HGV Driver GWP - OUR STORY – our family was torn apart for 338 days

Image Copyright: Brett Barry

April 2018 – Started playing with the idea of moving abroad.

26 April 2018 – Applied at Department of home affairs Newcastle for our unabridged Marriage certificate.

26 April 2018 – Applied for passports for myself and two kids (Husband already had is)

01 June 2018 – Collected Passports from Department of Home Affairs Newcastle

Tuesday 04 December 2018 – Decision made to move to Ireland

29 March 2019 – Received Unabridged marriage certificate from Department of home affairs (Long struggle
as they advised for months that they had no record of our marriage)

Thursday 22 August 2019 – Received a phone call from a family member in Ireland telling us about a post
that she had seen on the “South Africans Living In Ireland” face book group that my husband would be
180% suited for, she sent us the link and we decided to respond to the poster of the “Job Ad”. The poster
responded back to us within minutes saying that he would forward the relevant information on to us the
next day as he had posted the ad on behalf of a friend. We thanked him and called it a night.

Friday 23 August 2019 - Morning, As promised the poster had in-boxed us the information for the company
with the vacancy and straight away we emailed them my husband’s CV.

Friday 23 August 2019 – Late morning, Our nerves were shot, The Company had responded!!!!! We opened
the mail from them to find that they were requesting a reference letter from my husband’s current
employer with regards to his employment history with the company and also outlining his duties and
responsibilities.

Saturday 24 August 2019 - We emailed the requested reference letter on to them and waited again in
anticipation for a response.

Sunday 25 August 2019 – we spent this day checking email every two minutes for a response. But nothing
came.

Monday 26 August 2019 – Waiting, waiting, waiting, wandering if we should mail them to check if they had
received the letter and if it contained all the info they required. We decided against doing this and decided
to just wait it out. If it must be it will be, we decided at this point that this would be our attitude going
forward with regards to this job application.

Monday 26 August 2019 – Late Afternoon 18:00 South African time …… ping ……… unexpected email
received. “I have attached the contract of employment for your attention……” OMW so much excitement
(Like pee your pants excitement but y
My husband thanked him for the contract and letter of offer and advised that he would get back to them
shortly.

27-28 August emails and phone calls to each other regarding salary, work hours, work permit etc.

Wednesday 28 August 2019 – Afternoon Documents signed and emailed back.

Thursday 29 August 2019 – Employer handed all information over to their assigned immigration agent and
they took over with regards to applying for a work permit.

04 December 2019 – Email received from employer advising that my husband’s employment permit was
sanctioned the day before and that flights would be arranged for early January 2020 for him to join the
company full time.

04 December 2019 – 13 December 2019 we did some research and found out that the kids and myself
were not allowed to join my husband immediately as he was going on a General work permit and as we are
all on South African passports we would have to wait a year.
We did find out though that we would be allowed to visit him in the interim until we would be allowed to
join him on a permanent basis so we decided that we would book tickets to fly over and visit him in the
June school holidays, that way the year separation would not feel like such a long time.

05 December 2019 – Applications for unabridged birth certificates for myself and my husband. (Kids
already ha theirs)

13 December 2019 – email received from Ireland employer wishing our family a very happy Christmas and
my husband’s Flight ticket Ex JHB for Tuesday morning 07 January 2020 07:55am on Qatar Airways via
Doha was attached.

13 December 2019 - Husband resigned from his current place of employment.

07 January 2020 – My husband boarded his first ever international flight. Our little family’s hearts were
shattered. What had we just done!

08 January 2020 – I started (all emotionally) at my new place of employment in Newcastle South Africa –
they had no idea what I had just been through the day before and I had to keep a straight face and hold my
pose while checking my phone constantly for updates on my husband’s flight status. My husband
eventually touched down in Ireland and was on his way to start his new journey.

31 January 2020 – 3 x tickets booked for Ex JHB 15 June 2020 on Qatar Airways via Doha (Myself and our
two kids) we are going to go visit daddy!!!!!

01 February 2020 – The hunt for a rental in Ireland began.

02 February 2020 – Husband’s IRP card Issued – Expiring 03/12/2020

17 February 2020 - unabridged birth certificate received for myself

05 March 2020 – First confirmed positive COVID case in South Africa.

07 March 2020 – My husband signed the rental agreement to our current place of residence.

27 March 2020 – National lockdown (Level 5) started in South Africa – No International Travel permitted.

01 May 2020 – A gradual and phased easing of lockdown began (level 4) – No International Travel
permitted.

13 May 2020 – husband received his PPS Number via post

19 May 2020 – Notice from Qatar airways, flight times have changed; Now we fly on 16 June 2020

26 May 2020 – QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT CANCELLATION NOTICE – Our hearts broke right there and then, of
course it was it was expected but receiving that official notice just sucked all the hope of seeing my
husband soon right out of us.

01 June 2020 – South African restrictions Lowered to level 3 – No International Travel permitted.

17 August 2020 – South African restrictions Lowered to level 2 – No International Travel permitted.

26 August 2020 – Re-Booked 3 x tickets booked for Ex JHB 10 December 2020 on Qatar Airways via Doha
(Myself and our two kids) This time it was to move to be by daddy!!!!!

21 September 2020 – South African restrictions Lowered to level 1 – WE CAN FLY – IF COVID TESTS ARE
NEGATIVE!!!

26 September 2020 – Medium size move cube booked (Depo to Door) with Seven Seas Worldwide for drop
off at their depo in JHB on 19 October 2020.

27 September 2020 – email received – Important changes to your QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT – REALLY!!!!!
NOT AGAIN. Dates changed to 01 January 2021 ☹

28 September 2020 – email received – Important changes to your QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT – REALLY!!!!!
NOT AGAIN. Dates changed back to 10 December 2020 ☺

08 October 2020 - email received – Important changes to your QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT – REALLY!!!!! NOT
AGAIN. Flight duration changed to a flight with a long layover.

10 October 2020 - email received – Important changes to your QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT – REALLY!!!!! NOT
AGAIN. Flight duration changed to a flight with an extremely longer layover.

19 October 2020 – All my belongings that I wanted to take with was dropped off at the Seven Seas Depo in
JHB as arrange.

01 November 2020 – I resigned from my current place of employment

12 November 2020 – Notification received that our move cube had left South Africa and was on the move
to Ireland.

28 November 2020 – Husband’s New IRP card Issued – Expiring 02/12/2021

29 November 2020 - after long emails and calls back and forth and begging for a shorter layover as per my
original booking I got an email to say that our flight Dates and times had again changed, they managed to
accommodate us on a shorter layover flight on 09 December 2020 ☺

30 November 2020 - unabridged birth certificate received for my husband

01 December 2020 – Ireland moves to Level 3 Lockdown

02 December 2020 – Applied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for confirmation of Drivers licence letters for both myself
and my husband

06 December 2020 - email received – Important changes to your QATAR AIRWAYS FLIGHT – REALLY!!!!!
NOT AGAIN. Flight take off time changed to 15min earlier.

07 December 2020 – Collection of confirmation of Drivers licence letters for both myself and my husband

08 December 2020 – Afternoon - COVID Tests done for all three of us at JHB Airport, results received that
afternoon all negative – yay tomorrow we can fly!!!!!!

09 December 2020 – The kids and I boarded our first flight ever!

10 December 2020 – We landed on the emerald Isle and what a relief it was to finally be reunited again.

15 December 2020 – TV Licence Cancellation request sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

16 December 2020 – PPS Number applications submitted for myself and the kids

27 December 2020 – Ireland starts to move into Level 5 Lockdown

29 December 2020 – Notification received that our move cube had reached Dublin and was waiting to be
cleared through customs.

06 January 2021 – Both Kids enrolled in School

06 January 2021 – Application sent to Department of Justice requesting permission to remain in Ireland.

07 January 2021 – Letter receive from TV Licence South Africa to confirm that our TV Licence has been
cancelled.

08 January 2021 – All PPS Numbers received via post

14 January 2021 – Notification received that our move cube successfully cleared customs and quarantine.

18 January 2021 – Our move cube arrived at our door in Ireland.

26 January 2021 – Introduction of additional, short term, travel restrictions. These included the suspension
of visa-free travel to Ireland from South Africa and as well as mandatory quarantine.

28 January 2021 – Letter received via post from Department of Justice to confirm receipt of my application
for permission to remain in Ireland.

16 February 2021 – Husbands NDLS appointment made online for 02 March 2021 to apply for exchange ofdriver’s license. (all forms downloadable from their website)

22 February 2021 – Husband and my Medical done at Dr and form completed as required for exchange of
drivers licence.

02 March 2020 – Husband applied for exchange of drivers licences A1 & EC (No eye test required unless the
Dr indicates as such on the medical form)

22 March 2021 - Letter received via post from Department of Justice to confirm that I can remain in Ireland
on a Stamp 3

28 March 2021 – Permission to remain stamp received from Garda and application submitted for IRP Card

30 March 2021 – Application for Child benefit submitted

14 April 2021 – IRP Card received in the post – Expiring 02/12/2021

14 April 2021 – My NDLS appointment made online for 15 April 2021 to apply for exchange of driver’s
license. (all forms downloadable from their website)

15 April 2021 – I applied for exchange of my drivers licences A1 & C1 (No eye test required unless the Dr
indicates as such on the medical form)

27 April 2021 – Application done via AnPost app for a current bank account

28 April 2021 – Child Benefit application approved (Backdated from January 2021)

05 May 2021 – AnPost Current account application approved

10 May 2021 – AnPost bank Card received

11 May 2021 – First Child benefit payment received at post office.

12 May 2021 – Both my husband and I are still awaiting delivery of our drivers licenses.

Important links:

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