NZ - Returning resident's visa query
 

My understanding is that once we arrive in NZ and activate our PR visa, we will automatically get a 2 year RRV. So we could leave NZ to tidy matters at home then, provided we get back to NZ withing the validity of the RRV, we are still considered permanent residents. True?

Also, if we do not become tax resident in NZ until we return the second time, would this put back any NZ citizenship hopes until we had completed 3 years tax residency in NZ?

Thanks

Re: NZ - Returning resident's visa query
 

> My understanding is that once we arrive in NZ and activate
> our PR visa, we will automatically get a 2 year RRV.

That seems to be correct, at least according to the NZIS booklet on RRVs.

> Also, if we do not become tax resident in NZ until we return
> the second time, would this put back any NZ citizenship hopes
> until we had completed 3 years tax residency in NZ?

The booklet from the NZ Department of Internal Affairs doesn't mention anything about tax residency. To qualify for NZ citizenship, you need to be legally allowed to live in NZ (PR visa allows that), and you need to have lived in NZ for the last 3 years. Other fine prints are there, on Page 4 of the booklet, DONIbooklet.pdf available from this URL:

(all in one line:)
http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/...ONIBooklet.pdf

So I guess, you can't count time spent outside of NZ when trying to meet residency requirements for citizenship. That seems to be the case for most countries, including Canada & Australia, with certain exceptions under some circumstances, of course.

Cheers,
Peter

Re: NZ - Returning resident's visa query
 

As far as I know eligibility for NZ citizenship is based on ordinary residence for 3
years. This is a more nebulous concept than Australia's physical days present (or
not) criteria, and refers more to where you spend most of your time. In UK terms, you
generally become ordinarily resident when you arrive with the intention of making
your home there.

I would think the application of the same concept to NZ means the 3 years time period
starts ticking when you move to NZ proper. However, you would not need to worry about
excluding short trips outside the country after that date, as you would with
Australia or Canada.

Jeremy

    >On 19 Jun 2002 13:20:37 GMT, ptlabs <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> My understanding is that once we arrive in NZ and activate our PR visa, we will
    >> automatically get a 2 year RRV.
    >
    >That seems to be correct, at least according to the NZIS booklet on RRVs.
    >
    >> Also, if we do not become tax resident in NZ until we return the second time,
    >> would this put back any NZ citizenship hopes until we had completed 3 years tax
    >> residency in NZ?
    >
    >The booklet from the NZ Department of Internal Affairs doesn't mention anything
    >about tax residency. To qualify for NZ citizenship, you need to be legally allowed
    >to live in NZ (PR visa allows that), and you need to have lived in NZ for the last 3
    >years. Other fine prints are there, on Page 4 of the booklet, DONIbooklet.pdf
    >available from this URL:
    >
    >(all in one line:) http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/URL/DONIBooklet.-
    >pdf/$file/DONIBooklet.pdf
    >
    >So I guess, you can't count time spent outside of NZ when trying to meet
    >residency requirements for citizenship. That seems to be the case for most
    >countries, including Canada & Australia, with certain exceptions under some
    >circumstances, of course.
    >
    >Cheers, Peter
    >
    >
    >
    >--
    >Alan Collett
    >
    >Alan Collett
    >
    >Glenn
    >
    >Tom
    >
    >Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: NZ - Returning resident's visa query
 

Thanks guys

Re: NZ - Returning resident's visa query
 

"newstartnz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > My understanding is that once we arrive in NZ and activate our PR visa, we will
    > automatically get a 2 year RRV. So we could leave NZ to tidy matters at home then,
    > provided we get back to NZ withing the validity of the RRV, we are still considered
    > permanent residents. True?
    >
    > Also, if we do not become tax resident in NZ until we return the second time,
    > would this put back any NZ citizenship hopes until we had completed 3 years tax
    > residency in NZ?
    >
    > Thanks

We got RRVs in our passports when we got them back from NZIS in London, ie at the
same time as getting the residence visas.

ISTR that there was a mention in the immigration docs of "tax status" WRT
citizenship.

Cheers Winnie