[Mark Liceaga]

Dear Friends,

If you have a Residence Visa, can you just buy a one-way ticket to NZ and get in?

Sorry if this has been asked before.

Also based on your experience is a one-way ticket cheaper than round trip?

Thanks!

Mark

[Avalon]

Yes you can.

However - it really is worth looking at the cost because its not always that much cheaper to go 1 way than to have a return.

Also, if you get an open ended return - you have a ticket back to the uk if you need it (either because you dont want to stay or you just want to go back on hoiday). I can tell you from experience that it VERY expensive to buy return tickets FROM nz to the uk and back again. If you think you may need to travel back at all, its worth looking at getting a return now, using it to get back to the Uk at some point - and then buying another return ticket from the UK.

In our case - a flight from NZ-uk-NZ is costing £1000 whereas to go uk-nz-uk on the same dates costs £750!

So if I were you and if you have time - defianely look at return ticket costs and options!

[Mark Liceaga]

Thank you Avalon. I am based in the US intending to fly via Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Mark

[starkhorn]

Would u mind if I hijack the thread for a sec to ask a question on a similar topic. :)

If you have permanent residence in the passports, do you still need to queue up with everyone else who are coming in on tourist visas? Or can you go through with people who have NZ and Aussie passports?

[tigerlily]

Starkhorn, my understanding based on earlier threads, is that until you have citizenship (and therefore a NZ passport) you have to go through the line with all the other foreigners.

[Avalon]

Tigerlily - thats what we were told too but

Once you get to the airport - the sign says taht the afst track id for New Zealand and Australian RESIDENTS!

So - you got the visa - head for the fast queue :nice1

[Park City Partner]

When I came in to NZ to use my Resident visa the first time, I went through the NZ resident line...very short and they said "welcome home"...an odd thing to hear for me.

[Avalon]

I got that too. Its such a great feeling.

[foolsgold99]

Once you get to the airport - the sign says that the afst track id for New Zealand and Australian RESIDENTS!


I've heard that to, but only after the fact, although techincally you aren't a NZ resident until the immigration officer stamps your passport, at this stage your residence visa, turns into a residence permit. But it's common practice to allow people to use the residents queue.

On subsequent trips you must use the residents queue, this is the only time in your life, where you get the option of either queue. The simple answer is to take the one with the shorter queue.:nice1

[Jo and Andy]

I didn't know you could go through the Fast Queue, but when we arrived we queued up normally (not long) and were then asked to got to NZ residents one because they had finished already. Didn't get a welcome home though.

Regarding one way flights, you can ask for extra luggage allowance for emigrating with one way ticket, don't know if you can with a return ticket.