deb_steve

OH has been offered a job in New Plymouth ( with an accredited company)and we are going for the WTR visa, just had medicals done Friday, which we seemed to get through with flying colours. The only thing is the doctor needs an up to date blood test for my thyroid function, which hopefully will just be routine. So if all goes well we could be on our way in the next few months.

OH is concerned that his British Passport runs out in March 2011, could someone let me know how he will go about getting it renewed as he is stressing, he seems to think it will somehow cause us some problems as it will run out before he has applied for PR.

lindsay loo

Hi, if you have already sent his passport in, just email your CO and they will post it out to you very quickly.

You can renew a passport at any time, it doesnt have to have expired. If it is before the renewal date, they add up to 8 months onto it, as I found out when I spilt curry on my sons passport last month. As it happens it would have expired next year, so just renewed it and a new one came back within 5 days. Just cost me £75 tho!

Easier to renew it now, the only thing is the passport number changes, but I think if you send both back in to immigration, there is no problem.

Good luck with everything else, lindsay x

deb_steve

I have suggested it should be ok to do when we get to NZ but OH seems to think this would be difficult.

P2L

Just renewed my DH passport.

Really easy; downloaded the application form online, sent it to British Consulate in Wellington and got it back within 10 days.

Cost was $315 mind you
(Glad there was only one needed doing)

JAJ

Possible, but more expensive and often with more hassle.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Obtain...ports_overseas

Joshlin

as for P2L - just renewed mine and both children: very straight forward, forms downloaded, completed and sent to wellington. costly and the only difficulty you might have is the countersignatory - need to have known you for 2 years and preferably a UK citizen in NZ as well as being from the usual professions.

lardyl

that's not essential, or wasn't when we renewed out son's passport (from a baby one to a kid one so he did change in appearance!) earlier this year having been here just under 2 years, but it is expensive to go via the consulate to renew, much cheaper on std service in UK.

I'd also get it done in the UK first cause you have to pay to transferr the blue stamps over anyway into the new passport once you get it.

Wooly_Cow

Any Visa (WTR or otherwise) will be limited to the validity of the passport. Hence if you have a two year visa granted but the passport is only valid for 20 months, that's all you will get.

As has been stated you will need to pay for the visa to be transfered when you renew. If my maths is right you won't have been in NZ long enough to apply for PR based on WTR rules (it's two years isn't it?) so you will need to renew your passport and visa before getting PR.

Shouldn't be a problem but.....as it's cheaper to get a new passport in the UK anyway and you won't have to pay for a visa transfer, why don't you apply for a new passport now?

We had a similar problem (* 6 'cause there are 6 of us!) and all got new passports which are all now valid for a minimum of 5 years.

CarolineSwan

depends on what WTR visa you have, we were given PR after 3 months of having our WTR visa but some are 2 years.

Wooly_Cow

I've just checked the Immigration website and the on subject of WTR visas I can only find the following which mentions 2 years....can someone provide a link for the different types of WTR visas because I'm sure people (like me) are confused

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...rktoresidence/

CarolineSwan

this really confused me at first too as when he got job he was told 3 months then i read on here 2 years and i was like no way are we waiting 2 years but im sure it was bev who posted to tell the difference between the 2.. ours was 3 months as he had the job first and as an elictrician they dont seem to give pr they seem to do the 3 month wtr first for some reason

deb_steve

OH phoned immigration & they have advised him to renew passport asap and send both new & old one with Visa application.

He has made an appointment at the passport office in Liverpool for 8am Tuesday, he will have to hang around for 4hr to get it but at least it will be done.

what a headache, stress does not even come close to it. It really had better be worth it!!!!!

Tan0410

Quick question.... need to renew Hubby's passport via Wellington. Problem is that whilst we know British Citizen's for 2+ years they do not class as professionally qualified so can't countersign.

Haven't been here two years (1 year Sat actually ) and so any professional's we do know can't sign either

Do we need to send this back to the UK to get someone to countersign?

Thanks in advance

JAJ

Discussed in:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Obtain...ports_overseas

You will have to prepare yourself to make a formal complaint, etc, if unreasonably refused a passport renewal.

Tan0410

That's fantastic... Thanks JAJ