Permanent Residency

[gehgood]

Hi

I (UK Citizen) and my NZ Citizen partner are going to move back to NZ probably in 2014. I think I am eligible for a permanent residency visa as we have been together for 5 years outside of NZ. I have 2 questions:

1. What is the cost of this visa (is it the same as the regular resident visa - family category)?
2. My parents (UK) also want to move to NZ, so I can sponsor them after 3 years of residency. Can I sponsor if I have not lived in NZ for 3 years)

thanks

[JandM]

Hello.

1. Interesting question, to which I don't know the answer. However, there was someone who got this visa fairly recently - at the end of last summer, if I'm remembering rightly - so with luck, she might see this. And/But INZ would soon tell you.

2. The point of the parent category is that the parents are to be joining their adult child. Given what it says here http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/44883.htm, that the sponsoring child must be normally resident in New Zealand, and must have held a residence visa for at least three years immediately before applying to sponsor, then it seems unlikely INZ would let anything slip past, such as you activating your visa then living outside NZ for a further year. (The most recent changes have tightened the requirements, rather than relaxing them - the impression is that INZ don't really LIKE having to admit this category of migrants. ) A recommendation is given here http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...entchanges.htm that the parents don't submit their EOI until the sponsoring child has had their residence visa for at least 2 years and 8 months.

But again, INZ would clear this up for you.

[Mamee & Co]

Thanks for that J and M. My inlaws are considering this option and I had though we could not submit until the three year mark......

[chasingfearne]

Hi there,
We just submitted my partner's application for residency (I presume that is what you mean; in order to get PR I believe you first need to be accepted as a resident) in December and it cost £825.00 (including service charge).
Good luck!

[chasingfearne]

This is, of course, assuming you are applying via the London branch...

[G-Mo]

Yes, the cost is the same as regular resident visa - family category. Technically that's what you are applying for, however, if you can successfully prove your relationship is 5+ years, at the COs discretion they may change it to permanent resident which removes travel conditions (except entry time) and saves you time and money applying for PRV after 24 months.

Also be aware, there is a migrant levy fee to pay on top of the application fee once the application is approved.

[chasingfearne]

^^ The migrant levy fee is £156.00, I believe.

[gehgood]

Many thanks for all your responses they are very helpful. I noticed this in one of the links:

I am sponsoring my parents using the sponsor income requirement. Can I also sponsor my partner’s parents?
Yes. The same sponsor income can be used to sponsor both sets of parents. Both sets of parents will need to submit separate Expressions of Interest.

Does this mean my partner (NZ Citizen) could sponsor my parents?

[JandM]

In theory, yes. But if you're asking this, thinking of cutting down the three-year time frame, I'm afraid I've just found another rule which won't allow that to happen, any more than it would for you yourself.

This is from the INZ operational manual, the section about Acceptable Sponsors http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/30982.htm, and one section is that they

must be ordinarily resident in New Zealand and for each of the three 12 month portions within the three years immediately preceding the date the application they wish to sponsor is made, have spent a total of 184 days or more in New Zealand