Timescales

First off, Happy New Year to All.

Second, does anyone know how long prospective migrants are allowed before they have to take up NZ residence once PR has been approved? I thought I read 12 months somewhere, but you know how it is when you try to find that crucial piece of information for a second time.....

Hi

From the time your passport has the visa inserted, you have 12 months to arrive in New Zealand. You will also have a Returning Residents Visa inserted at the same time and that is valid for 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand.

We had our visas inserted in to our passports on 14th July 2004. We now plan to go early June ( regardless of whether the house is sold or not!!), but we must be in NZ no later than 14th July 2005.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I was sure that's what the NZIS website said, but I couldn't find it when I tried looking again!

Best of luck with the house sale and move!

Chris

so, when in the process does all the serious, work intensive, adventure begin. I've had a lot of waiting since the EOI was selected 29 September... but that's all.
Cheers,
Tom

Hi Bugey,

You can start pulling some information together now (work history, full birth certificates, education etc), but I would hold off on the medicals and police checks until you've got your ITA in your hands. If you do them now, they could be out of date by the time you submit your application.

In our case, we submitted our EOI in Feb 2004 and were selected on 1st September. Our ITA arrived the week before Christmas. If we'd had medicals and police checks when the EOI was selected, we'd being doing them again now - and they don't come cheap for a family of five!

On the plus side, check the timings on Steve's site. NZIS in London are turning things around pretty quickly once they receive the ITA. I don't know if the US branches are doing the same....

The ITA is "in hand." All my paperwork has to go thru New Zealand house in London... apparently there aren't enough people moving from the US to warrant having a US branch to do the paperwork.

Cheers,
Tom

So Tom, what happens if they need to interview you? The rules say you have to make your way to NZ House at your own expense :icon_lol:

Chris

Chris,
maybe I'm being naive, I'm hoping the interview can be done via telephone.

I'm started on the police certs... this involves the local guys and the FBI as per the NZIS ITA guidelines. The medical appointments are coming up soon. I wonder how I'm supposed to get them a chest x-ray... big envelope that one.

Hope your quest goes well for you.
Tom

lol Tom.

I'm sure they'll speak to you by phone or arrange a local meet stateside! :icon_biggrin: