[jeffanar]

Has anyone extended their WH visa while they're in NZ? My OH is currently on a WH visa for 12 months, and we are waiting for his work permit (and residency) application to be processed. So they currently have his passport.

Any idea how long it will take to get the extension approved? Is it going to cause a problem his passport being with the work permit people? Do the departments talk to each other? :uhoh

[Angel2850]

Going through this myself at this stage - you cannot have two applications in with NZIS at the same time - one will be withdrawn.
If your OH is on a british WHV then they can extend this for another 11 months (note - only UK WHV can be extended).
If you have a pending application with NZIS and your current visa runs out, as mine is about to, then you will not be persued by NZI for 42 days, and if you have a pending application they are likely to leave you alone until it has been approved/rejected.

Also note you cannot leave the country while you have an application with NZIS, otherwise it will become null and void.

The WHV extension is supposed to be a whole lot quicker to process, but again, if you put it in, you have to withdraw your WP app. You need to decide whether swapping the applications (and risking confusing NZIS) is your best bet, or leaving it as is... probably your best bet... but remember, no working while illegal in the country, or they really will get stroppy.

[jeffanar]

you cannot have two applications in with NZIS at the same time - one will be withdrawn
Oh dear I didn't know that :( Well his WP application is currently with the medical assessor, any idea how long that will take?? He has until 27th Feb before his WHV expires, I guess we'll just have to cross fingers he gets his WP before then!

And yes he is on a UK WHV

[jeffanar]

Well it looks like all the worry was for nothing, because he just got his work permit approved :D

They've dated it two years from when he entered NZ on a WHV, not two years from when he applied which I thought was a bit odd - is this normal?

Now we just have the very long wait till they look at his PR application!

[JandM]

Congratulations! - this must be a great relief.:nice1

[Angel2850]

Not sure if that is normal, but in the greater scheme of things will probablyhelp out his application for residency - as far as I know work experience gained on a WHV doesn't count towards 'work to residence' - whereas any time spent working on aWP does... so now he can just pretend he didn't even have a WHV and sail on through...

Wish my extension would hurry the hell up - can I ask when he put in his WP app?
My visa runs out in 12 days, and as far as I kow it won't even be back from the medical assessor by then... ha ha!

[jeffanar]

Not sure the exact date but think it was around the 10th December, then it went to the medical assessors about a week later.

Good luck on getting the extension in time :D

[Jock_Tamson]

Was there a particular reason that the application went to the medical assessors?

My WHV runs out in 17 days, any referral to medical assessors might cause me a delay?

[jeffanar]

Yup for high cholesterol. The doctor said it wasn't enough to be a problem, but because it was outside their 'normal' range he had to tick the box for 'abnormal findings'. Obviously the MA didn't think it was a problem either :D

As long as your meds were clear, i.e. no 'abnormal' findings then you should be fine :nice1