[Tee&Dee]

Hi folks

Another day another question, Im sure its been asked before but I cant seem to find any threads covering it.

How long do you have to get over to NZ once PR has been aproved?
I am stunned at how quickly things have progressed and we have factored in a longer wait time for the various stages of EOI, Selected, ITA.

We had anticipated up to 12 months to get some cash together, we are even moving in with the In-Laws in 2 months time to allow us to save even more.

I have heard numerous accounts of how long you have to take up your offer, but I would prefer to get it first hand.

Thanks again for all your help and support.
Without which, none of this would have even seemed possible.

Tony

[kiwidebs]

Officially, you have 6 months to pay your migrants levy and get the stamps in the passport, then 12 months to enter NZ and validate your residency. So 18 months from getting PR.

Debs

[Bubbles]

Hi Tony,
You have 12 months from date of issue on the visas to get youself over.

Good eh !

[RobDickinson]

BUT you can go to NZ in those 18months, get your PR stamped , get a Returning residence visa and come back I think- this gives you 2 years more?

[Jade]

First time Returning Resident’s Visas
Your first Returning Resident’s Visa will be current for two years from the date of your first Residence Permit, unless you lodged your application for residence under the Investor Category on or after 4 July 2005, in which case your Returning Resident’s Visa will be current for five years. It will be issued free of charge when you are granted your residence permit.

Second or Subsequent Returning Resident’s Visas
Eligibility for an ‘Indefinite’ or ‘12-month’ RRV is generally dependent on the circumstances of the principal applicant of the original residence application. i.e. if “you”, the principal applicant, qualify for an RRV then your family members included in the original residence application will also qualify for an RRV of the same currency.

Indefinite
You qualify for an “indefinite” RRV if:
• you can demonstrate a commitment to New Zealand by meeting the requirements set out in any one of the situations numbered 1 to 5 below; and
• you held a Residence Permit at a time which was a minimum of 2 years before the date your current application for an RRV is made.
Note: If your residence permit is subject to requirements imposed under section 18A of the Immigration Act, you must also have met those requirements before you can be granted an indefinite RRV.

Time spent in New Zealand
If you have held residence permits for a total of 184 days or more in each of the two 12 month portions of the 24 months immediately preceding your RRV application; or

2) Tax Status
If you have held residence permits for a total of 41 days or more in each of the two 12 months portions of the 24 months immediately preceding your RRV application, and you are assessed by the Inland Revenue Department as holding tax residence status for the two years preceding your RRV application; or

3) Investment in New Zealand
If you have:
• been approved residence under the Investor Category and met any requirements imposed under section 18A of the Immigration Act 1987; or
• obtained residence under another category and maintained an investment of NZ$1,000,000 in New Zealand for two years.

4) Business in New Zealand
If you have obtained residence under any category and have successfully established a business in New Zealand not less than 12 months ago which is trading successfully and benefiting New Zealand in some way; or

5) Established base in New Zealand
a) If you have held residence permits for a total of at least 41 days in the 12 month period immediately before lodging your RRV application;
and
b) all members of your immediate family who were included in your residence application have resided in New Zealand for a total of at least 184 days in the two year period immediately before lodging your RRV application; and
c) you own and maintain a family home in New Zealand; or
d) you have been genuinely employed full time in New Zealand, in paid employment, for a total of at least 9 months in the two year period immediately before lodging your RRV application.

Note: you are considered to own and maintain a family home in New Zealand if:
• you own a residential property that you bought within 12 months of being granted a residence permit; and
• you, or members of your immediate family who were included in your residence application, live there.

Twelve Months
You qualify for a 12 month RRV if:
• you meet the requirements set out in either of the two situations below; and
• you held a Residence Permit at a time which was a minimum of 1 year before the date your current application for an RRV is made.

Note: If your residence permit is subject to requirements imposed under section 18A of the Immigration Act, you must also have met those requirements before you can be granted a 12 month RRV.
1) Time spent in New Zealand
If you have held residence permits for a total of 184 days or more in at least one of the two 12 month portions of the 24 months immediately before lodging your RRV application; or
2) Tax Status
a) if you have held residence permits for a total of 41 days or more in at least one of the two 12 month portions of the 24 months immediately before lodging your RRV application; and
b) you are assessed by the Inland Revenue Department as holding tax residence status for twelve months in the two years immediately before lodging your RRV application.

14 Days
You will qualify for a ‘14-day’ RRV if you hold a residence permit and you do not meet the requirements for an indefinite or 12 month RRV.

Do my partner and children need Returning Resident’s Visas?
Yes. If your partner and children intend to travel overseas and want to return permanently to New Zealand they should obtain Returning Resident’s Visas.

Your partner and dependent children under 20 years of age do not need to complete separate application forms or pay separate fees if they are included in your application for a Returning Resident’s Visa.

Your family’s Returning Resident’s Visas will be made current for the same period as your (the principal applicant’s) Returning Resident’s Visa. Children over 20 years of age and all children who are not dependent must make their own application for a
Returning Resident’s Visa and pay a separate fee.

How do I prove my Residence Status?
Acceptable evidence to prove your residence status includes:
• a current or expired passport or travel document endorsed with your New Zealand Residence Permit or previous Returning Resident’s Visa; or
• the original letter you received when you were first granted permanent residence in New Zealand; or
• a New Zealand passport.

Can I use my Returning Resident’s Visa for more than one overseas visit?
Yes. There is normally no limit on the number of times you can leave New Zealand after you have been granted a Returning Resident’s Visa. You must ensure that your
Returning Resident’s Visa is current when you travel.

[Tee&Dee]

Wow thanks folks - super fast as usual!!

So to recap...

I have 6 months to pay the migrant levy

THEN...

A further 12 months to land on NZ soil
**(Is that me or all of us - 2 Adults and 2 Kids)**

THEN..

I can get a Returning Residents Visa which is valid for 2 years from the initial date of my first Perminent Residency Visa.

So theoretically I have 2.5 years from when they approve me - Is that right?

Cheers
Tony

[foolsgold99]

"So theoretically I have 2.5 years from when they approve me - Is that right?"

No, you have 3.5 years. You are confusing a PR visa with a PR permit.

You have 6 months to get the visa, then another 12 months to land in NZ, at this point your PR visa, turns into a PR permit (it's another stamp in the passport), the two year countdown on your RRV only starts from that date, i.e when you first enter NZ.

Downside of doing this is, you will not meet any of the criteria for getting another rrv issued (you may get a 14 day one for a family emercengy if you beg) , you'll effectively be stuck in NZ for a couple of years, as if you leave you'll lose your PR.

We have a friend that did this moving to Aussie, she got the visa, went to Aus, turned it into a permit, then left. She then went back to Aus two years later, I think she landed 10 hours before her RRV expired. She doesn't qualift for a RRV, so she can't leave for 2 years until she quailifies for another rrv.