[leejenns]

Been here for 9 months, and we have settled into kiwi life very well.
have made some great friends and do so much more as a family, out most weekends exploring our new homeland!

Anyway our parents would like to join us in NZ on a permanant basis, i know we have to wait 3 years before being able to sponsor their move but what can we do in the mean time?

Can they apply for a 12 month visitor visa, then go back to the UK and re-apply for another 12 months?

They are selling their business in the UK, can they start up a new business in NZ and get a visa that way?

any advise you can give would be appreciated!!

lee & Jenn:uhoh

[ellenmelon]

Oops, you posted this a few times :) did you have problems getting the site to load like i did? you should be able to delete them as you only just posted them...

[JandM]

Been here for 9 months, and we have settled into kiwi life very well.
have made some great friends and do so much more as a family, out most weekends exploring our new homeland!

Anyway our parents would like to join us in NZ on a permanant basis, i know we have to wait 3 years before being able to sponsor their move but what can we do in the mean time?

Can they apply for a 12 month visitor visa, then go back to the UK and re-apply for another 12 months?

They are selling their business in the UK, can they start up a new business in NZ and get a visa that way?

any advise you can give would be appreciated!!

lee & Jenn:uhoh

If your parents are coming to NZ before you are in a position to sponsor them, they'll have to have some kind of visa which isn't dependent on you at all.

There is a visa for people intending to start a business - here's the link to the NZIS explanation, and there are more links on that page.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/invest/startingabusiness/canistartabusinessinnz/

Or they could come in as skilled workers if they meet the conditions for that stream, including being under the age limit.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/

If they enter the country as visitors, once they leave again, there are restrictions on how soon they can get another visitor's visa to come back (all explained here). However, once in NZ as visitors, they can apply for residency on the grounds of either having got a job, or starting a business.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/alreadyinnz/visitors/questionsandanswers/stayinglongerasavisitor/default.htm

Probably this third option is the quickest way to get into the country, but there is a drawback in that they will have to pay GST on all the property they bring with them - that doesn't happen for anyone who comes in with the Blue Stickers (PR) already in their passport.

Also, if things didn't work out as they hoped, and they didn't manage to get work or start a business within the time of the first visitor's visa, they would be supposed to leave the country, although they'd already sold up everything in the UK. Not to say this is likely to happen, but it's only fair to say it up front.

No doubt somebody else will be along with anything I haven't thought of...

[leejenns]

thank you appreciate your advice, parents are worried that they will have no where to go for a couple of years, like the idea of getting a visitor visa and looking for a job while over here, does the visa last for 12 months?

[JandM]

The ordinary visitor's visa that is put in your passport if you just arrive in the country is for six months. Someone has said on another thread that you can ask in advance in London (at NZ House, I presume) for one that will last nine months (that you have to pay for), but I don't know about that. Then, on a link from that third one in my previous post, it says Can I stay longer as a visitor?Generally, once you’ve stayed nine months you’ll have to leave New Zealand and remain away for nine months or more before you can again return as a visitor.
But you may be eligible to extend your nine-month stay by a further three months. In applying for an extension, you’ll have to show that during your stay:

you’ve supported yourself financially, and have enough money to continue supporting yourself
and
you’ve not worked, been sponsored, or held a Student Permit.


If you gain this extension you’ll have to leave New Zealand at the end of the 12 months and remain away for 12 months or more before you can again return as a visitor.

and
What happens when I reach the maximum time as a visitor? How long must I stay out of New Zealand before returning?Broadly speaking, you need to leave New Zealand before your permit expires and remain away for the same length of time as you were here. For example, if you visit for nine months, you’ll need to stay away for nine months before returning.



But you may not be entitled to another stay of the same length. The length of any subsequent stay is dependent on how long you have spent in New Zealand in the period immediately preceding your application and whether or not you are a genuine visitor.

and
Becoming a resident
You can apply for residence in New Zealand while here on a Visitor’s Permit. In some cases we may extend the term of your permit while we consider your residence application.

Find out more about applying for residence under our different categories:



Skilled Migrant - find out whether you’re eligible by completing our online Expression of Interest form.


Work to residence - find out whether you are eligible.


Family - if you‘re in a genuine and stable relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident, or you have immediate family who can sponsor you. Find out more about applying for residence to join family.


Investor - if you have sufficient funds for investment. Find out more about being an Investor.


Entrepreneur - if you genuinely plan to establish a business in New Zealand. Find out more about residence as an entrepreneur.

Really, the best thing you/they can do is spend some time having a look round over on that other site. There are far more links than I can possibly copy across - for instance, there's a link from every paragraph of that last quote. With a bit of luck, you'll find something that will strike you as being exactly what they want.