NZ PhD Student Visa, 5 Month Processing time

brainxplode

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I applied for NZ Student visa on May 25, 2009 at the New Delhi High Commission). My visa file was then sent to NZ for processing. I am going for PhD in Mechanical Engineering at a premier school with a full scholarship. My visa officer contacted me in September for further submission of documents (Birth Certificate, Updated Evidence of Funds, and my CV) and told me that she would conduct a standard verification check on the documents. I contacted her once again in October and she replied me on 15 October, that my application is currently under verification, but she is aware that my scholarship deadline is 01 December, 2009. Today is October 28, 2009 and i still don't have my visa. It has now been 5 months and 4 days since i submitted my student visa application and frankly, i am so worried with this. I left my job in anticipation of my visa and still i don't know if i would be getting it within next few days. Any idea on how much time do NZ PhD visas take to process for Indian students (I hope Immigration NZ has different guidelines for different countries)? Please help me!!!
 
Hi , I also submitted my application for student visa for PhD at New Delhi on September 10 ,2009. I also got that my application has been forwarded to IPG department wellington for processing . On October 16, 2009 I got that Visa officer has been allocated to my application for processing. Please let me know in which department your application was forwarded for processing and which branch. I got information that IPG branch , they take one month to complete the processing after allocation of officer. I am also facing same problem.. my scholarship lapsing date is October 31, 2009. I have already intimate them about it. But still I did not get any reply. I am also waiting for my visa
 
Yes, You are right Immigration newzealand has different criteria for processing for different countries and India come under their 23 high risk country list due to high terrorist activity in India... So No one know how much time They 'll take to give AIP and to issue visa
 
@forevermark

Hey, My application too went to the IPG, Wellington. My timeline is as follows

May 25, 2009 - I submit my visa application through TTS @ NZ High Commission, New Delhi

June 11, 2009 - My passport is returned back by Gurpreet Chatwal @ Immigration NZ, Delhi

June 24, 2009 - My application reaches IPG in Wellington and i get an automated email asking for further submission of docs like Supplementary infos, travel history, family declaration and publication list. I submit that to them on June 26, 2009.

July 27, 2009 - My visa application is allotted to an immigration officer.

August 27, 2009 - My immigration officer emails me acknowledging my application (i suppose due to the long queue, she started with my application 1 month later since she was allotted my app).

September 07, 2009 - She completes her initial assessment of my file and asks for updated CV, full birth certi and updated evidence of funds. She tells me that she would conduct a standard verification check on my docs and would have the results in due course, but, at times, it may take a few weeks to get resolved.

September 17, 2009 - I email her the notarized docs and send her the hardcopies.

October 15, 2009 - She emails me that my application is still under verification, however she is aware that my scholarship deadline is December 01, 2009.

And its now almost 5 months and 8 days and i am still waiting. My roomies visa @ the University also took around 5 months to come. I haven't heard anything from the Immigration Department till now. They don't conduct interviews for genuine applicants, plus i am going to one of the premier schools. So had no interview. I don't think India falls under the high risk 23 country list (i am not sure, though). My visa officer seems to be good, but never know. It takes an average 5 months for processing. So, i am hoping that i get my visa within the next few days.

1. Please mention your exact time line for processing status, like i did above.

2. Did your visa officer contact you?
 
Hi
I submitted my visa application on september 10, 2009 . On september 23, I got that my application has reached on IPG department .

on October 15th I got that visa officer has been allocated .
I got mail from my visa officer on November 3, 2003, that She completes her initial assessment of my file and asked me to complete their forms which she sent me with mail to submit my educational background history, employment history, international travel history, family declaration and updated CV. , She told me that she would conduct a standard verification check on my required docs and would have the results in due course, but, at times, it may take a few weeks to get resolved.

Actually for PhD students it is mandatory that health, X ray and police certificate 'll be verify in IPG department only. I am also not confident that India is in 23 high risk country but due to high terrorist activities . It might be in their list..


please let me know whenever U get your visa. so according to that I can hope for my visa too
 
Hi,

I am going to apply for my student visa tomorrow for phd in computer science in the top uni in NZ. I was not aware that phd visa applications go to wellington for processing. This is very distressing news.
My registration date is 1st Feb and I'm funding my studies without a scholarship. My consultants said that visa processing could take 12 weeks but didn't say anything about 5 months!
Do keep us posted about what happens. I guess I'm applying with christmas time close by so I may need to wait further... Is there anybody on this forum who received a student visa for phd soon?
 
@forevermark. Its great for you that your visa officer was alloted to your application only within 1 month and 5 days, for me it took 2 months, 25 days more than you, it may be that during may there is a huge rush for visa applications. Do you know which documents are actually verified by the IPG verification officers. Actually, i did some research on the internet and found out that the visa officers forward the necessary documents for verification to the verifications officers and Wellington branch has 1 verification officer compared to Auckland branch, where they have 24 verification officers. My visa officer also asked for updated evidence of funds and birth certification. Didn't she ask you these two important docs? I have a fellowship from the University.

Now, the visa officers use their own discretion in determining which docs to verify. Do they verify all the docs, like qualifications, work experience etc? If they do verify all the docs, then it would take a long time for all applications. I contacted my previous employers and they told me that they have received no such enquires from an Embassy. So, i am wondering why my student visa application is taking so much time, more than 5 months and 10 days. (NZ PhD visa take usually 5 months, but my application has crossed that window period). I am so much worried.

Also, do the immigration department check the visa stamps of other countries? I have stamps from a few other countries as well. Do they contact other country embassies for identity verification? I think, that is not allowed due to data protection and privacy policies, right?

Are you sure about the thing that for PhD student visa, verifications for health, X-ray and PCC would be verified from the IPG Department only? India is not in the 23 high rick country, i am sure about that, otherwise all the applications from the New Delhi would be forwarded to NZ.

@vagonpoetry, I would definitely let you all know as soon as i get my PhD. I know what waiting means and i would never want my online pals to suffer as much as i did.

Any other thoughts would be much appreciated
 
@brainxplode

Hi
This is very sad to know ur state, but don't worry we are in the same boat. I have also applied for the same PhD student visa, work visa for my wife and visitor visa for 2 yrs old kid on 7.8.2009, new Delhi branch. I am having a lot of international research papers, scientific awards, 4 year job experience, Government job, good IELTS score, funding etc etc( the things which are usually required for fast visa processing- as given on websites). On 3.9.2009 i got a mail from NZ embassy stating the further processing of my application will be at IPG office wellington and they returned our passports. On 8.9.2009 I got an e-mail from IPG office that have had given time period of 1-2 month for visa processing. I requested my supervisor to interfere, He did contact with IPG office and requested them that my case is urgent as i have to start my research on 1 October. They replied to him that they will contact me shortly . But to date SHORTLY HAS NOT BEEN happened. They have not contacted me even once.:mad:.

One of my friend told me that irrespective of nationality(mainly 3rd world countries) everyone of PhD student's visa processed there only (onshore decision for PhD). So nothing like 23 high risk country:D.

U all people are lucky to have visa officer in time , it is being more than 3 month from my application lodgment but until today even Visa officer has not been allocated. So one can imagine how much time it will take to action , may be more than 7 months for getting visa, and moreover am not sure my family will get visa or not , as rejection chances are very much higher at IPG(read from websites). I don't want to create any sort of panic but this is quite true:mad:.

It is fact that a poor fellow who got admission in diploma at some local college of NZ got visa in 7 days and for v people(Phd seekers)who are highly qualified it takes around 7 month and even then not sure.

JUST WAIT AND WATCH! and don't forget to pray everyday. Hope this will boost up your morale.Bye
 
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@doglover

Hey @doglover, you can use the online help facility of Immigration NZ.

All your queries would be answered within 72 hours. and yes, PhD visa take 5 months for approval. There's nothing like IPG rejects applications, if your application is genuine, then no need to worry about. They can only reject on health or character requirements. plus we all submit the PCC in advance and so it is cool...
 
Same Visa Problem

I had also got PhD admission and full scholarship at one of the universities of NZ. My scholarship deadline is 01 Dec 09. I had applied for visa in May 09. Visa officer was allocated to me in start of Sep 09. Officer inquired about the documents which I submitted later by mid of Sep 09. After then processing started and I am also getting the same answer that verification is still going on. Now almost 2 months have passed.

Someone stated in this forum that 5 months are required for processing. This time starts when u actually launch your application for visa ! Moreover anyone can tell me how much time verification officer takes for verifying your documents? I think i have the same situation which one of you is going through.
 
@explodesh,

hey your situation is so similar to mine. And i feel relieved, really, that there is atleast someone else, whose situation is like mine. But i am sure your visa officer must have been allotted to you in July. I came to know only because i contacted the Immigration NZ through their online help facility and they told me that my visa officer was allotted to me on July 27, 2009 (I submitted my application on May 25, 2009). And the visa officer contacted me on August 27, 2009 exactly after 1 month stating that she would carry her initial assessment and would let me know within a week what docs are needed. Please read my above posts for my detailed situation.

My University roomie is doing his PhD in Chemical Engineering and his visa also took 5 months in 2008 (2nd week of February 2008 - 3rd week of July 2008). Plus my immigration consultant in an expert in NZ visa policies and he adviced me that i should expect my visa anytime soon, since as of November 10, 2009, it has already been 5 months and 17 days since i submitted my application. Even my visa officer replied that she is aware that my scholarship deadline is 01 December 2009. so i should expect that she would give her decision much before this date considering time needed to book the flight tickets and other plannings. What do you feel about this?

I don't know exactly what all docs are verified, but my employers or my Undergraduate college was not contacted by the Embassy. I don't know what are they verifying. May be the health docs, PCC, Birth Certificate, funds etc.? Any idea on what docs are verified specifically and how they do it? Can the University interfere in this process and ask the immigration department to expedite the process. Do the Immigration Department verify other visa stamps?

Hey why you don't call me on +91 9164737174 and we can discuss our situations in more detail. A forum like this is too public and i would avoid disclosing any information in here. So just call me up. And don't worry your visa can come now anytime soon.
 
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Yes, 5 months is actually the time from which your application is lodged @ the Immigration NZ in New Delhi through the TT Services.
 
I had no idea this was the norm! Nowhere on their website do they mention so much processing time for any student visa. They say positive band A: 15 days and positive band B: 30 days.

Why PhD students would not belong to any of the positive bands is a mystery. I have a friend who got an NZ visa with work permit in 5 days for PGDBM!

I hope your visas arrive soon. I filed mine today.
 
@vagonpoetry. Have you filed for a PhD student visa? If yes then five months in the standard norm or might be less (as per a new uproar in the Indian student community published recently in NZ Herald, that we are getting pissed off due to this long processing time. So the immigration minister has assured the indian students that steps are being taken for expedition in the visa process).

If you go for diploma/PGDBM or stuff like that, surprisingly, you can get your visa anytime between 2-15 days. Immigration NZ doesn't speak of the timeframes but 5 months is the standard as of now.
 
Plus i was thinking that if there had been concerns with my application, the visa officer would have informed to my immigration consultant regarding any concerns or an interview. But that never happened. So why is my visa approval getting delayed, is out of my mind. Any help guys?
 
@brainxplode

There is no need to worry about your scholarship , University people will surely accommodate it , one of my friend ( who is currently pursuing his PhD in NZ) told me that if the reason is genuine then university officials consider it even after the deadlines.
 
@doglover I am not so much about my scholarship. I know that the University would help me out in it. What i am worrying is the delay in my visa approval? I have no idea of what is taking so long (I have explained my situation in my earlier posts). I have asked my University to assist me in this and contact the Immigration Department.
 
@brainxplode

Why are u worrying buddy, JIS NAY JANAM LIYAA HAI VOO 1 din MARTA BHEE HAI, means your visa will definitely cum in few days, in my case my university people did whatever they were able to do , but all in vain, May god strength ur case with their help, i wish it very positive for you , but as i told u my experience(in previous post) is not well in this aspect.
See my case i have even confirmed my place at university in the month of JULY(paid 1 yr fee), but still nothing been happened, so don't worry v all r same. Be positive.
 
@doglover Thanks for your kind reply. i am hoping that my student visa arrives within the next few days.....did your university contact the Immigration Department? Still nothing happened? Any idea on how the document verification takes place?
 
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