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Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally from Scotland, we are currently living in New Zealand and have now been granted an STNI visa. We have to live in Victoria for the first two years since it is the Victorian government that sponsored me.
We intend to settle in Melbourne in a couple of months, when we've sold up here, but won't be able make the move before the visa deadline. The visa has to be validated by July, can anyone tell me if I need to go to Victoria to validate the STNI, or can I go to another state for a short holiday and validate the visa there? From New Zealand, you get much cheaper package deals to gold / sunshine coast, so would prefer to go there for a short break. Thanks in advance. |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by extrameant
Originally from Scotland, we are currently living in New Zealand and have now been granted an STNI visa. We have to live in Victoria for the first two years since it is the Victorian government that sponsored me.
We intend to settle in Melbourne in a couple of months, when we've sold up here, but won't be able make the move before the visa deadline. The visa has to be validated by July, can anyone tell me if I need to go to Victoria to validate the STNI, or can I go to another state for a short holiday and validate the visa there? From New Zealand, you get much cheaper package deals to gold / sunshine coast, so would prefer to go there for a short break. Thanks in advance. I think you have to go to Vic for this one. We got the STNI and from my understanding had to be in Victoria to validate our visas. Might be wrong, won't be the first time, but that's how I understood it. If anyone disagrees with me please set me straight so these fine people can have their QLD holiday. |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by G'Day
I think you have to go to Vic for this one. We got the STNI and from my understanding had to be in Victoria to validate our visas. Might be wrong, won't be the first time, but that's how I understood it. If anyone disagrees with me please set me straight so these fine people can have their QLD holiday.
If so, you should be able to get that at any airport coming in, and say you are driving to VIC ? |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by G'Day
I think you have to go to Vic for this one. We got the STNI and from my understanding had to be in Victoria to validate our visas. Might be wrong, won't be the first time, but that's how I understood it. If anyone disagrees with me please set me straight so these fine people can have their QLD holiday.
The obligation to live in Victoria for 2 years is separate. The original posters should sort out their New Zealand indefinite returning resident visas before they leave (these might come in useful later on). Jeremy |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Hubby went across to validate his visa in April and do a little reccie, no one even stamped this passport, as soon as you enter the country it just registers on the system i believe, he was worried it hadn't been done but it had apparently. Didn't think it mattered where you went as long as you entered the country, we are one Victoria STNI too, but he did go to Melbourne, whole idea was to get info on suburbs etc. It has proved invaluable since, especially getting a street map of the entire city so that we can locate everything including schools, real estate for sale etc.
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Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Thanks for all the replies.
I like your thinking ABCD, but I wouldn't want to buy a used car from you! ;o) We had to get permanant returning residents visas for NZ some years ago, because the original visa only lets you enter NZ for 2 years but thanks for that advice also. We are torn between going to Melbourne to do useful things (there is obviously a lot we could do), or to have a break. We haven't had a stress free holiday since coming to NZ 8 years ago. Hard choice though. |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
We validated our visas at xmas. Also STNI for Vic. We were told by our agents that we had to validate in Vic. We asked the question of them and were told deffo to go to Vic. Im not sure how, but we even got an e-mail to welcome us and inviting us to a seminar, so they must have some way to track us. I think they zap the magnetic ink on the visa/passport, this automatically activates your visa and notifies the Vic gov of your arrival.
By the way, we had 3 weeks in Melbourne and even with the frantic suburb hunt, we had one of the most stress free holidays ever. Melbourne and Vic in general are superb places for a holiday. We even got to fly up to Brissy to see some old friends as well. Cost about £400 for 4 adult tickets. I would seriously suggest that you either arrive in Vic or DOUBLE CHECK with the Vic Gov site just to be sure. Try this address, this is the lady who e-mailed us to welcome us to [email protected] <[email protected]> Best of luck Taff n Mand |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Thanks for the advice. Actually we are now planning on going to melbourne to validate the visa anyway. We will only be there for a few days (really want to move permanently asap) so it is difficult not to try and cram too much, rather than just veg out. The deciding thing is my clever wife has found a way we can get the same number of nights in melbourne for the same cost as gold coast package. As to the weather, well winter is like a Scottish summer down here. I'm sure you know what I mean, I remember a whiteout on the A77 in June! I hope you get to Melbourne soon. It is very frustrating sorting out the final details.
Originally Posted by Taff n Mand
We validated our visas at xmas. Also STNI for Vic. We were told by our agents that we had to validate in Vic. We asked the question of them and were told deffo to go to Vic. Im not sure how, but we even got an e-mail to welcome us and inviting us to a seminar, so they must have some way to track us. I think they zap the magnetic ink on the visa/passport, this automatically activates your visa and notifies the Vic gov of your arrival.
By the way, we had 3 weeks in Melbourne and even with the frantic suburb hunt, we had one of the most stress free holidays ever. Melbourne and Vic in general are superb places for a holiday. We even got to fly up to Brissy to see some old friends as well. Cost about £400 for 4 adult tickets. I would seriously suggest that you either arrive in Vic or DOUBLE CHECK with the Vic Gov site just to be sure. Try this address, this is the lady who e-mailed us to welcome us to [email protected] <[email protected]> Best of luck Taff n Mand |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by extrameant
Thanks for all the replies.
I like your thinking ABCD, but I wouldn't want to buy a used car from you! ;o) We had to get permanant returning residents visas for NZ some years ago, because the original visa only lets you enter NZ for 2 years but thanks for that advice also. We are torn between going to Melbourne to do useful things (there is obviously a lot we could do), or to have a break. We haven't had a stress free holiday since coming to NZ 8 years ago. Hard choice though. You would have found things much easier had you done so. As it is, it may be a little late to apply for NZ citizenship now as New Zealand does normally expect citizenship applicants to intend to continue living in NZ. I suggest you give strong consideration to applying for Australian citizenship, if eligible. Also be aware that should you return to NZ later on, even if your PR is still valid, you may have to re-start the 3 year clock for citizenship. Or wait a full five years if that took you outside the transitional arrangements for the new 5 year rule. Jeremy |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by extrameant
Thanks for all the replies.
I like your thinking ABCD, but I wouldn't want to buy a used car from you! ;o) |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by JAJ
Out of interest, was there a reason why you never obtained New Zealand citizenship?
You would have found things much easier had you done so. As it is, it may be a little late to apply for NZ citizenship now as New Zealand does normally expect citizenship applicants to intend to continue living in NZ. I suggest you give strong consideration to applying for Australian citizenship, if eligible. Also be aware that should you return to NZ later on, even if your PR is still valid, you may have to re-start the 3 year clock for citizenship. Or wait a full five years if that took you outside the transitional arrangements for the new 5 year rule. Jeremy We never went for NZ citizenship because it costs about $500 each and never could see the advantage while we were here (are there any advatages over PRR, other than entry to Oz?). Out of interest, my Irish neighbour would not apply because he would never swear allegiance to the queen. I actually didn't want to live in Oz as an NZ citizen in case of future probs with that. If there are any, I would find them, my luck is like that. Almost all Kiwis I know of who are going there, intend to come back to NZ, so they are not bothered if there are any potential probs in the future. Actually, most Kiwis are unaware that they can no longer become Oz citizens by right, if their first entry to Oz was after end 2001. In fact they never believe me about this. The cost of an OZ PR was not much more than family NZ citizenship and in fact it takes about 12 months to get NZ citizenship just now, according to a friend who has applied, so it is quicker to get STNI. We will always have the NZ PRRV on our passports anyway. Been to New Zealand, done that, next please :o) |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by extrameant
What isn't easy about getting STNI? ;o)
We never went for NZ citizenship because it costs about $500 each and never could see the advantage while we were here (are there any advatages over PRR, other than entry to Oz?). It also means that any children you have born in Australia (or any future children of your existing children) will not be New Zealanders. There is no guarantee that Australian citizens will always be able to live in NZ. Other disadvantages: - potential liability to deportation; - it may be harder to sponsor relatives for permanent residence in NZ; - some public service jobs are reserved for New Zealanders Out of interest, my Irish neighbour would not apply because he would never swear allegiance to the queen. I actually didn't want to live in Oz as an NZ citizen in case of future probs with that. If there are any, I would find them, my luck is like that. Almost all Kiwis I know of who are going there, intend to come back to NZ, so they are not bothered if there are any potential probs in the future. Actually, most Kiwis are unaware that they can no longer become Oz citizens by right, if their first entry to Oz was after end 2001. In fact they never believe me about this. Even if you had taken NZ citizenship, you'd be quite right to look for Australian PR anyway, and STNI might still have been the right solution. Many other New Zealanders with skilled occupations can get PR through the points tested system, or through employer nomination. The cost of an OZ PR was not much more than family NZ citizenship and in fact it takes about 12 months to get NZ citizenship just now, according to a friend who has applied, so it is quicker to get STNI. We will always have the NZ PRRV on our passports anyway. Been to New Zealand, done that, next please :o) But if you've been in NZ for 8 years you could have had this all done and sorted five years ago. All I would suggest is that you do make the effort to become Australian citizens after two years in Australia. It's your choice of course, but there are more negative consequences in Australia if you don't. To begin with, there's no such thing as an indefinite RRV in Australia. Jeremy |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Interesting info, thanks for all that. Of course, living in NZ is hard going at the beginning, so paying for citizenship seemed a bit excessive, back then. Ironically, the only people I know who go for citizenship here are intending to go to Oz!
Will definitely go for citizenship in Oz. I first applied to go to Oz 12 years ago and got rejected, so after finally getting there, I intend to stay. Just got caught up in NZ slightly longer than intended.
Originally Posted by JAJ
The indefinite RRV could easily be revoked or time-limited by the NZ government.
It also means that any children you have born in Australia (or any future children of your existing children) will not be New Zealanders. There is no guarantee that Australian citizens will always be able to live in NZ. Other disadvantages: - potential liability to deportation; - it may be harder to sponsor relatives for permanent residence in NZ; - some public service jobs are reserved for New Zealanders One has to wonder why he went to live in New Zealand in the first place, in that case. It's more like early 2001 rather than end 2001 - see http://www.nz-oz.gov.au Even if you had taken NZ citizenship, you'd be quite right to look for Australian PR anyway, and STNI might still have been the right solution. Many other New Zealanders with skilled occupations can get PR through the points tested system, or through employer nomination. It does take a long time to get NZ citizenship. Part of the reason is a backlog caused by people applying to get ahead of the changes to the residence requirement (up to 5 years, from 3). But if you've been in NZ for 8 years you could have had this all done and sorted five years ago. All I would suggest is that you do make the effort to become Australian citizens after two years in Australia. It's your choice of course, but there are more negative consequences in Australia if you don't. To begin with, there's no such thing as an indefinite RRV in Australia. Jeremy |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by extrameant
Interesting info, thanks for all that. Of course, living in NZ is hard going at the beginning, so paying for citizenship seemed a bit excessive, back then. Ironically, the only people I know who go for citizenship here are intending to go to Oz!
Jeremy |
Re: Vic STNI, can go to QNSLD to validate visa?
Originally Posted by ABCDiamond
How do the Visas get validated ? Is it just the entry stamp into Australia ?
If so, you should be able to get that at any airport coming in, and say you are driving to VIC ? Go and have fun in QLD mate! |
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