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Thread: Work Visas and credit cards

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    19

    Default Work Visas and credit cards

    Has anyone managed to get a credit card on a Work Visa? We're using our card at home at the moment and it's dwindling our UK stash down.

    Any help or advice gratefully received.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    France - UK - NZ (Auckland)
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    343

    Default

    Hiya Jaywalker,

    Have you tried enquiring with your bank about applying for one? You can apply online too and I'm sure I've never seen anything on the banks sites about mentioning being a PR or having a work visa (not with my bank, BNZ anyway).

    I've heard some people on work visas (as opposed to PR) being asked by their bank to put a deposit down for a credit card, or ask you for a job contract to see how much you earn per year. Don't know whether it's the case for everyone or every bank though

    Even if you have PR you might get refused a credit card because you don't have enough credit history (and not having been in the country for a long time) but it can be built in about 6 months time...this happened to me and was offered a card by the bank without reapplying for one

    Hope this helps,

    Jen

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    1,294

    Default

    I got a card with BNZ when still on a work permit. I just applied and was approved straightaway. No problems at all.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by KerryS
    I got a card with BNZ when still on a work permit. I just applied and was approved straightaway. No problems at all.
    If we apply online for any of the accounts, there is a section at the end where you have to confirm that you are a New Zealand resident. I suppose we could just blag it, but I'm worried about the legal repercussions of doing this.

    Am I just being paranoid?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    UK>Welly>Boonies>where next?
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    3,756

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    Jaywalker

    Where and who did you open your bank account with?

    Email or call the person who dealt with your original application (or your personal manager). They should be able to help.

    Good luck

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Waterloo, Lower Hutt
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    505

    Default

    As Jaywalker said most, if not all, banks require people to have PR for their standard credit card applications. Some banks will provide cards to people without PR on a case-by-case basis or as Jaywalker mentioned you could just fudge it and say you have PR when completing your online application.

    As long as you pay for your card regularly you are not likely to have any legal issues with the bank. I even know of international students that have done this and gained credit cards from banks they have their (International) Student bank accounts with.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Wellington, NZ
    Posts
    198

    Default

    A bit of a tangent, but the only way international students can get credit cards is to have twice the limit of the credit card in term deposits with the bank.

  8. #8

    Default

    My wife is going through the process of getting a credit card, I'm a NZ Citizen by descent so I had no complications getting approved, my wife however has a one year work permit but will be applying for permanent residency in the partnership catagory.

    She wasn't sure if she could answer yes to being a resident so we looked up "resident" in the dictionary here's the definition.

    a person who resides in a place.

    residing; dwelling in a place.

    She lives here, works here, has a NZ Driver License, owns a car in NZ, has a bank account in NZ and intends to stay permanently, so it seems to me that she is a resident, so I told her to answer accordingly.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    62

    Default

    Try the ANZ (unless the rules have changed) as long as one of you is a NZ citizen you can get your other half / spouse / partner / girlfriend whoever a credit card in their name. They can be living overseas and be a foreign citizen. You become responsible or liable for any bills the other person clocks up.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Wellington (from Beds, UK)
    Posts
    1,099

    Default

    She wasn't sure if she could answer yes to being a resident so we looked up "resident" in the dictionary here's the definition.
    thats all well and good but it depends on the circumstances the question is asked in. someone who is "resident" for tax purposes isn't necessarily "resident" from an immigration viewpoint. surely asking them what they mean by resident (ie do they mean currently living in NZ or - more likely - do they mean has got PR) might hve been a better idea?

    if everyone took your defintion then they could say - "oh well i'm residing in the heritage hotel for 3 days - yes i'm resident"

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