tennis16

Hi all,

i have gotton the resident visa approved. Please advise me the next steps and its timeline.my case officer asked me to provide my passport/ travel document to her within 6 months.

thanks

Persephone

Congratulations

You have 6 months to send in your passport and the passports of all those included in the application. You have to pay the migrant levy at the same time.

You have 12 months from the visa being issued to enter NZ for the first time. This activates your visa and is the starting date for your travel conditions.

P

tennis16

Hi persephone,

Does it mean that i have 12 months to touch ground NZ for the first time. Afterwhich, how long more can wait before finally settle down. Eg submit my passport by 24 dec 2014, first entry to NZ is jun 2015 and come back to my own country in jun ,and then back to NZ permanently in feb 2016, it this possible?

Persephone

Sounds ok.
If you submit your passport on 24/12/14, you have 12mth from then to enter NZ. You have 12 mth to enter from when the visa is stuck in your passport.
So if you enter for the first time in June '15 then your travel conditions will expire in June '17.
You need valid travel conditions to leave and re enter NZ as a resident so they will still be valid in Feb '16.
You do not need valid conditions if you are in NZ and do not plan to leave. Travel conditions are not the same as residency if you are in NZ!!

The only problem I can see and it's not a problem per se, is that when your travel conditions expire you may not be eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa [PRV, basically permanent travel conditions]. Instead, you may have to apply for further travel conditions if you wish to leave and re enter NZ as a resident.
Once you have a PRV then you don't have to worry about the travel conditions being valid. As I said, not a problem if you understand what needs doing and when or if you never leave NZ

tennis16

Hi,

Can i say between jun 15 and jun 17, what do i do if i need to travel out of NZ?
What is the different between resident visa and permanent resident visa ?

Thanks

Persephone

If your travel conditions are not expired then you don't need to do anything to leave and re enter NZ. You just do it.
You need valid travel conditions if you wish to re enter NZ as a resident.

Once your travel conditions expire you need to apply for further travel conditions if you wish to leave and re enter NZ as a resident. Depending on your circumstances you may be issued a PRV or further travel conditions. Next steps for residents

The difference between a PRV and a Resident Visa is to do with the travel conditions. You have the right to live and work in NZ indefinitely with both. Bear in mind that your resident visa does not expire when your travel conditions do as long as you remain in NZ
With a PRV you can leave for any amount of time and still return as a resident. With a RV it depends on your situation. Read the link above as it gets a bit in depth