[Myrkk]

We have a bit of a dilemma. My other half has been offered a dream job here in Wales [well we'll know if it is dream once he has been there a few months but it seems it at the mo.]. Good money, close to home and a step up on the career ladder.

At the mo. we are at ITA stage of our application and are planning to continue until we get our blue stickers then make a decision on his job and whether or not to still go to NZ. It's a bit of a dilemma but we aren't going to make a snap decision.

So my query is this............

..... if we activate the blue stickers and then leave NZ for a while how long can we be out of NZ for? Also, how long after activation do we have before we need to be permanent residents with a job?

That may need clarification, if so please say.

[Andy-Dee]

Our top tip which came from Marcia was only send authorised copies of your passports with your ITA. It buys you an additional 6 months on top of the usual 12 months in which to activate your blue stickers.

[zardell]

..... if we activate the blue stickers and then leave NZ for a while how long can we be out of NZ for? Also, how long after activation do we have before we need to be permanent residents with a job?

.


Ok - someone will correct me here if I am wrong and maybe if you go onto the NZIS website they will give you more precise timings/information than I, but as far as I know, once you have been granted PR and have activated your PR Visa by your arrival in NZ, I believe you have to stay for 6 months out of every 12 in order to be legible for your IRRV.

However, your RRV (Returning Residents Visa which is put into your passport at the same time as your PR sticker.) is only initially valid for 2 years after activation and then you must apply for a IRRV - Indefinite Returning Residents Visa. To be granted an IRRV, you must fulfill certain conditions as above or by showing your commitment to NZ whether in the form of paying NZ tax (through your work) or by the owning of NZ property etc.

To reiterate what Dee was saying above, once you have been offered PR, you will have to provide NZIS (London) with your passport(s) and also your migrant levy forms and payment in order for those precious stickers to be applied to your passport(s). You have 6 months in which to do this. Due to the fact that you will send your passports in with your ITA, you can either a) as Dee says, send certified copies, or b) you can send the originals and ask for them to be returned a.s.a.p as you need them for holidays, work etc. or you can withhold the migrant levy payment by withholding the migrant levy form.
You can therefore delay the process by not providing NZIS with one of the above for 6 months.

After 6 months and once those precious little blue stickers are in your passport, you have 12 months in which to activate them - in other words arrive in NZ either on a permanent basis or otherwise.

Effectively you can delay your arrival into NZ by 18 months after PR has been offered.

Just re-read that and I hope it makes sense......:laugh

Julie

xx

[Croft]

However, your RRV (Returning Residents Visa which is put into your passport at the same time as your PR sticker.) is only initially valid for 2 years after activation and then you must apply for a IRRV - Indefinite Returning Residents Visa. To be granted an IRRV, you must fulfill certain conditions as above or by showing your commitment to NZ whether in the form of paying NZ tax (through your work) or by the owning of NZ property etc.



Confirm what Julie and AD have said about the 6 month window before gettng the Blue Stickers issued, then another year to activate them. This is what we have done.

You then have a 2 year window in which to emigrate on your RRV. However, at the expiry of this RRV you do not have to apply for a new one as long as you're in NZ at that time and do not plan to leave. It's only if you leave NZ that you need the RRV to get back in.

This document gives all the guidelines - http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/CAF71A48-28D3-40B8-9D76-5C663CCA17FA/0/1005.pdf

Second or Subsequent Returning Resident’s Visas

Eligibility for an ‘Indefinite’ or ‘12-month’ RRV
is generally dependent on the circumstances of
the principal applicant of the original residence
application. i.e. if “you”, the principal applicant,
qualify for an RRV then your family members
included in the original residence application will also
qualify for an RRV of the same currency.

Indefinite

You qualify for an “indefi nite” RRV if:
• you can demonstrate a commitment to New
Zealand by meeting the requirements set out in any
one of the situations numbered 1 to 5 below; and
• you held a Residence Permit at a time which was
a minimum of 2 years before the date your current
application for an RRV is made.

Note: If your residence permit is subject to requirements
imposed under section 18A of the Immigration Act, you
must also have met those requirements before you can be
granted an indefinite RRV.

1) Time spent in New Zealand
If you have held residence permits for a total of 184 days
or more in each of the two 12 month portions of the 24
months immediately preceding your RRV application; or
2) Tax Status
If you have held residence permits for a total of 41 days
or more in each of the two 12 months portions of the 24
months immediately preceding your RRV application,
and you are assessed by the Inland Revenue Department
as holding tax residence status for the two years
preceding your RRV application; or
3) Investment in New Zealand
If you have:
• been approved residence under the Investor
Category and met any requirements imposed under
section 18A of the Immigration Act 1987; or
• obtained residence under another category and
maintained an investment of NZ$1,000,000 in
New Zealand for two years.
4) Business in New Zealand
If you have obtained residence under any category and
have successfully established a business in New Zealand
not less than 12 months ago which is trading successfully
and benefi ting New Zealand in some way; or
5) Established base in New Zealand
a) If you have held residence permits for a total of at
least 41 days in the 12 month period immediately
before lodging your RRV application; and
b) all members of your immediate family who were
included in your residence application have resided
in New Zealand for a total of at least 184 days in
the two year period immediately before lodging
your RRV application; and
c) you own and maintain a family home in
New Zealand; or
d) you have been genuinely employed full time in
New Zealand, in paid employment, for a total of at
least 9 months in the two year period immediately
before lodging your RRV application.

Note: you are considered to own and maintain a family
home in New Zealand if:
• you own a residential property that you bought within
12 months of being granted a residence permit; and
• you, or members of your immediate family who were
included in your residence application, live there.

Twelve Months

You qualify for a 12 month RRV if:
• you meet the requirements set out in either of the
two situations below; and
• you held a Residence Permit at a time which was
a minimum of 1 year before the date your current
application for an RRV is made

Note: If your residence permit is subject to requirements
imposed under section 18A of the Immigration Act, you
must also have met those requirements before you can be
granted a 12 month RRV.
1) Time spent in New Zealand
If you have held residence permits for a total of 184
days or more in at least one of the two 12 month
portions of the 24 months immediately before lodging
your RRV application; or
2) Tax Status
a) if you have held residence permits for a total of 41
days or more in at least one of the two 12 month
portions of the 24 months immediately before
lodging your RRV application; and
b) you are assessed by the Inland Revenue
Department as holding tax residence status for
twelve months in the two years immediately before
lodging your RRV application.

14 Days

You will qualify for a ‘14-day’ RRV if you hold
a residence permit and you do not meet the
requirements for an indefinite or 12 month RRV.

We'll be likely going for 'Indefinite' under section 5.

Also note:

What if Special Circumstances
have prevented me from qualifying
for an RRV?

If you are not able to qualify for an RRV because of
special circumstance outside your control you should
submit detailed evidence of this with your RRV
application. Dependent on your individual situation
and circumstances, it may be possible to obtain a
further RRV.

[KerryS]

To put briefly what Croft just said - you have 2 years after activation to move to NZ. Once here you then would have to apply for another RRV, as you wouldn't be eligible for an IRRV. (You would only need this though if you wanted to leave the country for any reason.)
So, you could have 3.5 years from the time PR is granted - 18 months before activating your visa, and then 2 years afterwards.

[Myrkk]

To put briefly what Croft just said - you have 2 years after activation to move to NZ. Once here you then would have to apply for another RRV, as you wouldn't be eligible for an IRRV. (You would only need this though if you wanted to leave the country for any reason.)
So, you could have 3.5 years from the time PR is granted - 18 months before activating your visa, and then 2 years afterwards.


Cheers for the link that's brill.

Thanks Kerry S, That's what I was wondering. We know about the 6mth delay and are going to do that but wasn't sure about what happened once we'd activated the stickers.

It may sound like we're not commited to NZ but our entire reason for moving is work related........ This job will give my other half even more chance for that out in NZ but it will also give us a chance to hoard some money as well :)