Got pregnant while waiting for results - do we need to inform the CO regarding my wife's pregnancy

[monmon21]

hi guys,

Hope there is a similar situation in here as we are right now. We just lodged out ITA last September 2011 and we were assigned a CO last November from Auckland Branch. At the moment, our CO is in the process of assessing our medicals, asking some additional infos regarding my high cholesterol and other sorts. There is however an unexpected change in our circumstances and we just found out that my wife is pregnant. My wife on the other hand do not have any problem with her medicals.

Our query is if something has been at the same situation as we are now and do we need to inform the CO regarding my wife's pregnancy and will it affect our application in any way. We are applying PR on SMC basis and we are already here in NZ. The good news however is our visa will expire after my wife's due date and she is eligible for a funded medical support when she gave birth and other pre and post natal check ups since we have been here for almost 4 years now.

thanks guys, hope someone can help us with our situation.

[JandM]

Congratulations!

Yes, you should notify your CO of the pregnancy.

I can't see that your expected little Kiwi should make any difference to your application at all. As you say, your wife's care is already in place because of your existing visa. Then, she's had her medical for being included on your SMC application, and was passed fit.

If the baby arrives after you've been granted Residence, s/he being born in NZ to Resident parents will automatically be a New Zealand citizen. http://www.dia.govt.nz/Services-Citi...n?OpenDocument If s/he's born before you have Residence, s/he will be able to be included in your application, and will get Residence along with you, or possible, depending on the stage your application is at, in her/his own right as a Dependent Child http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/i37570.htm (your CO will tell you which at the time).

[Sun777]

Congrats MonMon21

If the baby arrives after you've been granted Residence, s/he being born in NZ to Resident parents will automatically be a New Zealand citizen. http://www.dia.govt.nz/Services-Citi...n?OpenDocument If s/he's born before you have Residence, s/he will be able to be included in your application, and will get Residence along with you, or possible, depending on the stage your application is at, in her/his own right as a Dependent Child http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/i37570.htm (your CO will tell you which at the time).

JandM, just in case you know of it (or anyone else reading this thread), Does "Residence" mean IRRV by old INZ terminology (i.e. Permanent Residency sticker that we apply after 2 yrs)?

[JandM]

No, it's new-terminology Residence - what you get as your first 'forever' visa as a result of successfully going through SMC, for example. Once that first Resident visa is activated, the holder is entitled to stay in NZ indefinitely, and that is the essential for the citizenship of the baby, as given at that first link above.

Born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, or the Ross Dependency on or after 1 January 2006; and at least one of your parents was a New Zealand citizen or entitled to be in New Zealand indefinitely at the time of your birth.

[monmon21]

thanks guys for the response, we just e-mailed our co yesterday however she is out of office until the 4th of january. we are just hoping that things will turn out in favor of us..

[Coolguy_2011]

JandM... If i Understand it correctly the blue stickers(Residence) one gets needs to be activated in 1 year. Once it is activated the re-entry time is 2 yrs, and one can leave and come back to NZ anytime in 2 yrs and then if one satisfies the clause they can apply for IRRV ?
OR
If visa is approved under SMC...they have their permanent residency forever and can come leave and come back NZ anytime?

Can you please advise

[JandM]

You have a mixture of right information and misunderstandings here, with a stirring in of old and new terminology as well! I'll try to sort you out.

If visa is approved under SMC...they have their permanent residency forever and can come leave and come back NZ anytime?

No. If you are approved under SMC, your first visa is Residence (new terminology). It gives you the right to remain indefinitely, but if you are going to travel out of the country, you need travel conditions, or what follows after two years - see the next part of the answer.

the blue stickers(Residence) one gets needs to be activated in 1 year. Once it is activated the re-entry time is 2 yrs, and one can leave and come back to NZ anytime in 2 yrs

This is about right, but I wouldn't say it as 'the re-entry time is two years'. With the Resident's visa, you have an initial two-year period of travel conditions, beginning from the date when your visa is activated by presenting it at Immigration at the NZ airport of arrival. This allows you to go out of the country and re-enter freely for that period of time. At the end of the two years, the travel conditions will run out. If you were out of the country when this happened, or you left the country after it had happened, without taking steps to do something about it, you might very likely not be able to get back in.

As to what you have to do about it, this depends on how long you have spent in NZ since you activated your visa.

If you have 'established commitment to New Zealand' by two years after your Residence was activated - see how that happens at this link (and for most people, it is point 5 that they qualify under) - you can apply to INZ to have Permanent Residence (new terminology), which needs no travel conditions, so you could come and go freely for ever. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...quirements.htm

On the other hand, if you have not established commitment to New Zealand after two years, and you are going to want to travel out of the country and return, your options will be limited. You will have to apply for a variation of your travel conditions, and how long you can get will depend on how long you have spent in NZ in the immediately preceding time. This link sets it all out. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...quirements.htm Once you have established your commitment, you can in due course get your Permanent Residence, even if you have had to apply for a variation of travel conditions first.

[Sun777]

Thanks JandM, you are our star

[Coolguy_2011]

Thanks JandM