Scenarios (Resident visa partnership)

[exy]

Good day everyone!

My resident visa was approved recently, from what I have read, we will be given enough time to transfer to NZ (6mos for PP stamp and 1 year to land and have my visa activated).
Question 1:
Can we apply for a Permanent Resident Visa even if a Resident visa has been granted already? (5th year
anniversarry as a couple is coming soon)

We are thinking to land and have my visa activated and return to Sydney immediately. (I'll make sure I have enough 184 (6mos) days to spend in NZ for the first year that my resident has been activated).
Question 2:
As soon as I have spend my 2nd 184 days in NZ, can I appy for a PR immediately? Meaning, we will be living
in NZ for about a year (The last 184 days of the year and the 1st 184 days of the year after).
Question 3: How long will it take for the PR to be granted?
Question 4: While in NZ, am I entitled to have some benefits such as access to public health system?

Hope someboday can help me =) Cheers!

[JandM]

1. I don't think so. Once your residence application is dealt with and you're approved, you're not in the processing system any more, so you're no longer the responsibility of any CO.

2. No. One of the basic requirements for PR is that you "hold, or have held, that resident visa for at least two years continuously." http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...quirements.htm So you can't apply until two years at least after you activated your visa.

3. It varies with workload in a particular office, but it's much more straightforward than other visas, with hardly any checking to be done. The most we've heard of is around five weeks, I think, and some have gone in person and got it the same day (though that last is rare).

4. A resident is entitled to use the NZ Health Service on the same basis as NZ nationals. http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealan...land-residents

[exy]

Thanks for the info, love this forum! Somebody is always there to help.