Parent category for visitor visa

[perry1234]

Hi

My question is that if your parents get three years visitor visa. How long they can stay in NZ from the date of arrival? Is it 18 months? can someone advice?

cheers

[JandM]

Are you talking about the parent/grandparent multi-entry visa?

[perry1234]

yes JandM

[JandM]

They can stay in NZ for a total of 18 months out of the three years. If they are trying to use this time all in one go, they still have to leave the country, however briefly, after each period of six months. If they stay for 18 months at the beginning of the three years, they cannot then get a further parent/grandparent visa, or an ordinary visitor's visa, until after the other 18 months of the three years has passed.

[perry1234]

Thanks for your reply JandM.

So it means that if parents can come in july then they have to leave after six months and then they can come back in few days and in total they can stay for 18 months?

When 18 months finishes then they can apply for another one (three year or six months) visitor visa, right after 18 months, is that right?

[JandM]

So it means that if parents can come in july then they have to leave after six months and then they can come back in few days and in total they can stay for 18 months?

Yes, that's right.

When 18 months finishes then they can apply for another one (three year or six months) visitor visa, right after 18 months, is that right?

No, that is NOT right. Like I said above, if they stay for 18 months at the beginning of the three years, they cannot then get a further parent/grandparent visa, or an ordinary visitor's visa, until after the other 18 months of the three years has passed. The basis of visitors' visas is that the foreigner cannot spend more than half their time in NZ. So if the parent spends 18 months in NZ all at once, they won't be allowed to come back as a visitor until another 18 months has passed.

There is no visitor's visa that will allow parents to spend all their time with their family in NZ. The only parents that manage to stay on are those whose family are eligible to sponsor them for Residence, or else if the parents themselves are still of working age, and can get a work visa or SMC in their own right.

[Karen Phillips]

Not sure of your parents' citizenship. If they are eligible for a visitor visa-waiver (3 months for quite a number of countries or 6 months if UK), they can do that first and then immediately transfer onto the Parent/Grandparent. It doesn't work the other way round though! See http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/46511.htm

[perry1234]

So you mean they are allowed to spend 18 months continuously at once without leaving country? I understand that they can only spend 18 months out of 3 years.

And If they are about to apply residency at the end of their 18th month, are they allowed to stay until decision on the application, under any exceptions?

[JandM]

So you mean they are allowed to spend 18 months continuously at once without leaving country? I understand that they can only spend 18 months out of 3 years.

No, they're not allowed to stay 18 months without leaving the country. They could stay six months, spend weekend in Australia, six months, another weekend in Australia and six months, THEN they would have to leave for the remainder of the three-year parent/grandparent visa.

And If they are about to apply residency at the end of their 18th month, are they allowed to stay until decision on the application, under any exceptions?

No, they're not allowed to stay on.

I realize that you are trying to find a way to work things out so your parents could be with you during the time till you can sponsor them, and during the processing of their application when once you could put it in. But INZ know that people think like this, and they do not allow it.

In general, INZ only give long-stay visas in exchange for workers' skills that contribute to the NZ economy. THEY DON'T WANT FOREIGN MIGRANTS WHO AREN'T WORKERS. They only allow in A FEW of those, the ones with connections to a proven worker. The worker gets to bring their partner and children at once as part of the deal. Once they have shown they are settled and NZ is benefiting from them (the qualifying number of years and the income check), THEN they are allowed to sponsor in parents, but NZ will only accept a limited number of non-working parents per year, so there is a waiting list even for the families that meet all the conditions. It can be years before your particular application starts to get processed, and months for the processing to be done. If INZ allowed exceptions or ways round this, they might as well say, 'Oh, all right - let everybody stay as long as they want,' and of course, they're not going to do that.

[perry1234]

thanks for your reply JandM,

It surely make sense now. So let say if he stay for 18 month (On and off after six months), If I sponsor them for residency after end of 18 months then it means that he can submit his application and then leave the country and stay outside country while his application will be in process?