The Horror in Paradise

Hello Everyone Reading this Thread:

I hope you are sitting down as this is a case that is rather bone chilling. I am now staying in a hotel in American Samoa and have been on the island now for about a month. This my story about how I came to be in a desaster zone on an island in the Pacific.

I moved to New Zealand back in August 2003 in the hopes of starting a new life and better my business as PC Tech & Consultant. I did my home work 3 months ahead of time and I regestered to an online job service in New Zealand(Seek). Within the month period I was getting hits on my resume/CV and I was offered a place to stay so I could work on my residency in New Zealand. I went online to New Zealand Immigration and saw that my skills were needed and I qualified under their point scheme and I am also under the Long Term Skills that New Zealand needs.
I went and started to renew my visa online as it was to expire within 2 weeks. I was in the process of entering my username and password for my account and submit my application for 9 months so I have time to complete my next stage which was "work to residency permit" I submitted the form and as it was going through their server crashed. Not more than 20 minutes, strange enough, I get an email stating that I was approved but when looking closer at the email I saw no expiration date.
I went back to see if I can get into my account to see if there is a date of expiration in my account. Well no such luck and the server was down for a week as I tried every day to get in. I took it as I got the request I asked for and went on with getting my paperwork in order for my next stage.
When I was into the 8th month, I went in person to upgrade my status. The person behind the counter put my name and passport number in the system and told me I am an over- stayer for the past 6 months and will have to leave the country. I explained to him I was involved in a court case and the court had my passport and came back the following day with a copy to prove it.
I was in and out of the immigration office for 2 1/2 years during my court case(which the charge was dropped and dismissed). Every other month I was told the same thing and my paperwork handed back, until the last visit, and I was not happy being treated in this manner. The last visit, the person took my paperwork along with all my medical exams and tossed them in the garbage behind his desk and told me to leave the office and country. I was so mad, as I felt my Human Right have been abused from the start. I went home(residence in New Zealand) and went on with my life and see what I could do to get this resolved.

I have lived in New Zealand now for 6 years and if my paperwork would have been reviewed, as I was told by an Immigration Advisor that they had to review my application and had no right to refuse it,
I would be qualified to become a resident of New Zealand. I get a phone call on May 2009 and was asked what I am doing in New Zealand, my reply was "Living off the last of my money survivning since your office has refused to reviewm my application and tossed in your trash back in 2005 and wasted $500.00 of medical exams for my work to residency permit.
I was asked to come in for a "Humanitarian Interview" this interview was based on what money I had and why I was in New Zealand. I explained my situation and was told I have special curcumstances and should re-apply online. I asked if there was a removal or deportion oder against me and was told no. I went online once again to re-apply and when I got to the end to submit my application the page sent me to the page where I had not check either removal order or deportation oder against me before I could submit.
I ticked one and it went to the submit page and now my points went from being well over the required amount to under by 100.
I went back to talk to the person I was interviewed by and was told if I left the country without being a burden to the taxpayers or the govt. I would have my file cleared and would be able to re-apply overseas with a clean file.
I got things together that I needed to get by untill I got approved and be back home in New Zealand. I asked where is the nearest New Zealand Immigration office overseas and it was Apia Samoa, I booked a flight to Apia Samoa and waited a week for the office in New Zealand to clear my file as was promised in front of a witness with me. I went to the office in Apia and asked for a form and was told being a US passport owner I don't need to apply as it is a free visa and don't need to do paperwork. I explained the reason why I do need to apply in writing. The person
behind the counter looked up my name and passport. I knew by the look on the persons face that my status was NOT changed or cleaned up as promised by the D.O.L agents. I was told I needed a sponsor and this took  3 weeks of paperwork for my sponsor to complete and find a lawyer with time to sign all the papers.
I finally got the papers into their office on the 12th of August 2009 and was waiting for a reply. Just into the end of my visa for Samoa, my sponsor asked what was the hold up, it appeared that they were waiting for my police report, I was not told this was needed for my paperwork as I had a copy with me. I went to the office to ask them to copy mine and was told they needed one from the US as mine could be tampered with. I understood and went to get my visa for Samoa renewed.
Now this gets interesting, as my visa still had 6 days left, the Samoan Immigration officer told me to wait till my flight and see if I hear from New Zealand Immigration as the $100.00 to renew visa would not be refunded if I go the approval to go back home. I went back to my hotel to wait and on the day of my flight back to New Zealand, I went to the airport only to held back because I wasn't approved yet for a visa to New Zealand. I went back that day to Samoan Immigration and was told I need 3 documents in order to be considered for an extension, 1 from me stating the reason for my extension,
2. a bank draft from my sponsor and myself to show I had funds( I closed my account in Samoa 3 day ago,day before my flight) to maintain myself in Samoa, 3. a statement from the place I was stying that my accomidation was taken care of.
I had 2 of the 3 required, the owner took 6 days to write 4 lines and was 3 days too late(as he knew 6 days before and new my visa was expired on the 1st of Sept and emailed my sponsor on the day my visa expired and demaned 15 days in advanced payment for the motel stay). I was told by the Samoan Immigration officer that I had to leave Samoa as soon as
possible or if I was arrested I would face prison for being an over - stayer in Samoa. I booked a flight to American Samoa as it was close and I had the money to pay for the flight for the next day.
I arrived in American Samoa 3 weeks before a major earthquake and Tsunami that turned the island into a disaster zone as well as Samoa.
Now after a week of nightmares and feeling the ground under me moving, at times I don't know if it is my nerves or it is for real. I get an email from New Zealand Immigration dening me my visa to return back home on the grounds that I have other intensions of my visit.
Of course there is other intensions, I want to upgrade my visitor's permit to "work to residency" and see if I qualify under the pact New Zealand has with Greece as I have duel citizenship Greek/USA and New Zealand under their pact has to allow 5000 Greek citizens to become residents of New Zealand.

I am here in American Samoa without anymore money and soon no place to stay for shelter as all the shelters are full and the only place available is the Tradewinds Hotel as it is the now the base for all the relief crews here on the island.

I have been trying to get any kind of assistance here but no one wants to reply to my emails as going into the city center is risky at best with all the damage.

Anyone with any advise as to what I can do or able to help please email me at mikedermatidis@hotmail.com.

Thank you for your help and any advise ahead of time.

Mike Dermatidis