SMC - Unpaid leave can affects the process?

[Roger89]

Does anyone know if taking an unpaid leave can affect somehow the SMC Process? For example, I've been working for almost one year but might need to take some unpaid leave; if the CO askes for payslips/bank statements and I can't show ant income from these weeks that I was away, would it be a problem?
Thaanks!

[holroyd]

Does anyone know if taking an unpaid leave can affect somehow the SMC Process? For example, I've been working for almost one year but might need to take some unpaid leave; if the CO askes for payslips/bank statements and I can't show ant income from these weeks that I was away, would it be a problem?
Thaanks!

Interesting question, I'm afraid I can't answer for sure, but you'd hope common sense would prevail, I have applied for my residence, technically at lodgement I was about 2-3 weeks short from the mandatory 2 years constant work required (due to switching jobs and the short gap between), however by the time a CO picks up my application I'll have been working for more than the 2 years required.

If they pick up on it I'd hope they'd ask for evidence I'm still working and have therefore actually met the requirement as of the time of processing.

[BoerieNZ]

Thinking about it logically, unpaid leave would still result in you obtaining a payslip, albeit with little or no income on the actual slip itself. What INZ want to see is whether or not you were employed for that time, not exactly what your salary was. So I don't think your unpaid leave will have an impact since you would still have been employed by the company during that time.

Then again, this is logical thinking which in no way applies to the INZ anymore due to underlying political motivation to "slow" immigration into the country.

[Roger89]

Cool, thanks for the answers. I hope I get the residency approved anyway before my unpaid leave just to avoid more worries.

Just another question, this political motivation to "slow" immigration is actually happening (like, was it mentioned somewhere official)? I thought it was due to the increase in the number of applications and other internal problems...

Thanks!

[JandM]

Just another question, this political motivation to "slow" immigration is actually happening (like, was it mentioned somewhere official)? I thought it was due to the increase in the number of applications and other internal problems...

I don't think it's really happening like the conspiracy theorists are telling it. INZ officials have to work to a code of conduct, which hasn't been changed. Politicians can alter regulations and quotas, but anything they do is in the public domain, so there's nothing there that we don't know about. As far as I'm aware, the present backlogs are due to two things - an unexpectedly large flood of applications towards the end of last year, and a chaotic reorganization of INZ structure to bring more processing onshore, which was pushed ahead although there had been criticism of aspects of the plans by INZ, who would have to cope with them.

And by the way, unpaid leave with your employer's consent DOESN'T cause any problems for INZ. On unpaid leave, you are still an employee of that company.