Residence Visa in Old Passport

[usmanwaz747]

Hello All,

I have a NZ residence visa with variation of travel conditions on my passport.
If I get a new passport, do not get my visa label transferred, attach both passports and travel, will I be able to enter New Zealand?

My old passport does not expire till July next year, and the rule says the visa should not be in an "expired" passport. I just want to get a new passport as I am running out of pages. In countries like US, they do punch holes in old passports which renders them unusable, but it does not happen in my country Pakistan.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Thanks in advance.

[JandM]

I have not heard a question like this before. I think you will need to ask INZ to get a definite answer, and even then if they say it's okay, I think you would need to carry a printout of their reply, because it's likely there would be a hitch at the airport.

Normally, airlines are not allowed to take people on board their planes who don't have a valid visa in their current passport. Whether your present passport would still be considered 'current' if a new passport has been issued before the expiry date of the old one is a very shady area.

And it's now several years since INZ allowed people to show their new passport AND their still-valid visa in an OLD passport. Now they say people must get their visa transferred to be in their new passport.

[usmanwaz747]

Yes, you are right. I have checked with INZ and they say I will be allowed to enter only if I used my old passport to travel, which wouldnt make sense anyway since I would have a new passport.
Thanks for your advice.

[luvall]

Hi,

I had a similar situation. My old passport is due to expire in Jan-2016 but i got my new passport now. If you have any NZ visa on old passport that has to be transfer to the new passport by NZ immigration for which the fees is $105 approx.

And for USA visa you to travel with both passports.

Cheers!!

[st99my2006]

Hi,

Does the fees of $105 is per passport? What about other family members's passport? e.g I have my wife and 3 children. It will cost a bunch!!

regards

ST Yap

[JandM]

Yes, it's expensive.

[cheeryking]

Hi All,

My passport is due to expire later this year, and NZ Resident Visa with travel condition doe not expire till March 2019. If I do not renew my passport till January 2019, will I run into any issues?

[JandM]

Not unless you want to travel outside NZ.

[cheeryking]

Not unless you want to travel outside NZ.

Thanks JandM, I guess there is no requirement to have NZ Resident Visa to be on a valid passport at all time/at any given time.

[JandM]

No, there isn't. You are recorded in the INZ system as being a resident, and that can be checked by anyone that needs to know. Come to that, they can SEE the fact on the sticker in your old passport. Being a resident and having a valid passport are two different issues, though, and don't impinge on one another except when travelling outside NZ, and returning.