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Thread: residency / citizenship times

  1. #1
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    Default residency / citizenship times

    How long from when you arrive in New Zealand would you be eligable for permenant residency?

    and how long before you can apply for a New Zealand passport?

  2. #2
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    There are various ways to get into NZ.

    You can apply for PR (perm resident) before you arrive in NZ, it just has a lot of requirements and takes many months to gain. If you have a job offer, you can get a PR much much quicker. Either way, you can not start work as a PR until you have your PR visa.

    However, if you go on a WTR (work to residence) visa instead you can work in NZ as soon as you are issued with it. From then on you can apply for the PR visa after 2 years.

    Once you have your PR visa you must be in the country for 5 years after which you can apply for Citizernship and get a NZ passport.


    Note: I'm sure there are other ways to start working in NZ without either the WTR or PR (the IMZ site mentions people already working without saying how). However, I'm sure that you still need to have a PR for 5 years before you can get Citizenship.

    Check out http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...killedmigrant/ for full info.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by craig1234564 View Post
    How long from when you arrive in New Zealand would you be eligable for permenant residency?

    and how long before you can apply for a New Zealand passport?
    Do you mean IRRV (Indefinite returning residents visa)?

    When you first apply for PR you will be given a 2 year RRV, at the end of this time if you have shown commitment to NZ, you can then apply for an IRRV which you get to keep unless you decide you want to go for citizenship.

    Quote Originally Posted by JandL View Post
    ...
    However, if you go on a WTR (work to residence) visa instead you can work in NZ as soon as you are issued with it. From then on you can apply for the PR visa after 2 years.

    Once you have your PR visa you must be in the country for 5 years after which you can apply for Citizernship and get a NZ passport.


    Note: I'm sure there are other ways to start working in NZ without either the WTR or PR (the IMZ site mentions people already working without saying how)....
    If you have a WTR but have enough points to be selected for a PR then you don't have to wait for 2 years before applying, you only have to wait if you do NOT have enough points.

    You can also apply for a general work visa e.g. apply for a 12 month work visa to get into NZ quickly without having to provide medicals and then apply for PR from there.

    Ian

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    Quote Originally Posted by IanW99 View Post
    Do you mean IRRV (Indefinite returning residents visa)?

    When you first apply for PR you will be given a 2 year RRV, at the end of this time if you have shown commitment to NZ, you can then apply for an IRRV which you get to keep unless you decide you want to go for citizenship.

    Ian
    Yes thanks Ian i meant IRRV, so after 2 years you could get an IRRV then leave the country for 20 years and get straight back in? i assume so as it says indefinate.

    What do you mean by they give you an RRV (returning residents visa?) with the PR , what relevance is that to you?

    Also about the passport , is that avaliable after 5 years? Why would you need a passport if you had an IRRV or its just a citizenship thing?


  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by craig1234564 View Post
    ...
    What do you mean by they give you an RRV (returning residents visa?) with the PR , what relevance is that to you?
    ...
    I'm not sure what you are refering to with this comment?

    When you apply for PR you are actually given an RRV so you can get to NZ (and can leave and return again), on arrival you are given a Residence Permit to allow you to remain in NZ (expires when you leave).

    I was trying to clarify what you were asking when you asked about permanent residence i.e. were you actually asking about the IRRV.

    As you say, if you have an IRRV then that is sufficient for most people, but if you want a NZ passport then you need to apply for citizenship first.

    Ian

  6. #6
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    sorry if it was not clear Ian i was just trying to find out if you could for example go to New Zealand for 2 years get the IRRV then return to the UK and sometime in the future return to live in NZ without problems.

    Not saying i will do this but what if it did happen.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by craig1234564 View Post
    sorry if it was not clear Ian i was just trying to find out if you could for example go to New Zealand for 2 years get the IRRV then return to the UK and sometime in the future return to live in NZ without problems.

    Not saying i will do this but what if it did happen.
    AFAIK this is exactly the case, once you have your IRRV you can stay or go for as long as you need.

    Of course any requirements are subject to change by NZIS so it's always possible that this rule could change in the future.

    Ian

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    Hey, I've got a follow up question on this one because I've heard conflicting reports and I can't seem to find it on the website.

    If I'm in the country on a work permit or something else before I get permanent residency does that time count towards my two years before getting an IRRV? So if I've been here a year and a half on a Work Permit and then get PR does that mean in 6 months I can apply for a IRRV?

    And just to make it more complicated: What about citizenship?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by yuutamichael View Post
    Hey, I've got a follow up question on this one because I've heard conflicting reports and I can't seem to find it on the website.

    If I'm in the country on a work permit or something else before I get permanent residency does that time count towards my two years before getting an IRRV? So if I've been here a year and a half on a Work Permit and then get PR does that mean in 6 months I can apply for a IRRV?

    And just to make it more complicated: What about citizenship?
    Sorry there does appear to be some people that think that a work permit counts, but I believe that this must have been under the old rules as it no longer counts?

    You must have held a RRV for two years before you can change it for an IRRV and any other visa e.g. WTR does NOT count.

    For citizenship it is also the same, you must have gained PR for 5 years to be eligible for citizenship.

    Ian

  10. #10
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    Thanks for that Ian. It's nice to get that cleared up.

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