[victoria24]

we are looking to go over on tourist visas then apply for smc once there as need the points.
how would the container thing work? could we fill one in the uk, then set off while are goods are being stored, then contact container company once we're sorted?
cheers

[Caroline and Dave]

Your best bet is to store the goods in the UK and then contact the storage company when you have sorted things out.A lot of people do this. Find out how much shippers want for storing in UK. If you bring your stuff to store in NZ then you will pay GST of 12.5% on whatever your goods are deemed to be worth. There are various threads here on what people have paid on their goods and as far as I can remember it may not work out too expensive but it is still worth avoiding if you can.
We are storing in NZ but we have no GST to pay.

Dave and Caroline

[IanW99]

Your best bet is to store the goods in the UK and then contact the storage company when you have sorted things out.A lot of people do this. Find out how much shippers want for storing in UK. If you bring your stuff to store in NZ then you will pay GST of 12.5% on whatever your goods are deemed to be worth. There are various threads here on what people have paid on their goods and as far as I can remember it may not work out too expensive but it is still worth avoiding if you can.
We are storing in NZ but we have no GST to pay.

Dave and Caroline

This is no longer true (since November 2007).

As far as customs are now concerned, you will now be charged according to what visa you have at the time you enter NZ and not what visa you have when your goods enter.

So, there is no benefit from a customs charge perspective for leaving your household effects in the UK.

But, for the original question, yes you can pack the container and store it in the UK until such time that you want it in NZ.

Ian

[gemmanz]

Hi Ian,
Can you tell me where you got this info from.The reason I say this is thet my aunt went to NZ on a tourist passport in last July. She got this changed to a 2 year work visa in December and has just had her container delivered 2 weeks ago. She did not pay GST.Maybe she was lucky

[victoria24]

what about if you go to nz on tourist visa, get residence then go to oz on a jolly then back into nz?

[IanW99]

Hi Ian,
Can you tell me where you got this info from.The reason I say this is thet my aunt went to NZ on a tourist passport in last July. She got this changed to a 2 year work visa in December and has just had her container delivered 2 weeks ago. She did not pay GST.Maybe she was lucky

Yep, no problem, see When No Customs Charges Apply (http://www.customs.govt.nz/travellers/Household+Effects/When+No+Customs+Charges+Apply.htm).

In particular the very first point "you have arrived and on arrival hold a document authorising residence in New Zealand"

This rule changed in November 2007 (you can search for this on the immigration web-site if you want the details).

Your aunts scenario is a little unusual as she could be treated under the old or new rules depending on how Customs have been told to treat this.

I'm sure that others on this forum were also under a very similar scenario and were charged, so she may well have been lucky.

Ian

[IanW99]

what about if you go to nz on tourist visa, get residence then go to oz on a jolly then back into nz?

I would say that this wouldn't work as it doesn't follow the rule I posted above.

The only possibility that I see here, would be to arrive in NZ on a tourist visa, get an offer of a job, leave the country and get suitable visa and then return with your household effects. But this doesn't actually change the rule so you may still be charged and it would likely cost to do this than you would save anyway.

Another option that has been suggested previously (again don't know if anyone has tried this) would be if only one of you travels on a tourist visa to NZ to get the job and then the OH waits for the suitable visa before arriving in NZ, you then ship everything in the OHs name.

But whether this option is practicable or would indeed work?

Ian