[thepiesleys]

Hi there - newbies here who have been lurking for a while...Any way my Q. Can my family and I travel to NZ on Visitors visas (upgrading to work permits when my wife gets that teaching job) with just a one way ticket but with the means to purchase returns if needed?

Apologies if this has already been posted before.

Just a little more background - my wife is NZQA verified and has teacher registration. Have applied for jobs already but think it will be easier to get work once we are out there.

Another Q that this throws up is weather we can shio a container on a visitors visa?

Any help very appreciated. :confused:

BTW how does anyone manage without this forum - it's great... :clap

[willsken]

Just wanted to say welcome to the forum. :D For some reason I didn't think you could go with a oneway ticket on a visitors visa. I bet someone knows for sure! :)

[Smiler]

I'll stand to be corrected but you'll need a ticket out of NZ, not necessarily a return ticket.

You could get a cheap ticket to Oz for instance.

Welcome to the forum thepiesleys. :cheers:cheers

Good luck with your plans. :D

[Diny]

Welcome to the forum. I agree with the above comments, I'm pretty sure you have to have proof of your exit to an onward country (doesn't necessarily have to be back to UK as Smiler has said).

Hope it all works out OK for you. We're from Staffordshire - not a million miles away from your stomping ground.

Diny

[jaycee]

Regarding the container - well yes you can ship one, but you won't qualify for the new immigrants' duty waiver on a visitor's visa - so you'll pay duty on any goods which attract it, plus GST (which I believe is charged on the sum of the duty, the value of the goods and the cost of shipping).

You'd have to weigh up the cost of that against the price of storage, or selling your stuff and having to replace it if you stay in NZ. Or if you own your own place in the UK, could you rent it out, furnished, until you have more definite plans?

As far as I know, you would need residence, or a work visa valid for more than 12 months, to qualify for exemption from import charges. Hope this helps :)

[thepiesleys]

Thanks for all the replies - Very helpful. Jaycee any chance you can give me more of an idea reagrds what stuff I have may be liable for duty? I'm planning on bringing the usual stuff, bikes, beds, white goods, and kitchen stuff. Not a huge amount and only a small or shared container...

Ta

Dan

[marcia]

Have you thought of using a shipping company that will store your stuff in the uk for a few weeks first?

It would give you time to sort out work visas/Pr, then once you know everythings sorted you can get them to send the stuff over, avoiding having to pay the taxes??

[jaycee]

Dan, there's a summary of the import duty charges here:

http://www.customs.govt.nz/importers/Private+Importers/Customs+Charges.htm#paraTitle03

Bear in mind you still need to pay GST on the value of the goods, even if they are free from import duty.

I believe there's also a facility to pay a bond which can be refunded if you get an appropriate visa within 12 months of importing, but I don't know what the exact rules are for that - might be worth emailing NZ Customs to ask.

[felix]

We almost didn't get on the plane..Kate had a w/permit and we all had visitors visas to tide us over until the PR came thru..we only had singles..only quick thinking averted a crisis and a call was made to our case officer who upgraded our status to provisional PR there and then and subsequently by fax to the carrier who finally allowed us to travel. NO ONE told us that on a visitors visa you must have an exit date within the expiry of said visa. Good luck. Dom.

[thepiesleys]

Thanks to everyone for you great replies. So it seems that the best option is get a single on somewere else is the best bet...Is Oz the cheapest option?

Ta

Dan & Sue

[Rose]

This thread had me worried. Fortunately you don't need to pay customs charges if:

you are coming to New Zealand with the intention and legal authority to take up or resume permanent residence,
you have lived outside New Zealand for the whole of the 21 months before the date of your arrival in New Zealand,
you have owned and used the goods before the date of your departure for New Zealand,
the goods are for your own personal use and not intended for any other person or persons or for gift, sale or exchange.

The following goods will not qualify for duty free entry, unless you can establish that the items have had personal use prior to their arrival in New Zealand:
goods shipped directly after purchase to avoid local taxes in the country of export
replacement electrical equipment operating to New Zealand standards.
Goods of a commercial nature (such as factory plant and office equipment) do not qualify as household effects.

[willowshouse]

This thread had me worried. Fortunately you don't need to pay customs charges if:

you are coming to New Zealand with the intention and legal authority to take up or resume permanent residence,

But what that means is you have PR or a work visa in place .. or as previously mentioned there is the option of paying it and reclaiming it when your papers are through.