Jerry Falwell

As most of you know Jerry Falwell passed away last week. I felt like I should write a blog about the legacy he left behind...but I recently read this little compilation of a few of his quotes and thought they spoke louder than any words I could write... So check it out...

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/

364 days....

364 days....'til I have to leave New Zealand...*grin*

It appears that Chris' call did some good because 3 hours later they approved my application...LOL I guess someone put in a call to the caseworker and said we were throwing a fit. It just makes me even more sure there was something going on there...

So this is AWESOME news!! Once my passport comes back from my name change we'll be able to start processing Chris' paperwork to come to the US!!! YAY!!!! *does a happy dance*

29 days....

This morning Chris called Immigration Services as soon as they opened to find out WTF they were doing because their actions don't jive with the procedures in their operations manual.....

The guy on the phone tried to give us some song and dance about how there's a cue (yup, improper usage, but I can't remember how to spell the right one) and my application has been it that for a while and so March 28th was the day they got it, not the day it started processing. April 18th is when it was assigned a case worker and started processing and May 2nd is when they sent off the medical check to be reviewed. No matter what we tried to tell the guy on the phone he kept insisting that was what happened and nothing odd is going on. He also said we have nothing to worry about because they wouldn't kick me out of the country anyways...if I have an application processing which they received in plenty of time and it's not been decided on by the time my permit expires I'll be fine and don't have to leave... I can wait 'til they've made a decision.

Interesting story....but it's SUCH bull shit! Why do I say that? Because...my case had a caseworker weeks ago and it wasn't the person he named had it this morning. How do we know that if they don't automatically tell you? Because Chris and I were having this debate weeks ago about when to send off my passport to have the name changed on it. I thought we needed to wait 'til after they appoved my permit extension because I expected to have to undergo more tests (like the doc that did my medical check expected) and I'd need my passport for identification...also I didn't think it would be good to change passport numbers on them in case they tried to verify my passport and it came up invalid. But Chris thought as long as we let them know of the change it would be fine. So we called Immigration NZ to ask about it and the woman we talked to said there would be no problem sending it off (since it would be back within 2 weeks) and that when we got it back to just send a fax to our caseworker stating the change in my name and passport number....so she gave us the fax number and the name of the caseworker processing my case, along with exactly what to say in the fax. That was around mid-April (although I can't remember the exact date) and I swear it was before the 18th of April.... The caseworker they claim has it now was not the same one that had it then....

So why the change? They won't admit there was a change... And why is it when we called weeks back when we were trying to figure out which permit to apply for that the woman on the phone commented on the fact that we had to allow adequete time for processing since I had a limited amount of time until my permit expired and I wouldn't be allowed to remain in the country while they made a decision on it? So we chose the faster process (applying for an extension) in hopes it would process in time? And why do they state that very thing repeatedly on their website, but yet tell us something completely contradictory on the phone this morning?

I know, I know, maybe it's my imagination working overtime, but I don't think so... There are just too many things that don't line up...too much that they're refusing to comment on or acknowledge.. The guy on the phone told us that he expected to hear a decision on my case in the next week, so to call back this time next week to find out what the status of my case is.

And then there's the matter of am email I got at 11:30 this morning from Immigration NZ (3 hours after calling them) notifying me I've had a change of status... I'm not logging on to their website to check exactly WHAT that is until Chris gets home....to keep me from calling and yelling at them if it's more BS...LOL

The guy on the phone this morning started sounding exasperated according to Chris who was being the middle person between the guy and me... He'd tell Chris something and Chris would say "Okay, one moment while I pass that on to my wife..." and then say whatever the guy said... Guess he got tired of having messages passed back and forth...but oh, he doesn't realise the good deed Chris was doing for him by being in the middle...because you all know how I get when I'm mad, it's justified, and I'm well versed in my facts on the matter... Like I said... Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Tiara!

30 days...

30 days....

That's how long I have left on my visa here....

48 days....

That's how long Immigration New Zealand has been processing my extension....the one that will allow me to legally remain in this country through the end of the year.

I've been through this process before to stay here past September of last year...it took them around 2 weeks to approve my extension then.

So why the long wait now? Because this time I had to have a medical check done as well...and there were some issues that came up, so we expected for them to have to send off the medical check for yet another independent review before requesting me to undergo more tests. Such a process would have taken around 4 weeks (according to their website) in addition to the average processing time for a visa extension.

So why is it that I haven't heard a thing after 7 weeks? And why is it that when I logged onto my account with Immigration Services in the hopes that I could find something out, that I find that my processing dates have been changed? I was notified on the 28th of March that they had received my application and it was processing....and my account always reflected that. But now it says they didn't receive it until the 18th of April??? The same date they said they received my medical check....even though they actually received it along with my other paperwork on March 28th! And now the date of receiving my medical check (which they claimed was the 18th of April) their site now says was received May 2nd!! May fucking 2nd? What the FUCK is going on??

I want to know who the fuck is changing the dates...and why. Is it to make it look like I didn't send my application in with enough time for processing?? Is it so that when we call to register a complaint they can say it's our fault and they are just doing their job within the estimated time they already state? Is someone fixing the books to look good, or covering their ass because they didn't send off my medical check for an additional review when they were supposed to??? Why haven't I received any email telling me someone fucked with all the dates?? They're sitting in their fucking little office with a stack of files that represent peoples LIVES! You know, I might be some little name on their list, but to me this means being forced to be apart from Chris...we've been married for less than 5 months!

I don't know what to do... I can't call and talk to the person who's reviewing my case...and they won't grant an emergency extension just to allow me to stay in the country 'til they approve or deny my application.... And now they've fucked with the dates it's been processing for???? I'd expect something like this from the US government...and I'd have the right to go sit at their offices and make a pain in the ass of myself...and I could write and call my congressman and senator...but here? I can't do anything here.... My hands are tied....

30 days....and counting....