bookemjano

Anyone know how soon you get your passports back from NZIS when you send them with your ITA?

Also, to get a visitor's visa do we have to go to London to get the passport stamped or do we have to send it off to NZ?

Biddy

You can get your passports back at any time if you need tham for travel etc. Otherwise they hang on to them until PR is issued and you get them back with the lovely blue stickers! This may of course be several weeks after submitting your ITA.

If you ask for them back at some point you'll have to send them back in to get the stickers.

Don't know about the visitors visa though. Sorry

bookemjano

So I could probably send them with the ITA, ask for them back in September to go over in October, and then send them to London to get them back in time for us to go with visitors visas in, then give them in in NZ when the PR is given. Sounds logical. Thanks Biddy, helpful as always.

Biddy

Think so.

Best thing to do is to give someone at NZ immeg a ring. Once you've got a case worker he/she will be able to give you definative answers.

Pinkie Pie

Not sure about timescales for the return of passports Jan but Biddy is right - you can ask for them to be returned at any time - or you could just send them certified copies of all non-blank pages in your passports with your ITA and hang on to your passports until your PR stickers need to be put in...

As for getting a visitor's visa Jan, these are the guidelines from the NZIS website re visiting NZ -

If you are a British citizen or British passport holder who has evidence of the right to live permanently in the United Kingdom, you may be granted a visitor’s permit valid for six months on arrival.


This means that if you meet this criteria you don't need to apply for a visitor's visa/permit before you leave the UK I think...Have a look here though http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rd...1018June15.pdf
and check it out for yourself just to make sure...

the turner family

Hi,

As we are living in Spain we sent in certified copies of our passports and we will meet our case officer and have the visas actually inserted when we travel to NZ thro' London.

We have been granted the PR so we are traveling soon. (Fingers Crossed!!)

The copies need to be certified by a lawyer or similar.

Hope that helps.

Matt

nessie

We sent our passports in on 26th June to get the blue stickers. When I rang on Tuesday to see how long they would be (we need photocopies for solicior!) i wwas told 4 to 6 weeks. They arrived the next day!!!!

Worth chasing me thinks.

davepoole

i applied for and recieved my work visa stickered passports within 3 days, its insanely quick.

chase your passports NZ Govt seem well quick, or they have in my situation

Markk

I'm pretty sure that as a UK citizen you get issued a six month visitor/tourist visa when you touch down in NZ. Best to check though as it's been a while since we were there. Your travel agent will be able to tell you when you buy your ticket.
Mark