juliejamesmcgrath

Hi all,

Its been a fair few years since i've been on here, we have been in NZ for almost four years now, and been Permanent Residents since 2009, our returning residents visas ran out some months ago, and in the meantime i've had to re-new my childrens passports also, so they don't have the visas in their new passports as yet.

I have been in touch with immigration regarding getting our new RRV's and they said under the new law we had to apply for our Permanent Resident Visas again.. what the hell.. i've asked three different people as immigration now and keep getting different information.. My question is when did this change occur (if at all) and why do I have to keep applying for an RRV, the one we had that has expired we were given with our PR visa back in 2009 and that was only valid for 2 years, can we not have indefinate ones.

My children and I came under my husbands visa.

Any help in english would be very much appreciated.

Cheers all

theghostofdustybin

Taken from NZ immigration website (google is your friend )
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra.../residence.htm

What happens to current holders of residence visas, residence permits and returning resident’s visas?

Everyone holding a residence visa or permit or RRV is ‘deemed’ to hold the equivalent status under the Immigration Act 2009 as shown in the table below. ‘Deeming’ means that holders of residence visas, permits or RRVs do not have to do anything to obtain their new status. Please note though that if you have any conditions on your current visa, permit or RRV, those conditions continue under the new system.





Residence status prior to commencement of the new Immigration Act


New residence status under the new Immigration Act




Residence visa + RRV valid for two years on arrival

becomes

Resident visa allowing travel to New Zealand + once granted initial entry permission, allowing stay with travel conditions for two years from entry



Residence permit + no valid RRV

becomes

Resident visa allowing stay in New Zealand + no travel conditions



Residence permit + RRV with an expiry date

becomes

Resident visa + travel conditions expiring on the same date as RRV



RRV with an expiry date + no residence permit

becomes

Resident visa + travel conditions expiring on the same date as RRV



Residence permit subject to requirements under section 18A of the Immigration Act 1987 + no RRV

becomes

Resident visa allowing stay in New Zealand subject to equivalent conditions under section 49(1) of the Immigration Act 2009 + no travel conditions



Residence permit subject to requirements under section 18A of the Immigration Act 1987 + RRV with an expiry date


becomes

Resident visa subject to equivalent conditions under section 49(1) of the Immigration Act 2009 + travel conditions expiring on the same date as RRV



Indefinite RRV (with or without residence permit)

becomes

Permanent resident visa

UKNZAUS

Before the original 2 yr RRVs ran out, you should have applied for the INDEFINITE RRV. I'm not sure what you're being asked to do, and it seems you are confused too, but you needed to send off for IRRV for each of you regardless of passports expiry dates.

Have you checked the immigration website for up-to-date information? I'll have a quick look see too!

juliejamesmcgrath

Hi,

Cheers for the replies... i'm still confused, We have two visas in our passports, one says Permanent Residents (indefinately) and the other on the other page says Returning Residents Visa (which expired in february this year).... do I have to apply for a new one of these???? Also what do I do now that my children both have new passports - do I not need a visa in that, can i just take out of their old passports and put in their new ones... so sorry for all the questions, but i've had a look at the immigration site and feel like i'm going around in circles..

theghostofdustybin

nope you have a residence permit (the bnit that lets you live here) and a returning visa (the bit that lets you come back if you leave)

They have basically scrapped these and now have a perminant residence visa.

My guess is when you try to renew your visa they will just give you the new residence visa instead. Pop into immigration, or download and fill in the renewal forms on the website.

No you cant just take the visas out and transfer yourself, they are issued to the new passport.

Have a day trip to the nice people at the offices with passports in hand and i'm sure they sort it for you.

UKNZAUS

You need to apply for new RRVs as you can't re-enter as a PR once you leave the country without them. The kids need new ones in their passports too.

This took me 2 minutes to find.

UKNZAUS

and just in case, this is where you download the right forms

Persephone

Have a look at the links given by Michelle and Dustybin.
Your 2y RRV has expired. Before 29/11/10 you would have then applied for an indefinite RRV if you had spent enough time in NZ. An IRRV is the same as what is now known as a Permanent Resident Visa [PRV].
If you applied for PR now you would be issued with a 'Resident Visa with 2 year travel conditions' rather than the resident permit and 2Y RRV you have. The details are exactly the same just different terminology. If you think along the lines that the process has not really changed very much but the names have then it may help you get your head round it

You do not have to go through the residency process again, fill in the forms for a PRV-cost $160.
If you get issued a PRV [I am assuming you've spent >184d in each of the preceding two years] then when you renew a passport you will have to pay to have these visas transferred to your new passports-cost $90. Please don't tear the old ones out and stick them in!!

Michelle mentioned that you should have applied for a PRV/ IRRV before the 2y RRV ran out. Sorry M but this is incorrect-you have to have spent the preceding two whole years in NZ as a resident to apply for PRV/IRRV so most of us have to let the RRV/travel conditions expire before we can apply. The resident visa/permit part does not expire however until you leave NZ so there is no problem with having an expired RRV/travel conditions unless you actually do want to go anywhere.

Hope this helps- I wrote a thread at the top of the immi section which is basically what Dustybin has cut and pasted.

RobDon

Did this yesterday!
Downloaded forms, (thanks Michelle&Carl!) drove up to Auckland, waited around 40/50 mins and got them done there and then and kissed goodbye to $160.
Now we have a permanent residence Visa making a grand total of 5 visas in our passports!!

UKNZAUS

I've to go and get the new stickers into the kid's new passports... $270!!!