[Mr&MrsExcited]

Following on from our previous post:

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16137

We have since had this reply from the Immigration New Zealand on-line help facility:

Thank you for taking advantage of our Online Help facility.
As long as you are permitted to stay in NZ till the date on the ticket either through the visa waiver arrangement or having previously applied for a visa. It is an outward ticket to a country which you have right of entry to. It does not need to be your home country.

Kind Regards,


Josephine
Customer Service Officer
Department of Labour

I'm still quite glad that we've got return flights as there would be nothing worse than having issues about being let into the country, but it does seem that the option of a one-way flight to NZ with onward travel to Australia is still viable for UK passport holders entering on a tourist visa.

[IanW99]

Following on from our previous post:

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16137

We have since had this reply from the Immigration New Zealand on-line help facility:



I'm still quite glad that we've got return flights as there would be nothing worse than having issues about being let into the country, but it does seem that the option of a one-way flight to NZ with onward travel to Australia is still viable for UK passport holders entering on a tourist visa.

Could I suggest that you now send an email to Oz immigration to ask them if they will allow you into their country on a one way ticket.

Of course NZ immigration don't care where you go, as long as you leave NZ when you need to. Once you have left you are someone elses problem.

Still don't think you have confirmed that this approach is viable.

Ian

[Mr&MrsExcited]

I appreciate where you're coming from Ian - but I think you have miss understood where we were coming from in the first place.

Our intention was not to actually use any "on-ward travel ticket", so it would have been irrelevant if Oz immigration would be happy to accept us on a one-way or not.

It was just a means to make sure that we would clear NZ immigration with a tourist/WHV and to allow us a) to board the flight at Heathrow b) actually make it through the airport in Auckland without being deported, and then we could apply for work permts/PR once in the country.

It would obviously have been a cheaper option to buy a ticket from NZ to Oz rather than NZ to UK.

[IanW99]

I appreciate where you're coming from Ian - but I think you have miss understood where we were coming from in the first place.

Our intention was not to actually use any "on-ward travel ticket", so it would have been irrelevant if Oz immigration would be happy to accept us on a one-way or not.

It was just a means to make sure that we would clear NZ immigration with a tourist/WHV and to allow us a) to board the flight at Heathrow b) actually make it through the airport in Auckland without being deported, and then we could apply for work permts/PR once in the country.

It would obviously have been a cheaper option to buy a ticket from NZ to Oz rather than NZ to UK.

Sorry, I didn't misunderstand at all, I know that this approach was suggested many times before. The idea is as long as you have a ticket out of NZ then everyone is happy.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that this has worked in the past and I'm sure that it could work again. I feel that it really comes down to how much anyone bothers to check each step of the journey.

Just saying that technically this option is NOT acceptable as you would also need an onward ticket from Oz, yes you may get away with it, but just as easily you may not? I wouldn't even begin to guess how often it would / wouldn't work?

As far as I can tell, the best (and by that I mean safest) option is to buy a NZ return ticket that allows a refund of the return leg.

Ian

[Derv]

The crucial bit of the NZIS info is "outward ticket to a country to which you have the right of entry to". You may not have a right of entry to OZ unless you have an outward ticket from there too. I know people who have used "I have an onward ticket to Oz" when arriving in NZ on a work visa but it WAS three years ago and the NZIS rules have been tightened up significantly since then. We all know that your return tickets (like everyone else's) won't be used and everyone gets a refund on them, but you still need to follow the rules!

Good luck.

[Mr&MrsExcited]

I hear ya - hence the reason we now have a return ticket to the UK! :nice1

[urban78]

The crucial bit of the NZIS info is "outward ticket to a country to which you have the right of entry to". You may not have a right of entry to OZ unless you have an outward ticket from there too. I know people who have used "I have an onward ticket to Oz" when arriving in NZ on a work visa but it WAS three years ago and the NZIS rules have been tightened up significantly since then. We all know that your return tickets (like everyone else's) won't be used and everyone gets a refund on them, but you still need to follow the rules!

Good luck.

This makes good sense :)

I think it also depends on the check in agent at the airport. You could get someone really picky who will pick up you haven't got the right to enter OZ on a one way :roll Airlines have been quite strict recently, especially due to being fined by foreign governmental departments, and check in agents being put on the line if it happens too often :no

Smart move on getting a return ticket, it's the safest option :clap

[talisker]

How about if you get a one way ticket to Oz, then another one way ticket from Oz back to NZ. Will the immigration agent get stuck in an infinite loop and crumple to the ground with smoke coming out of their ears?

[cathgates]

If you fly with Air NZ and assk for a FLEXIBLE return flight, it will cost you around £1000 each, but once you have a work visa, you can get a refund for the unused portion of your flight which works out about the same price as a one way ticket. Their number is: 0800 0284149
We looked at a date of traveling out on 14/05/08 returning on 14/10/08 total cost per adult £1060.20 Refund of the unused return portion £567 which means we will pay £493.20 for our one way ticket which is roughly the same price as a one way ticket, with the added security of being able to return if things go horribly wrong. You can't book these tickets on line, but with the added bonus of a freephone number it's ok for me!!!!!

Cath X

[Carey]

If you fly with Air NZ and assk for a FLEXIBLE return flight, it will cost you around £1000 each, but once you have a work visa, you can get a refund for the unused portion of your flight which works out about the same price as a one way ticket. Their number is: 0800 0284149
We looked at a date of traveling out on 14/05/08 returning on 14/10/08 total cost per adult £1060.20 Refund of the unused return portion £567 which means we will pay £493.20 for our one way ticket which is roughly the same price as a one way ticket, with the added security of being able to return if things go horribly wrong. You can't book these tickets on line, but with the added bonus of a freephone number it's ok for me!!!!!

Cath X

This answers my question I posted on another thread; thank you very much Cathgates and for your helpful PM;