because I knew they were busy but,
I never experienced it. I never waited in a single line and I got my passport the next day after paying the levee fee in person.
Anyways compared to the DMV in Los Angeles, or Veteran Affairs Office the NZIS rocks!
Hooray I can stay!
@ Loveandlight
You wrote:
“The midwestern American state in which I live is the only home I’ve ever known, and besides, if I were to leave, where would I go and what would I do?”
My situation was very different. I never fit in to the place I was from. Leaving it for good was a big relief. I don’t miss it (except for the fast Internet connection and the Indian and Mexican food) and have no plans to return.
It might have something to do with the fact that I had traveled and seen how people live in other places. But it might also have been that I was unusually disgruntled.
People talk about “getting outside your comfort zone.” That was pretty easy for me, since I didn’t have a comfort zone to begin with. It was just traffic and work in the dry, hot hell of Southern California.
Re: Ireland. That trip is VERY worth taking. Ireland is a beautiful country. I thoroughly enjoyed my visits there. I’d say that I miss Ireland more than the U.S. HAHA
@ David
“Maybe there is special treatment for Short list skilled Individuals”
That sounds about right. It makes sense that the “Family quota” cattle call is a lower priority that the high earners/in demand workers. Maybe I should have included my CV from my past life in the corporate IT world…
Naaaa!
@ Kevin
Same here. Grew up in West L.A. and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there at 18. Smog, endless asphalt and freeways, too many people, and most people are idiots. What’s not to be disgruntled about? Everywhere else I’ve lived has been an improvement on So. Cal., and my newest country an improvement on the US. Getting to be quite the happy camper now. Call me the Pook in Paradise. heh.
Reading all this brings back so many memories of me leaving South Africa. Everyone thought I was mad for leaving and kept saying I would return. Little did they know that my intention was to leave for good. I am so much happier where I am now.
I felt the same way you did Kevin, never really thought I fitted into the country I was born in. Wanted to leave the place since I was in high school!
@Loveandlight
I left SA for many reasons…crime/government/affirmative action (its REALLY hard to get a job there as a white..even if you born there)/etc etc.
The people that begged me to stay said things were getting better. Dunno how they can say that when SA has more murders per day (about 50 or 60) than the Iraq war!!!
Its a silent white genocide and I won’t stick around for it. If the remaining people there want to live in denial then so be it.
I have an online friend who lives in south coastal California, and from the way she describes the social culture of the place, it really does sound like a noxiously toxic distillation of everything that’s sick and wrong about the USA. (Kind of like how Minnesota is an obnoxious distillation of everythng dysfunctional about the Midwest. I’m not from MN, but I’ve lived there, as it’s a neighboring state. Wouldn’t go back unless my only other choices were the South or Socal.)
Hi there…congrats (I think) on getting to New Zealand…I think…I note that there have been comments on the board about the Aussie immirgation policy. I’m an Aussie and I am ashamed to say: if you have US$600,000 in your hand, they waive all red tape and waiting periods.
The criminals fleeing the US (AND the very people we should be trying hardest to keep out) will be welcomed with open arms.
Hey, this disgruntled Mouth just landed in Montreal with a one year visa, looking to become a permanent resident and then Citizen.
Even though it is Canada, it feels like a foreign country (a lot of French is spoken here). The emotional adjustment is just starting for me, but already I feel like the USA corporate bulls-eye is off my back…for now.
Kevin:
I don’t know your age but if you paid in US Social Security for 40 quarters (10 years), you can draw SS anywhere in the world you live. (regardless of citizenship).
Catch is…..DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, have the monthly funds deposited into your NZ bank account. I opened a Swiss Account (Holland is a 6 hour drive from Switzerland)…..very easy to do.
Reason I am telling you this is if NZ finds out you are getting a SS check from the US they can tax it possibly.
In my case, I can draw social security from Holland also in 4 years. Don’t wake sleeping dogs.
I also have a social number in Luxembourg and Germany but only worked there 3 years, so get maybe 50 bucks a month at age 65.
To all you folks who are stuck in the USA, I feel for you really.
I still love the idea of America but don’t see it changing in my lifetime.
Actually since I moved to Europe in 1994 its not always been easy but QUALITY of life is 100 times better. And a whole lots less stupid people to deal with.
I speak German and Dutch and English so that helped, but here in Holland you can get by very easily without Dutch because just about everyone speaks English as a second language seeing as HOlland is VERY internationally business oriented and has the largest harbor in the world. The economy is very strong here …..
Why do you think that the Judeo-Chinese axis won’t in due course grab New Zealand? There’s already enough Mossad there to start a kosher deli on every block.
Yes, America is a hellhole that is about to fall. But Americans have guns with which to carve out a survival solution. You don’t.
Let history show that you were not to be bothered with the defense of Civilization. So, don’t bother trying to come back.
We applied for NZ residency through their skilled migrant program. I started the process, gathering paperwork and sending fingerprints to the FBI, etc, in Oct 2005, and sent the completed application in Dec 2005. It took until June 2006 for residency to be granted — so 8 months from beginning to end. I did the paperwork myself — the work history part was the most challenging, since I’ve been self-employed most of my life.
In addition to the basic application, another thing to keep in mind is the actual process of moving. We have a lot of stuff. It took 2 forty-foot shipping containers to hold it all. I suspect that as the collapse advances, it’s going to be harder and harder to get your stuff shipped. There’s already a significant risk of the ship being attacked by modern-day pirates, depending on the shipping route. Anything going near Singapore is especially risky. I heard the other day that something like 75% of ships going in and out of Thailand have been attacked by pirates. We were able to find a company that shipped direct from Oakland, Calif. to Auckland, although there was a considerable cost premium. One nice thing about NZ is that that don’t charge hefty tariffs on things you bring with you, unlike Costa Rica, for example.
//MOD Don’t try to use my site to encourage people to engage in illegal activities. Comment deleted. Thanks.
I agree, future governments of NZ will allow the nation to be annexed by the Chinese-Zionist-Freemason faction, as long as they allow us to keep the AllBlacks ™ and John Campbell. We’re just lucky not to have oil or diamonds or such things, and we’re lucky the land here has only suffered human infestation for about 900 years.
We are in Costa Rica and can help anyone who needs help here. Let me know. It is very easy to get residency here and we have all the info.
Namaste:
J.E
I had the unfortunate experience of downloading the Alex Jones show.
Listened for about 30 minutes and just wanted to puke.
Between idiots like him, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and other assorted nuts I can see what America is getting crazier.
Glad I left 18 years ago.
I feel sorry for the people that have to live there.
Alex Jones is one of the only people speaking the truth in the USA!
I don’t like anything he has to say… because the truth hurts.
North Americans are in BIG TROUBLE ( http://www.spp.gov )
If you think he is an idiot I challenge you to find faults with his research and films.
Definitely a must watch for free on google video just do a search under Alex Jones.
Another good search is Aaron Russo’s America Freedom to Facism.
Kevin,
I’m a 40 yr old female, single, in the US. I want to move to NZ. Can I corrispond with you for more info about my attempt to get the process started. I would like to ask you about things significant to my personl situation that may or may not impact my efforts. If so can I email you without posting it for public viewing?
Thank you,
Anne
Hi Anne,
Since our situations are very different, I doubt that I’d be able to provide any useful information. But if you still want to ask me something, go for it. Click “Contact” at the top for information about emailing me.
Kevin
@Daruka
I’m assuming that I’ll never see a dime of what I’ve paid into social security. I’m only 35. For that thing to still be viable by the time I’m able to collect from it… Well, that would require a miracle.
David
I didn’t say Alex Jones was an idiot but it seems like he is just shouting at people like Rash Slimeball.
And of course plugging his books and videos.
If you would come to Europe where thankfully we DO NOT have talk radio, you would see TV programs that go one for hours without commericials discussing and debating geopolitics. All in an intelligent way without raising the voice.
If Americans could hear what the rest of the world is saying about them they would be very surprised.
Alex Jones makes many good points but on the other hand always has to throw in some bullshit about ‘God’ and preface many of his comments with ‘well, I believe in god, however, blah blah blah.
You won’t hear that crap here.
Kevin
Well, you never know.
I had an uncle that immigrated to the USA right after my parents did back in 1953. He and his wife stayed there 5 years and she hated it and they moved back here. Never became citizens. Had one child while living in Chicago. That child is NOW 52 years old and lives down the street from me. He is a bank director here. One day we were having a coffee together and I asked him. ‘Hey, you were born in America, that makes you an American. He said he knows but has no desire togo there. Took his family for a vacation and his kids didn’t like it.
Now back to his father, my uncle. When he turned 65 he received a letter from the US social security admin here. Didn’t even ask for it. They hunted him down and told him he was eligible to draw seeing as he worked in the USA for 5 years and had a Social Security number (but never became citizen), he was legal alien status.
So what my uncle did was opened a US bank account and had them send the monthly check to that account. Once a year he would empty the account and use that money for vacation. He only got a 100 dollars a month but still it was something.
Kevin
Also, I would like to add one more thing.
Here in Holland EVERYONE whether they worked or not in their lifetime, at age 65 gets social security which amounts here to about 1500 dollars a month.
They MUST have Dutch citizenship though to qualify, which I do.
Thus in 3 years I will draw Dutch social security, US social security (sent to offshore account) and a small amount from Luxembourg because I worked there also for 3 years and have a Luxembourg Social number.
Now some people might think thats illegal. Its NOT, however, if the Dutch see too much money going thru my normal current account there they could start asking questions. Thus my US SS goes to offshore bank.
It took me about two years to move to USA (employment related). After 5 years here I applied for US citizenship. All procedure finished. Now it is 3 years my documents sit somehwere in the dungeouns of INS. I can’t even talk to anyone who handles my file! I call to Washington DC, they call to local INS office and they always send me the same worthless answer. It is being processed….
Make conclusions :o)
Kil’dybey.
Why do you want to become an American???
Do you come from some 3rd world country?
An American passport is probably THE worst passport you can possess.
Think twice.