Today, I write with the hope that this will ignite some compassion, empathy and consideration from the NZ immigration office for Samoan people. Many other families are in the same boat, waiting for urgent medical visas.

I will also offer solutions on how to improve your systems, service and I will be happy to offer training in my capacity as a Pacific consultant, writer, researcher and citizen of both Samoa and New Zealand.

This is about the processes and the people managing it. You have the power to help your own people, try putting yourself in our shoes and then maybe you will have some idea of how frustrated we are.

Approval was granted for my father to receive medical treatment under the Overseas Medical Scheme. This is available to all Samoan citizens depending on the need and meeting MOH conditions. He needed an urgent medical visa, and each patient allowed an escort to help.

This is a lifesaving operation for my father and I’m grateful to the MOH surgical team for helping and especially our government for funding this operation. I will refer to my father as patient and mother as a caregiver. The travel agent is an independent consultant recommended by the Ministry of Health staff and the NZI case officer is responsible for visa approvals.

The visa application process started on the 29th of September. All required documents were sent to the NZI case officer based in Samoa including the confirmed date for the specialist appointment in Auckland (24th October). Business Class tickets were booked in case of changes and sent to NZI.

A consent email from the patient was sent to NZI on the 3rd of October allowing me to act on his behalf. NZI accepted the patient’s application but not the caregiver’s. We did not receive another email until the 13th of October. The issue was with the NZI old system and the travel agent successfully relodged the caregiver’s application on the same day. A medical test for the caregiver was required by NZI and was completed on the 18th of October.

A different application was raised on another system according to the Case Officer and that ‘further hacks were needed’ before she can finalise the application. Patient visa was granted on the 20th of October.

Further emails were sent due to the urgency of the situation and they met with the same reply ‘waiting on my advisor’.

As a NZ citizen, I had to travel with the patient on the 23rd of October without his caregiver. After three weeks in Auckland, further CT scans and tests, an operation date was confirmed for the 20th of November. I emailed the Case Officer with supporting documents to support the urgent request. Upon return, I finally called their New Zealand office from Samoa because a verbal consent was needed before they could give me an update. I was on the phone for more than 90 minutes and the managers in New Zealand were helpful. The call confirmed that the medical and escort visas are not granted in New Zealand, they are done locally.

Why then is it taking so long for visas to be processed when they are all electronically done?

Since phone calls and face to face meetings are limited, how are we supposed to get answers when emails are replied to every few days or weeks? How do you expect the patient to care for himself during his flight, appointments, operation and post operation? My only sister in Auckland has cancer and cannot care for the patient. I even mentioned this many times via phone call and email to NZI. Clearly, we are not asking for a visa to see the Sky Tower or eat strawberries on the beach, our relative’s life depends on this operation otherwise it would not come under the urgent medical visa category. Better communication is needed to avoid even a single-line email.

On November 20th frustrated and disappointed, I sent a final email requesting for the case officer’s advisor contact details so I can lay a formal complaint. The escort visa was granted within 6 hours of that email without any explanation. In all my years as a public servant and a business owner, I don’t remember being this frustrated with systems.

I recommend one Case Officer for each applicant instead of being passed around like a rugby ball in your systems. Phone calls should be recorded so your managers can assess and listen in on how you deal with customers. How often does your office perform audits? We are paying customers as this is not a voluntary job. Please, systems are only that, but it is us, humans who manage these systems. My father is currently lying in a post operation room without his caregiver.

The caregiver is just now checking in after eight weeks of pleading. The service and systems are failing our people. Covid-19 is over and not an excuse anymore. Please NZI, do something especially for those who need to live. I will be happy to provide a more comprehensive list of improvements to your system. Enjoy the rest of your week Samoa.