Resident visa granted only to onshore primary applicant

[msum]

Hey Everyone,
I am stuck in a dilemma. Today I received my evisa after conversion from JSV to resident visa. It is mentioned in the email that as my wife and daughter are offshore at the moment so they won't be granting them visa for now and they will be in a waiting queue as right now they are only processing onshore applicants.

It's really sad news for me. Has this happened with anyone else also ? How did you get about this ?

[Kelerei]

Not the first time I've seen this on this forum.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Your partner and child would have, in the Before Times, been granted Resident Visas with first-entry travel conditions -- but with the border currently closed to them, there's no guarantee that they would have been able to enter New Zealand before those first-entry travel conditions expire. In light of that, it's sensible for all parties concerned for INZ to defer granting their Resident Visas until the border is open to them and they can therefore enter New Zealand within the currency of their first-entry travel conditions, despite the fact that it's not the outcome you were hoping for.

There's one option available to you, and that's for your partner and child to gain an exception to the border closure. Given that the starting point for consideration is that the New Zealand border is closed for all but critical travel, and that protecting public health in New Zealand is paramount, the chance of success is low -- but it can't hurt to give it a try.

[msum]

Most people I am seeing who got travel exemption (who don't have a valid visa) have been invited for a visit visa which won't be feasible in my case as my family has been approved for resident visa. Do you think if after 10 or 12 attempts maybe IF they grant an exemption they might consider issuing a resident visa instead? I hope some other people can shed some light on this and share their experiences.

[JandM]

I understand your frustration, but, sorry to say, you are in completely uncharted waters here. What is happening at the moment, with the total stop having been placed on people overseas because of the border closure due to the pandemic still being active in the rest of the world, does not fall within any of the regulations that operated previously. There are no precedents. You are among the VERY FIRST people this has ever happened to. Anything that anybody tells you, about what INZ or the NZ government will, or might, do, can ONLY be guesswork. The government has so far decided NOTHING. They are waiting for any signs that it will be safe to open the borders. Your situation depends on that, not on, for instance, how many times you ask.

[msum]

Yes you are right partly. But I know many people who have been able to obtain successful travel exemption on their 10th or 11th attempt but ofcourse everyone's situation is a lot different. The purpose of my post is to connect with those people who have obtained residence visa in this pandemic situation and to connect with them as they must be very few.

[JandM]

Does your husband have experience or qualifications in one of the priority occupations?

[msum]

My occupation comes under skill shortage and is a registered occupation also (But I am not registered). I was also an essential worker according to covid lockdown rules. My salary also comes under priority processing. Will any of it help ?

[msum]

My wife is a doctor but she does not hold a medical registration in New Zealand.

[JandM]

My occupation comes under skill shortage and is a registered occupation also (But I am not registered). I was also an essential worker according to covid lockdown rules. My salary also comes under priority processing. Will any of it help ?

I doubt it. See here https://www.immigration.govt.nz/abou...and-exceptions and here. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacifi...rders-/1894836 It seems unlikely that the 'critical health workers' category will carry much weight now there are very few cases within NZ. For the overseas partner, being in a country that still has the epidemic running is a strong factor against being allowed to come in. Just recently, two people from the UK were allowed in on humanitarian grounds because a family-member was dying - they were even released early from quarantine on that basis - and they both turned out to be infectious and passed Covid-19 to NZers.

By the way, I see I mistakenly referred to the husband in your couple as being the one overseas. I beg your pardon.

[msum]

yes you are right. No problem