One year for Entry on Residency

[musakhan]

Hi,

Thanks to people on this forum. I got my Residency in NZ

I have a question regarding the starting time of entry residency i.e. will i have 1 year from the date i got approval letter or from the date when visa will be stamped?

Regards,
Musaddiq

[abhijeet1mali]

Hi Musaddiq congrats for approval, you need to travel to NZ within a month from the date it is stamped.
Also can you share your timelines of application and which branch you had applied? As my interview was done 40 days ago and there is no reply from CO.
I am little tensed about it.

[farfaraway]

I have read it in the forum that first entry should be within an year ( seen in older posts ) and 9 months in some posts. It is definitely not one month.

[farfaraway]

My friend went to NZ for the first time 5 months after he had the visa sticker.

[JandM]

As you have Residence, you have six months from the date of approval to pay the Migrant Levy and to send in your passport to have the visa stuck in (this deadline date will be in the letter notifying you of approval), then you have to go to NZ within 12 months of the date on the visa itself. You don't HAVE to take that long in either case, if you are ready to do it sooner. But if you are intending to travel NEARLY 12 months after you get the visa, be sure to make your bookings allowing at least a week before the visa date, because no excuses, not even travel delays beyond your control, would be accepted for getting to NZ late, the visa would have lapsed, and you would not be allowed in.

[laxgr]

Hi JandM,

So technically, one gets a total of 18 months, if one used all of the period starting from residence approval ie., 6 to pay levy and 12 as first entry date?

However, to be on the safer side, pay migrant levy in say 5 months and travel in about 10-11 months after visa gets stamped- so practically one gets 16 months?

Did I understand it right- I know I'm just rephrasing what you said so I can clearly get it.

And upon being given 6 months to pay the levy, are there factors that could cause revoking of the approval or crunching of timelines, I want to know from INZ point of view more so..

Regards,
laxgr

[JandM]

So technically, one gets a total of 18 months, if one used all of the period starting from residence approval ie., 6 to pay levy and 12 as first entry date?

Yes, at the outside, but you have to count a little less for organizational things and being on the safe side, so your second statement is about right.

And there's nothing that will get the approval revoked in that six month time allowance, short of INZ being informed about a crime that you had previously kept hidden, but that can get even a long-issued visa revoked. As far as INZ are concerned, once the Approval notice has gone forth, the case is closed by the CO, and receiving the Migrant Levy and sticking in the visa are just clerk work. Your name is on the list as being 'in', and nobody is investigating you any more.

[laxgr]

I understand, thanks JandM!

Regards,
laxgr