Once all your documents have been submitted and accepted you will be assigned a CO (Case Officer). It could be that you may have to wait a few weeks to hear from him/her and they will then schedule a telephone interview for a mutually convenient time. The idea of the interview is to make sure you fully understand what lies ahead of you so that you won?t suddenly take fright and return home again.

The phone interview usually takes place within a month or two of the ITA being accepted, and can last any time from 10-60 minutes. From what I?ve heard, the interview should be quite laid back and not like you?re being grilled. The likely questions to be asked concern your ideas and expectations of NZ as well as your plans for finding work and settling.

If your CO is satisfied with everything, he will recommend that you be granted PR. Sometimes it happens that you?re granted WTR instead of PR if NZIS first want to be sure you?ll find work and be able to settle in NZ. Having a job offer fast-tracks you through the process.

After your PR application is approved you have 6 months to pay the Migrant Levy, which is $300 NZD per person or up to $1200 total for a family. When it?s paid, you then get your blue stickers in your passport to confirm you are now a resident of NZ. If you are granted PR and are issued with your Residence Visa, it normally requires activating within 12 months. When you arrive in NZ to activate it, this becomes a Residence Permit.

Having PR allows you to stay in NZ indefinitely, however it expires if you leave NZ for any reason. Because of this you will need a Returning Resident's Visa, which you are automatically entitled to if you hold PR. This RRV lasts for 2 years.

As Kiwihopeful says, you have to hold PR for 5 years before you qualify to apply for citizenship (at the moment, anyway. Who knows if it'll change in the next year or so? :icon_rolleyes: )