Which Visa category are the best for a family.

[Gil Gerald]

Hi All,

I was offered for a Job in Wellington, New Zealand as a Business Intelligence Architect. I would like to know which of the Visa category is the best in terms of whole family going to NZ together.

Thanks,

[girlwithanewf]

Congratulations on the job offer.

This is where you need to look for information: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...k/workperm.htm

If your employer is accredited with NZ immigration the Work to Residence Accredited Employer/Talent visa is the quickest option with work visa for your partner and student visas for your children issued from that.
Good luck with it all!

[Gil Gerald]

Yes, my employer is accredited with NZ immigration. Anyway, if I go to this route, it means that I need to have work visa first, only then my partner and child can apply for their visas? also, would my partner and children would be applicable for government fund hospitals and if my child is on a Student visa, would that mean that my child is on the International Student category to all schools in NZ?

[girlwithanewf]

Here is what we did: we applied for the accredited employer work to residence visa for my husband, and a work visa for me and a student visa for my child. I could work anywhere I wanted and my child is able to attend any school in New Zealand as a DOMESTIC student, not international. It all goes in as one application. Yes, we were eligible for government funded medical treatment, but to be honest don't know very much able that as none of us (fortunately) had to go to the doctors while on that visa.
The only difference we found between Work to Residence talent visas and Residency was that we could not vote.

After 2 years we were able to convert this visa directly to Permanent Residence, the only disadvantage being that we had to do the full medical and police checks again.

[JandM]

Yes, my employer is accredited with NZ immigration. Anyway, if I go to this route, it means that I need to have work visa first, only then my partner and child can apply for their visas? also, would my partner and children would be applicable for government fund hospitals and if my child is on a Student visa, would that mean that my child is on the International Student category to all schools in NZ?

No, you can apply for all the visas at the same time - send a covering letter linking them. It doesn't matter that you won't know certain things yet when completing the forms, because the CO will work everything as one case, and fill in things like your visa details as they become available. If you are all on visas of at least 24 months' duration, you will be entitled to use the full NZ Health Service. And on student visas, your children will count as domestic pupils.

You could also apply for Residence (Skilled Migrant). If this wouldn't be processed in time for your employer's wished-for start date, you could have the work visas too, and just let Residence take its time in the background. This route would mean that the same medicals and police checks would do for both visas.

[Gil Gerald]

My wife had recently gave birth to our 2nd child. If we lodge our application via Work to Residence Accredited Employer/Talent visa, what type of visa I need for my new born? I've also check on the fees for this route, which means separate application fee for my wife and 2 child?

375 - Myself
375 - Wife
291 - Student Visa (1st Child)
??? - (New Born)


Thanks,

[girlwithanewf]

Stupid as it sounds, the baby needs a student visa. With the WTR visa the people without the talent get either work or student visas.
I can't remember about the fees, sorry. If in doubt phone up Immigration NZ.
All the best.

[IanW99]

Stupid as it sounds, the baby needs a student visa. With the WTR visa the people without the talent get either work or student visas.
I can't remember about the fees, sorry. If in doubt phone up Immigration NZ.
All the best.

Actually you can apply for a visitor visa if the child won't be studying, for that matter the partner can apply for a visitor visa if they don't want to work.

Your partner and/or children
Your partner or dependent children cannot be included in your application. They will need to apply for their own visitor, student or work visa to come to New Zealand.

Ian

[Gil Gerald]

so if my wife and kids are in visitor visa, that also means they can only stay in NZ for 9 months?

[IanW99]

so if my wife and kids are in visitor visa, that also means they can only stay in NZ for 9 months?

They can stay as long as the visa is valid for, in your case you would be granted a 30 month WTR visa and they would be granted a visitor (or work or student) visa for the same length of time.

Ian