Update from the ombudsman.

November 8, 2009 by Avalon
Filed under: Life in New Zealand 

It’s been some months now since we batted our complaint about INZ back to the ombudsman because of the “don’t give a shit” attitude of Andrew Annakin the head of INZ.

So in October, we sent a letter asking for an update. Not that I don’t trust the Office of the Ombudsman, because I think they are actually quite wonderful people, but because there is just so much paperwork involved I wanted to check that I hadn’t overwhelmed them.

We got a reply back about a week later, and it seems the hold-up is – wait for it – with the Department of Labour and INZ.

They have a “backlog” complaints.

Now while that could be seen as irritating – in that we have to wait – I actually think its bloody brilliant. More people are refusing to take the crap that INZ dole out, and are fighting back. So I’m ok with waiting. To be honest – once my parents got their visas, the complaint became less urgent. It’s still vitally important – but we can afford to be patient about getting the result. As long as INZ don’t think we are ever going to go away.

Interestingly, the Ombudsman says

” The delays occasioned by the backlog have impeded (our) ability to progress the investigation we have commenced”.

Hmmm – INZ “Impeding” investigation into their behaviour?

Whatever next.Eyebrow

Once again – whether or not they agree with our point of view in the end, I cannot but have immense gratitude to the Office of the Ombudsman for the way they deal with these issues, and the way they deal with complainants.

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Comments

One Comment on Update from the ombudsman.

  1. Dave Freer on Mon, 9th Nov 2009 5:04 am

    2. I’m not hugely surprised to find you’ve had some issues with INZ :-( B and I applied for rare talent special migration visa for Australia (they take people that they think may do Australia a bit of good internationally -arts, culture, science, and the cut-off age is not their normal 45 – I was 47.) I’m a US published novelist – write fantasy and sf – and I have now 11 books out and a slew in press or under contract (I think 19 all-in-all now) We had NZ as plan B (I have had a thing about Tassie for 20 years – and that is where we’re going. But we both liked NZ a lot too). Now, B’s a radiographer, I have a MSc. in Ichthyolgy (fishy stuff) and on the INZ points system either of us could bring the other – if we were to work in our professions. But… I wanted to live in a remote place, and write. (at that stage I had something like 3 years of forward work – 6 books , contracted, paid 1/3 on signing and the other 2/3 on turn in, plus of course the royalty stream, which is a reasonable addition – this would give me an above average NZ income BEFORE additional sales or royalties – all foreign income coming in to the country). And by selling up here – South Africa – which was at the top of a property boom then – we could afford to start very comfortably — or even to hold the money in some kind of investment account in NZ for a couple of years while they established that we were not bludgers – with enough to support us for a few years and pay for our return tickets.

    Sounds like a win-win situation doesn’t it? INZ get two citizens with qualifications on their short list of desirable professions (in case the bottom falls out of my writing career) They get an internationally recognised author ( I think they have two now in my genre), with a reasonable income earned offshore and spent in NZ, they get someone who wants to live and can work in areas where is no work and no money. And Fanasy – via Lord of the Rings is one of NZ’s big selling points… And I am willing to put up guarantees greater than those they’d ask of sponsoring peer organisation (there isn’t one). And I am willing to provide proof and guarantees for all of it.

    Sounds sensible and simple. And indeed Australian immigration must have found it so, because they have given us very generous permanent residence visas, despite the fact that we’re both over 45, and our boys are not minors (Ok they’re over-achievers ;-) I’d have them) But INZ in their wisdom couldn’t find a pigeonhole to put me in. You see, if I had a NZ publisher it would be different… I’d have a local employer (imagine me pulling my hair out in lumps at this point – NZ is a market of 4 million. The US a tiny bit larger. US publishers sell into NZ, not the otherway around) but the second biggest US sf/fantasy publisher… oooh no. But if either B or I wanted to come along as things that fitted their categories, that would be just fine. So long as we lived in a place where B could work (ie a city, and I don’t do cities) I could even write if I wanted to. At which point NZ moved from close second choice to no. 35 after Sri Lanka, and closing on Afganistan. Thinking obviously wasn’t anyone at INZ (and I tried various avenues) strong point (Do they run entirely on rote?) or indeed the rather moronic Wellington Migration Agent I wrote to.

    Fortunately, it all proved unecessary and we’re off to our remote island off the coast of Tasmania. But it does leave me able to believe INZ maybe need some sharp-minded emigrants in their staff. They should put that at the top of their desirable migrants list.

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