NZ Citizenship - is it 3 or 5 years?

[pleccy2000]

Hello,

I am sightly confused as to whether I need to have been living in NZ three years or five years before applying for a passport and was hoping somebody might know the answer to this?

The reason I am unclear is because according to the Department of Internal Affairs, who deal with Citizenship applications, you are granted Citizenship if:

1) You received your permanent residence before 21 April 2005, or, had a successful application accepted by Immigration New Zealand before 21 April 2005 and
Have been ordinarily resident in New Zealand for the last 3 years.

OR
2) You applied for your permanent residence on or after 21 April 2005, and
Have had your New Zealand permanent residence for the last 5 years.

I was granted PR originally in August 2004, so by that definition I fall under category 1 above - so 3 years. However... I returned to the UK in January 2005 and didn't come back to NZ until September 2008.

It was easy to return because I popped in to NZ house in London and got my RRV extended - I did not reapply for PR. So with that in mind would it be 3 or 5 years? I'm totally confused!

Can anyone shed any light?

[Mrs Pony]

I would say 3... you got PR in 2004... (IMO)

[Duncan74]

BUT you have to apply by 1 April as they are changing the rules to tidy up the system, and that will catch out a few people like you. Was a post on this last week.

[pleccy2000]

BUT you have to apply by 1 April as they are changing the rules to tidy up the system, and that will catch out a few people like you. Was a post on this last week.

Oh no I can't apply before 1st April because I have not been in NZ for 3 years. Oh I was so excited and now.... well what an anti climax.


EDIT: OK I just read that notice and as far as I can see i will have to wait FIVE years! oh no.

[urban78]

According to the Department of Internal Affairs:

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.ns...nDocument#nine

Ordinary Residence
You must have been ordinarily resident in New Zealand for the 3 year period immediately before lodging your application for citizenship. This means that you must have been physically present in New Zealand for the last 3 years.

If you enter your details in the citizenship calculator here, it'll tell you whether you're eligible after 3 or 5 years (the results are only given as a guide, but it should give you an idea)

http://www.dia.govt.nz/web/cctool.ns...nship?OpenForm

Jen

[pleccy2000]

According to the Department of Internal Affairs:

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.ns...nDocument#nine



If you enter your details in the citizenship calculator here, it'll tell you whether you're eligible after 3 or 5 years (the results are only given as a guide, but it should give you an idea)

http://www.dia.govt.nz/web/cctool.ns...nship?OpenForm

Jen

Hi Jen,
Thanks for that link. I just ran through that calculator and answered everything accurateley. On the question 'what date will you lodge your application for citizenship' I put Sept 2011 (so 3 years living here) and it said that I'm ok. So I'm wondering whether that calculator has taken the April 2010 rule changes in to account?

Who do i need to phone in order to clarify. Can i just phone DIA? (or even drop in as I work near them?).

[urban78]

Hi Jen,
Thanks for that link. I just ran through that calculator and answered everything accurateley. On the question 'what date will you lodge your application for citizenship' I put Sept 2011 (so 3 years living here) and it said that I'm ok. So I'm wondering whether that calculator has taken the April 2010 rule changes in to account?

Who do i need to phone in order to clarify. Can i just phone DIA? (or even drop in as I work near them?).

You can call the Citizenship by grant number on 0800 22 51 51. I've found them to be really helpful as I've called them a few times to clarify some things. I always call more than once with the same question to make sure I'm getting the correct information.

I've also been to the walk-in Auckland office and found them helpful there too. I don't know anything about the Wellington office though, but if they're anything like the Auckland office, you should be fine to just go in.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Jen