Hi there, I have been looking at moving to a Permanent Resident Visa from a resident visa and am confused about something. The travel conditions state "visa is valid for further travel for 24 months from first arrival". I arrived Feb 1 2018, so I am able to freely travel until Feb 1, 2020 and from there I would need a Permanent Residence visa or would not be allowed back into the country.
Here is where I get confused, RV2.5 states "their first day in New Zealand as a resident (R5.66.1) was at least 24 months before the application is made; and" in regards to the application for Permanent Residence Visa.
Does this mean I can not apply for my PR until my Residence visa travel conditions have expired? What happens if I need to take a trip in February and the PR hasn't been processed yet?