RV2.5 How do resident visa holders or former holders qualify for a permanent resident visa?

Upon application principal applicants will be granted a permanent resident visa if:

they either:
hold a resident visa, and have held that resident visa continuously for at least 24 months at the time of application; or
have held a resident visa in the three months before the application is made, and had held that resident visa continuously for at least 24 months before it expired; and
their first day in New Zealand as a resident (R5.66.1(b)) was at least 24 months before the application is made; and
they can demonstrate a commitment to New Zealand by meeting the requirements set out in any one of the five subsections below (RV2.5.1 to RV2.5.20); and
they have met any conditions imposed under section 49(1),of the Immigration Act 2009;

unless RV2.10 (Permanent resident visas for holders of resident visas with section 49(1) investment conditions) applies.



Reference : http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/i30505.htm

In your case it should be Jan 2012 to satisfy condition 1 - hold a resident visa and have held that resident visa continuously for at least 24 months at the time of application