how long would whv to a residency visa take? shortest and longest- what are we looking at

[amandajog]

Hello! My husband is on a one year whv and the kids and I are on a one year visitor visa.
Before we left the States we had enough points to qualify for the skilled migrant residency, now we have a crazy amount of points.
We are in Wellington. We could file with the Wellington office for a skilled migrant visa? (we would mainly choose this visa over a work visa to get the family tax credit)

Anyone have any idea the window...If it goes 100% great how fast... I understand any bumps and flags will add time.

Thanks

[JandM]

Here's INZ Wellington's estimate, based on how things have been going on average in their office recently. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/branc...ocessingtimes/

Remember, that's an average, so there are quicker and slower than the timings mentioned. And INZ timings are NEVER a promise, only their best guess.

If you put in your application and you get to eight weeks from the expiry of your existing visas, you can contact your CO to point this out and ask if your Residence is likely to be through in time. If the CO tells you it's not, you would then still have time to apply for a temporary work visa for him (and other appropriate visas for you and the children) to cover you to carry on in NZ while the SMC application is finishing off.

[ChrisMwn]

Currently for Wellington Branch, from the time the residence application is submitted (not the EOI) expect an SMC application to take c. 9 months. Having more than 100 points (with a job offer) wont speed things up at all and some would say it could cause delays as INZ can verify everything if they want to. If you have a job offer and want to continue working beyong the expiry of the WHV then you will need to get a work visa. Normally that would be essential skills-labour market tested, but if you get your EOI in first, then you may be able to leverage of that and have a work visa issued as "an exception to instructions"

[lraep]

i have seen from one month to 18 months

[A.C. Slater]

I just got approved from Wellington. My timeline:

Invited to apply on 16 April 2014
Lodged application on 13 June 2014
Approved on 24 October 2014

.. about 18 weeks from the time I lodged. 25 weeks from the time I submitted my EOI.

[amandajog]

Thanks