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Thread: Residency vs Indefinite visa

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    NZ
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    Default Residency vs Indefinite visa

    Hi All,

    There has been quite a number of threads on this topic but, it is still unclear to me about the rules for these. I am here on a work to residence - accredited employer visa for 30 months. I have completed about 8 months until now, still under the same visa. Going through the immigration NZ website and other sources, I reckon as soon as I completed a further 16 months on this visa, I will be eligible for the indefinite visa. Great if you could confirm. Otherwise, I will have to apply for a residency now and wait another 2 years to apply for the indefinite visa. Any help would be great.

    Regards
    Last edited by Srini88; 29th March 2016 at 06:20 PM. Reason: Typos

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    37,824

    Default

    If at the end of two years on your WTR, you have an annual salary of at least $90,000, you can get Permanent Residence directly. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/30628.htm

    If you don't earn as much as that, then after two years on your WTR, if you earn at least $55,000 a year, you can get Residence. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/41990.htm You would then need to qualify for PR by meeting the usual 'commitment to NZ' criteria during a further two years.

    You have another possibility. Since you are in a skilled job, you could apply for Residence under EOI straight away. If you do not earn the $90,000 which would get you PR directly, getting Residence under EOI without waiting would mean you could start the two years' qualifying for PR that much sooner. However, without looking it up right now, I believe that the fees for this would be more expensive than just waiting, and doing Residence From Work and then PR.

    By the way, Residence itself is an indefinite right to live and work in NZ, while you are inside the country. It is only the travel conditions which can run out.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
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    Default

    Thank you so much JandM for your clear and concise reply. I currently earn more than 90K per annum(have a contract than runs for the next 16 months as well).

    Reading various articles about increase in immigration, I was little bit worried, just in case the rules are changed in the next year or so. I know this is not in our hands though

    Also, may be a dumb question. Should I complete exact 24 months before the application as my job contract will also finish in 24 months. And, if I apply after that I will not be satisfying the 90K criteria.

    Thanks for your thoughts

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    If you intend to apply for Residence From Work, one of the conditions is that you have held the WTR visa for at least 24 months, AND that your work is ongoing. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...iworkfromresi/ If there is no chance that your employer will want you for longer at the end of this present contract, you need to have another think, because you would not qualify for Residence From Work without continuing to work still on a WTR visa when you apply.

    There is the option I mentioned above, of applying straight away for Residence under SMC, by which you should safely have your residence before this present contract finishes. (You don't have to be employed by a specific employer or doing a particular job while establishing your 'commitment to NZ' for two years, leading up to PR.)

    Or you could consider looking around for another accredited employer to take you on, who would be ready to give you a longer term contract so your WTR would be still ongoing at the end of your 24 months (starting from this present employer and going on to WTR with a new one).

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    NZ
    Posts
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    Default

    Great. Thanks so much for your help . very kind of you to share your knowledge .

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