Permanent residency for the dependents

[MK33]

Hi Everyone!

As you can see from my signature, we have been given residence visa recently. I was the principal applicant.
I was a bit confused about date of travel and conversion of residence visa into permanent residency.
Our situation is -
I am planning to go to NZ around May this year, try to find a job, save some, get a decent place to live and then call my family to join me in December(it is always good to start from summer).
Now, my question is - when I will complete my 2 years stay in May 2014, fulfilling the requirements, can I apply for permanent residency for all members of my family being the principal applicant?
Or do they need to complete their 2 yrs period as well?
Also, do we need to file separate application or can we do it altogether like we did in ITA?

Thanks in advance.

MK

[ralf-nz]

It is generally the same time when your and their visas start. However re two year period there is an additional requirement to have spent 184 days in each of the two preceding years in NZ (there other options not based on living in NZ though).
You all can generally apply at the same time - see above condition. But it might be that dependants drop out of being dependant so they need to apply separately. Kids becoming to old, shifting out etc.; this was the case with our daughter.

[JandM]

There has been a change in the regulations since you came through, Ralf.

RV1.20 Determining the eligibility of non-principal applicants

...
The only requirement for the grant of a permanent resident visa to a non-principal applicant is that the principal applicant must hold a permanent resident visa, unless:
the non-principal applicant is excluded by the provisions of RV2.1; or
the provisions requiring a secondary applicant to be assessed independently of the principal applicant apply (RV1.20.1 to RV1.20.20); or
the non-principal applicant has never been in New Zealand as a resident (as required by RV1.5(d)).

INZ operational manual. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/i30485.htm

I believe you all have to send your passports in, but they can be done all in a bundle, particularly advisable since theirs depend on yours.

[salom]

they only care about principal applical qualifies ..if principal applicant gets PR dependents get PR even if they are outside NZ and never came to NZ

[ralf-nz]

There has been a change in the regulations since you came through, Ralf.

Yes you are right, there were quite some substantial changes in recent times; we did all this not one year ago...

So I better refrain from now on writing about my experiences as they are so quickly out of date

[MK33]

Thanks for the input everyone. Appreciated.

[shawankit]

they only care about principal applical qualifies ..if principal applicant gets PR dependents get PR even if they are outside NZ and never came to NZ

I do not think so.... all persons included in the application must travel to NZ before 1 year initial entry period and only then resident visa for principal applicant and all other persons included is valid for next 24 months. If dependents do not travel to NZ their Resident Visa is deemed revoked and principal applicant have to re apply visa with sposnor(Family /Spouse Catagory) to get them in NZ .


Principal applicant must satisfy the rule JandM has posted for all to be granted PR visa. I am not sure ,but my understanding is other included persons/dependents must be present in NZ if all the passports are sent to NZ branch for PR. (not sure about UK or US passport- but this applies to Indian Passport condition -which reads," Passport should not be sent out of any country by post. It should be in custody either of the holder or of a person authorised by the holder."
The Ministry of External Affairs has taken a strong notice of people sending their Indian passports out of their country of residence and should any such case be detected the passport will be revoked and penalities imposed.

So Principal applicant and all included persons/dependents have to be in same location/country for PR visa stamping