Don't blink - it might disappear

About 10 minutes ago, SWMBO idly surfed onto the New Zealand Immigration web site to login in and check whether status of our Expression Of Interest submission had altered from the 'received' it has been showing since we lodged.

We were certainly not prepared to see the following message.

Whilst hopeful and positive in outlook, I had quietly counselled myself for disappointment - at least the first time we applied - and had certainly expected to wait somewhere closer to the full 24 weeks our submission was valid before we heard anything. To be selected for vetting, and potentially an invitation to apply for residence, from a pool of around 800 well-qualified immigrants on the first draw after our submission is beyond any reasonable expectation we might have held.

All credit to SWMBO who collated all the papers we needed, highlighted the data I needed to provide and bullied me into filling in the labourious online application on evenings after work when I just wanted to grab a beer and relax. As it is too late for a beer, I'm off to bed with a mint tea and a book. Goodnight all.

Clearing more hurdles

The Pinot Noir is flowing again. As related in Lining up the second hurdle, we have submitted our Expression Of Interest to the New Zealand Immigration Service and so have begun the long haul towards securing residency. In the meantime, we have continued to chase up various leads and applications and I am now happy to relate that, in the last 24 hours, we have been informed that:

• Our EOI has been received and submitted to the pool for bi-weekly consideration over the next 6 months.
• Our police check documents, fresh from the UK, state that we are not criminals.
• SWMBO has been granted a work permit to run concurrent with mine.
• Now we have paid handsomely for student visas, the sprogs can now [legally] attend school.

With that, I'm off to watch All Celebrity Kitchen Makeover with SWMBO and the rest of the Pinot.