Too risky booking flights?

[nicolenz]

Hi everyone

I was just wanting to get some opinions whether it is too risky booking flights before having the visa approved?

We are on the second person check with a partnership residence visa, our CO said it would take 4-6 weeks, that was 1 week ago.

We are wanting to book flights for early September and right now they're at a good price but in worried if we wait another 4-6 weeks they will go up in price. We also want to fly with a particular airline for the extra migrant baggage allowance- and these seats sell out fast!

Has anyone had a similar experience where they booked flights before being approved?

I know our visa is pretty straight forward and so far our CO seems happy and hasn't asked for extra docs or anything!

TIA

[ice]

problem is you never know how long the second person check will take , the 4-6 weeks are estimates and if some get sick or go on leave then it could be a much longer wait also dont forget if you get approved you still have to wait for labels which in march took 2-3 weeks according to my CO so dont forget that also .
it is your risk i personally waited until i had my sticker

[David12345]

Can you take any sort of refundable tickets at the special price?

[AnnaDanishek]

Once I bought tickets before having the visa approved. I don't think it is very risky but it significantly improves your chances to get it

[JandM]

it significantly improves your chances to get it

I don't know how that would work. INZ don't - and are not allowed to - take any account of applicants' personal circumstances, or emotions, or wishes. We've seen many stories on the threads of. for instance, people with a NZ employer waiting for them to start work, and really feeling the lack of this key worker they've taken the trouble to find from overseas, and yet some delay in getting a response from a third party, or a referred medical, has held up the processing so that the person's reporting for work has been prevented three or four times, month by month. It doesn't make any difference if the applicant, or the employer, pleads with them to hurry things up, because the regulations HAVE TO be followed.

[breeze]

If your air tickets allows you to change dates without too much penalty, yes. Otherwise wait.