[Stefan T.]

Hi everyone,

like some others here we have the problem that we simply cannot move without selling our house, since naturally most of our capital is tied up in brick and mortar. And - again naturally - that may take time. The big question is: does anyone know if there is some sort of deadline for moving to NZ after the PR is granted? We would want to move as quickly as possible, but reality is playing according to her own rules...

THANKS!

Stefan

[StevieD]

You have up to 18 months if granted pr, up to 6 months to pay the migrant levy from the date of the grant, and a further 12 months after that. Hope this helps.

Steve

[Stefan T.]

Thanks Stevie! That certainly helps. Great. That gives us enough time. We are still busy with medicals etc. A hell of a job.

cheers

Stefan

[K&CS]

That's right. We've got till September to get out there. If the house isn't sold, we'll have to go anyway and just let the house.

Kate

[Debbie]

Does any one know if it's possible to enter NZ on your PR stay for say 2 weeks come back to the UK, in my case, whilst you finish sorting things out and then return to NZ at a later date. I understood the the RRV that you initially got covered you for 2 yrs and you were OK as long as you spent at least 6mth in the last 12 of that in NZ. Can anyone confirm this?
thanks Debbie

[veronica]

I know you can activate the visa by coming into the country for a brief period, and what I have read on the forum suggests that the rest is true but to be absolutely sure I think you should contact the NZIS and ask them. Its to important to risk getting it wrong.

[Smiler]

Debbie

Yes you should get a returning residents visa as part of your PR stamp. 2 Blue stickers, one for PR, one to let you back in if you leave the country.


Deborah

[David with a dream]

Hi, we have PR and will be sending our passports off by April (06) for the stamp. We then have 12 months to activate the visa and will take a recci trip to NZ, upon leaving NZ after trip we then have a further 24 months to take up residency. All according to our agent.
Hope this helps..David

[Voice]

Debbie

Yes you should get a returning residents visa as part of your PR stamp. 2 Blue stickers, one for PR, one to let you back in if you leave the country.


Deborah

That's what we got too, and we went off to Rarotonga in October (5 months after arriving) with no bother at all. And (slightly off topic) it was lovely as when we got back to NZ the customs guy looked at our passports and with a big grin said "Welcome home"

We were dead chuffed!

[GeorgeM]

Your initial RRV is valid for 2 years from the moment you first enter the country as a resident.

This means that you can turn around and go straight back and still guarantee that you will be let back in at any time during that period. Which in turn means that you have in effect three and a half years from being granted PR to finally moving over (6 months to get the stickers and pay the levy, 12 months to make your initial appearance then 2 further years during which you can be a Returning Resident on your initial RRV).

HOWEVER - if you do push the boundaries to this extent you will not qualify for an indefinite RRV when your initial 2 year one runs out. To get this you have to have lived for the majority of the previous 2 years in NZ (the NZIS website will give the exact number of days they use to define this).

One of the guys who works for me is originally from the US and although he has been in NZ on and off for the best part of a decade, and has a kiwi wife, he has just got his indefinite RRV because they had bounced back and forth between jobs in NZ and the US and he had never qualified for the indefinite RRV before.

I guess that if someone is seen as always applying for 2 year RRVs and never appears to actually be settling here then NZIS could eventually refuse to give them another for a while, making their choice one of staying put in NZ for a time to establish their bona fides or of leaving with no right to return as a resident.