Parent Policy
Aug 20th 2011, 3:30 pm
#16
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Auckland
Posts: 67
Re: Parent Policy
Hello Berdorian
I am Paula 2007.
I am in touch with a few Parent Visa guys that are waiting to hear just like you, and one of them has just been allocated a Case Officer and they had waited approximately 18 months. They live in the UK. So it looks like it has been extended a little from the year we had to wait. I heard in March 2010.
After that, my medical report was referred to a Medical Assessor and I was asked for further information on two health problems I have. My GP duly did a report for me which I sent back to my Case Officer - about MAY 2010 I heard that my husband and myself had been granted permanent residency in NZ.
Then we had 6 months (November 2010) to send our passport back to New Zealand Emigration in London to get the visas put in them. We held onto them until the last moment as we had put our house up for sale in August 2010 and wanted to gain some extra time trying to sell our property.
We received our passports back with the blue visas stuck in them and we have until 24 November 2011 to arrive in New Zealand. After that, you have to spend 6 months of the following 2 years in New Zealand to show your comittment to the country.(184 days) it does not have to be in one block.
So fingers crossed that someone will love our house as much as we have - we have lived in it for over 30 years. We have had about 6 viewings but things have gone a bit quite now as Christmas is approaching and also we have a foot of snow outside our front door at the moment!! You cannot get up our road in a car as we live on a hill, it is like an ice rink!! -18 degrees last night and huge icicles hanging off the gutters!!
At least we know that next year we WILL be in New Zealand and having our Christmas Dinner with our two children, at last.
I am Paula 2007.
I am in touch with a few Parent Visa guys that are waiting to hear just like you, and one of them has just been allocated a Case Officer and they had waited approximately 18 months. They live in the UK. So it looks like it has been extended a little from the year we had to wait. I heard in March 2010.
After that, my medical report was referred to a Medical Assessor and I was asked for further information on two health problems I have. My GP duly did a report for me which I sent back to my Case Officer - about MAY 2010 I heard that my husband and myself had been granted permanent residency in NZ.
Then we had 6 months (November 2010) to send our passport back to New Zealand Emigration in London to get the visas put in them. We held onto them until the last moment as we had put our house up for sale in August 2010 and wanted to gain some extra time trying to sell our property.
We received our passports back with the blue visas stuck in them and we have until 24 November 2011 to arrive in New Zealand. After that, you have to spend 6 months of the following 2 years in New Zealand to show your comittment to the country.(184 days) it does not have to be in one block.
So fingers crossed that someone will love our house as much as we have - we have lived in it for over 30 years. We have had about 6 viewings but things have gone a bit quite now as Christmas is approaching and also we have a foot of snow outside our front door at the moment!! You cannot get up our road in a car as we live on a hill, it is like an ice rink!! -18 degrees last night and huge icicles hanging off the gutters!!
At least we know that next year we WILL be in New Zealand and having our Christmas Dinner with our two children, at last.
Aug 20th 2011, 7:39 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: tauranga NZ
Posts: 135
Re: Parent Policy
Wow, I am new to this site, we are going to apply for Parent Category visa, our daughter is in Auckland, we are planning to put the application in on the 20th September 2011 to meet the 3 year requirement, so all the paperwork is almost ready but I am a bit ALARMED by this thread, I understood it could take between 18 - 24 months to get visa, I thought the timeline would go 12 months for caseworker, then another 6 - 12 months for the Visa, it seems once you get your case worker it CAN move quickly if medics etc are all in order, is that right, we were planning to put our house on the market as soon as we got a caseworker, thinking we would still have 6-12 months for the Visa, can anyone guide me on the current average timelines, unlike a lot of folk it would suit us fine for it to take 24 months!
Aug 22nd 2011, 4:32 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Auckland
Posts: 67
Re: Parent Policy
Thank you for this, we are starting to clear out the house, we have been here 25 years so lots to get throw out that we do not want to take with us, I think once we have finished the big clear up we should get the Estate agents in, am hoping the market picks up next year!
I don't know if you can help on this question re Pensions, I know we can switch from UK to NZ State Pension, we both have enhanced UK state pensions and undertand in "certain circumstances" the NZ Superannution people will increase our NZ superannuation to reflect the enhanced nature but the website is a bit woolly about what the "circumstances" are! Also, we understand over 65's in NZ are entitled to free travel in and around Auckland city, (known as Supergold www.supergold.govt.nz) not sure if we need NZ Superannuation to qualify or if being over 65 on UK pension with PR would be enough, this could be a big advantage when deciding where to live, any one had either of these experiences?
I don't know if you can help on this question re Pensions, I know we can switch from UK to NZ State Pension, we both have enhanced UK state pensions and undertand in "certain circumstances" the NZ Superannution people will increase our NZ superannuation to reflect the enhanced nature but the website is a bit woolly about what the "circumstances" are! Also, we understand over 65's in NZ are entitled to free travel in and around Auckland city, (known as Supergold www.supergold.govt.nz) not sure if we need NZ Superannuation to qualify or if being over 65 on UK pension with PR would be enough, this could be a big advantage when deciding where to live, any one had either of these experiences?
Aug 26th 2011, 3:39 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: tauranga NZ
Posts: 135
Re: Parent Policy
Thank you for this, we are starting to clear out the house, we have been here 25 years so lots to get throw out that we do not want to take with us, I think once we have finished the big clear up we should get the Estate agents in, am hoping the market picks up next year!
I don't know if you can help on this question re Pensions, I know we can switch from UK to NZ State Pension, we both have enhanced UK state pensions and undertand in "certain circumstances" the NZ Superannution people will increase our NZ superannuation to reflect the enhanced nature but the website is a bit woolly about what the "circumstances" are! Also, we understand over 65's in NZ are entitled to free travel in and around Auckland city, (known as Supergold www.supergold.govt.nz) not sure if we need NZ Superannuation to qualify or if being over 65 on UK pension with PR would be enough, this could be a big advantage when deciding where to live, any one had either of these experiences?
I don't know if you can help on this question re Pensions, I know we can switch from UK to NZ State Pension, we both have enhanced UK state pensions and undertand in "certain circumstances" the NZ Superannution people will increase our NZ superannuation to reflect the enhanced nature but the website is a bit woolly about what the "circumstances" are! Also, we understand over 65's in NZ are entitled to free travel in and around Auckland city, (known as Supergold www.supergold.govt.nz) not sure if we need NZ Superannuation to qualify or if being over 65 on UK pension with PR would be enough, this could be a big advantage when deciding where to live, any one had either of these experiences?
To answer you question, I wish I knew the answer regarding pensions. We're both drawing the UK State pension and my husband has a military pension and a private pension but however much we search the pensions websites, UK and NZ we still are in the dark. So if anyone out there knows where to go for advice please let us know.
On the question of the SuperGold card, I have downloaded the application form from the Tauranga Council website but haven't sent it off yet. I'm always confused when asked whether I'm a 'permanent Resident' and whether being on a Residence Visa with travel conditions allows me the same privileges as Permanent Residence, which comes after 2 years. Perhaps someone knows the answer to that one as well.
Finally, bring as much stuff with you as you have room for in your container. We left loads behind, partly because we thought Customs might be picky, and we couldn't be bothered cleaning such things as gardening tools to meet the required standard of cleanliness, which we regretted. One last thought though. UK Duvets don't fit the NZ covers and that's a pain!
Oct 18th 2011, 2:16 pm
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Location: Auckland
Posts: 67
Re: Parent Policy
Hi, we lodged our papers at the NZ London office on the 20th Sept, we then got a letter confirming our application date and asking us to send an x-ray document that I had ommitted (it was attached to the invoice so missed it!), I have not heard any further and wondered how long it should take to be notified that they have finished with our original documents, i.e. birth/marriage certificates etc., does anyone else have an experience to compare to?
Oct 18th 2011, 8:09 pm
#21
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Whitby Wellington
Posts: 2,440
Re: Parent Policy
Hi, we lodged our papers at the NZ London office on the 20th Sept, we then got a letter confirming our application date and asking us to send an x-ray document that I had ommitted (it was attached to the invoice so missed it!), I have not heard any further and wondered how long it should take to be notified that they have finished with our original documents, i.e. birth/marriage certificates etc., does anyone else have an experience to compare to?
