[vic11]

This is another passport question. But having read some of the other posts I thought I would check this. What if you are entitled to dual citizenship, but only have the one passport when you get PR, and then you apply for a passport of another country, do we need to inform and send them off to NZIS even after we have PR?
I was just thinking I may as well have both passports before I go to NZ, but as I didn't have them before I applied and got PR, was just wondering if I need to do anything with them to let NZIS know?

Hope that makes sense,

Thanks:confused:

[migratory birds]

I'm not exactly clear on your question but having been granted PR (congrats) isn't the same as citizenship. Citizenship takes another, for most of us now, five years after having been granted PR and having moved to NZ. You must have been living in NZ for a certain number of days (approx 8 mos) of each calendar year for five years preceding application for citizenship (which is different than the application you just completed) in order for NZ to grant citizenship. At which point you can have two passports (NZ and the other of the country which you are also a citizen).

Or do you have dual citizenship already and are wondering if NZ needs to put visas in both passorts??

[vic11]

hi thanks for your reply. Yes you are right I have dual citizenship entitlement, but at the time I applied, I only had the one passport. Now I was thinking before I go to NZ I should apply for the other passport I am entitled to, and if I do that, what is the process for letting NZIS know? Or does this even matter?

[KerryS]

I have dual citizenship of Canada and the UK. When I applied for my PR I only had a UK passport, so this was the only one I was able to provide details of, and is the one my blue stickers were put into.
I did declare my Canadian citizenship on my PR application, and I had to provide a certificate of citizenship with my ITA.
I asked about if I got my Canadian passport would I need to have blue stickers in there too, but NZIS said that was my decision, and if I wanted them in both then that was possible.

[vic11]

Thats great, thanks for letting me know. Once I get my new passport, I'll just send them an email letting them know I have it. But if I don't have to send it off or anything that will save a lot of hassle.

Thanks again for all your help.

[eternalkiwi]

One (probably small) limit to be aware of is that if your PR stickers are in only one passport, that is the passport you must leave and enter NZ on when travelling. If you leave/enter using your other passport, when you return you will only be eligible for a visitor visa. Interestingly this also applies to people with NZ passports.

Shawn

[tea drinker]

Just incase anyone is waiting to get passports back

Some English Passport Officers are on strike in the UK at the moment (3 days?) although they will honour booked appointments but obviously there will be a backlog to catch up with

[M-Squared]

Just incase anyone is waiting to get passports back

Some English Passport Officers are on strike in the UK at the moment (3 days?) although they will honour booked appointments but obviously there will be a backlog to catch up with

Doesn't this happen every bloomin' summer??? :mad: It sure seems like it!

[KerryS]

One (probably small) limit to be aware of is that if your PR stickers are in only one passport, that is the passport you must leave and enter NZ on when travelling. If you leave/enter using your other passport, when you return you will only be eligible for a visitor visa. Interestingly this also applies to people with NZ passports.

Shawn


Yes, and if you forget to take the correct passport with you, and get stamped into the country as a visitor, you have to take your NZ (or the passport with your PR sticker) to immigration for verification... as I had to one time!

[skibumwa]

You are actually incorrect on that. You have to have NZ as your primary country of residency (Visa or PR) for 5 years until you are eligible for NZ Citizenship. If you move here with your PR in place then great for you, but if you come here on a 1 yr work visa then get PR after 1 yr. You only need to be on PR for 4 years until your 5 year mark is up. Do you get the idea?

Cheers :nice1

Citizenship takes another, for most of us now, five years after having been granted PR and having moved to NZ.

[IanW99]

You are actually incorrect on that. You have to have NZ as your primary country of residency (Visa or PR) for 5 years until you are eligible for NZ Citizenship. If you move here with your PR in place then great for you, but if you come here on a 1 yr work visa then get PR after 1 yr. You only need to be on PR for 4 years until your 5 year mark is up. Do you get the idea?

Cheers :nice1

Are you sure that your information is correct?

From the Citizenship Act:-
that the applicant was present in New Zealand—
(i) for a minimum of 1 350 days during the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the application;
and
(ii) for at least 240 days in each of those 5 years,— being days during which the applicant was entitled in terms of the Immigration Act 1987 to be in New Zealand indefinitely:

Where the Immigration Act 1987 defines requiring a Residence Permit to be entitled to be in New Zealand indefinitely.

Certainly this reads that you need to have held a residence permit for the last 5 years (having any other kind of permit won't be sufficient).

Would be really happy to be proven wrong :confused:

Ian

[KerryS]

I think you're correct Ian - under the old rules for citizenship (pre-2005) then time spent in NZ before PR was granted was included in the time needed for citizenship. After the rule change it is as Ian has posted.
I was fortunate to come under the old ruling, and was eligible for my NZ citizenship before I was eligible for my IRRV.

[napiers]

One (probably small) limit to be aware of is that if your PR stickers are in only one passport, that is the passport you must leave and enter NZ on when travelling. If you leave/enter using your other passport, when you return you will only be eligible for a visitor visa. Interestingly this also applies to people with NZ passports.

Shawn

When we visit NZ my OH goes in and out on whichever passport he feels like. But it's an interesting point because does that mean that when we FINALLY move back he needs to make sure he enters on his NZ passport? Or wouldn't it matter because he has a NZ passport anyway? If he entered on his UK passport would he technically be an overstayer after 6 months?