Long wait time- can't we ask this counted towards PR?

[VedSaumya]

Hi All,

Now that the applications are moving, we are seeing files being approved very quickly. That also means we waited 18/19 months for a job that immigration could have completed in few weeks time.

Isn't this unfair in many grounds. In the process there were some who lost their job in between, had difficult family circumstances and all of us lived in uncertainty....

Don't you think the government should consider abnormal waiting time towards count of time spent for permanent residence? I got my residency in 19 months, so may be 7 months is normal and rest 12 months not normal. This could be based on normal waiting time when we applied for residence.

Do you think we all need to take this matter forward?

Thanks
Saumya

[satty02]

I like the idea and support it, but as we know govt doesn't care and they didn't do it before as well. They will have to do what they want and think is good for them, so I don't see this happening.

[Kelerei]

Strongly disagree. There can be no fair system that presumes eligibility without it having been proven.

[JandM]

There is nothing that the readership here, mainly consisting of would-be immigrants to New Zealand, COULD "take forward". INZ regulations are set up by the NZ government, the members of which are politicians elected by NZ nationals and residents. Applicants don't have any particular weight they can bring to bear on MPs and ministers, except for the occasional sympathy campaign in the media. What I'm saying is, on immigration matters concerning policies and regulations, all applicants can do is ASK.

And, like Kelerei, I don't see there is any case which could in justice be carried out. Yes, those waiting for SMC processing suffered a hiatus (much of it due to a global pandemic which is beyond anyone's control), but so did those waiting for other visa streams. If the NZ government were to wipe out one set of requirements, there would be a case for saying they should then do so for others - and the requirements are there to protect the NZ workforce and national security. We ALL feel, or have felt, irritated by the need to match ourselves up to the regulations ("I'm ME, and I've got skills even if I can't quite prove them yet, and I'm honest, and I would have fitted the rules last year only you changed them and I didn't get my forms in in time"), but that feeling wouldn't justify a government's ignoring its own procedures.

[Cheech]

Hi All,

Now that the applications are moving, we are seeing files being approved very quickly. That also means we waited 18/19 months for a job that immigration could have completed in few weeks time.

Isn't this unfair in many grounds. In the process there were some who lost their job in between, had difficult family circumstances and all of us lived in uncertainty....

Don't you think the government should consider abnormal waiting time towards count of time spent for permanent residence? I got my residency in 19 months, so may be 7 months is normal and rest 12 months not normal. This could be based on normal waiting time when we applied for residence.

Do you think we all need to take this matter forward?

Thanks
Saumya

I asked this question to the ombudsman when following up on my complaint. They said highly unlikely, and never been done before. I agree with you though

[VedSaumya]

Strongly disagree. There can be no fair system that presumes eligibility without it having been proven.

There are other way to consider this.

I think its about demonstrating commitment to New Zealand and one of that criteria is by means of significant time spent in New Zealand which currently requires two years period. If you see the person should just stay for 6 months each year in those two years. I do not see the purpose of law cannot be met if say the time frame is reduced to one year after residency if a person has already spend a stipulated time in temporary visa (other than student I would say) before obtaining residency.

[Kelerei]

There are other way to consider this.

I think its about demonstrating commitment to New Zealand and one of that criteria is by means of significant time spent in New Zealand which currently requires two years period. If you see the person should just stay for 6 months each year in those two years. I do not see the purpose of law cannot be met if say the time frame is reduced to one year after residency if a person has already spend a stipulated time in temporary visa (other than student I would say) before obtaining residency.

Given that temporary entry class visa holders are obligated to leave New Zealand upon visa expiry (or seek a further temporary entry class visa), that's not going to fly. Not with the Government, nor with me.

[IT_GUY]

There is no harm in trying and I will happily add my 2 cents, however, it's very less likely to go through in the current situation.
Govt doesn't have to worry about anything for the next 3 years and how much they care about migrants life is clear from the massive backlog and wait time.
Having said that a 6-12 month waiver on the basis of Covid/Long delays is not a completely unfair request.

[Marco83]

There are other way to consider this.

I think its about demonstrating commitment to New Zealand and one of that criteria is by means of significant time spent in New Zealand which currently requires two years period. If you see the person should just stay for 6 months each year in those two years. I do not see the purpose of law cannot be met if say the time frame is reduced to one year after residency if a person has already spend a stipulated time in temporary visa (other than student I would say) before obtaining residency.

I'm strongly disagree as well. Time on work visa don't count as commitment to New Zealand for PR purposes because you're kind of obliged to stay here and "committed" to New Zealand. If you leave for few month while in work visa you may loose your job and possibility to apply for residency.

If you're talking about changing policy is another matter... but I don't think INZ will soon...

[areyouhappy]

I like this idea because I/some of us can benefit from this. However, I think it is not possible.

This idea is beyond what INZ/government want to do or need to do. There is no any strong reasons, benefits, no strong request (from wider community) for them to do so. They have already started speeding up the existing applications, however a delay is a delay. It is not like airline company if our flight is delayed they would take care of us and reduce delay as much as they can.

They possibly also think if you are residing in NZ and have true intention to stay here for long, it is only matter of time for most of us to get PR. They have allowed us to live here as a resident and we have no reason to show that we "must" get PR ASAP to stay here.

Say if there are 10,000 applicants who have waited for 16+months, this is not a significant number I afraid for them to step into this challenge anyway. In fact, many of us would probably be satisfied enough and sit quite once we get RV, meaning that PR is not urgently needed for many of us.