Dummies Guide Please

[janmommy]

We've decided to move across to NZ in March and apply once we are there. But I'm a little confused about how to do this.

From what I understand if you send off the EOI outside NZ you can't enter NZ and if you send the EOI off in NZ you can't leave NZ. Is this right?

Is the process of getting a PR quicker in NZ? I'll have a job and hopefully a house, and we'll be in NZ so I'm thinking the EOI and ITA will go through quicker.

If we go down to NZ in March on a holiday visa, and extend that, get a job and send off the EOI - how long will it take?

Will I need to get a work visa so I can actually work in my job? - while waiting for the PR visa -

If we need to get a work visa do we all need jobs? (Me, Partner & Daughter (22))?

But don't you have to leave NZ and re-enter to get your PR visa?

Sorry if any of this is confusing, but I'm just trying to figure it all out so I can explain it to the rest of the family.

TIA

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by janmommy

From what I understand if you send off the EOI outside NZ you can't enter NZ and if you send the EOI off in NZ you can't leave NZ. Is this right?

It's not right that you can't enter NZ if you've sent off your EOI outside the country. Many people take the time after they've submitted it to make a reccie trip to NZ to scout out places to live and research the job situation. You would just have to go on a normal tourist visa, which would not be connected to your EOI. If you were already in NZ when you submitted your EOI, presumably you would be on a tourist visa or a Work Permit. If you were on a tourist visa, you would leave the country again as a tourist. If you were on a WP, I believe you would be able to leave and come back in again as do others on a similar permit. The problem with moving around when your application has been submitted is to keep in touch with INZ re your current location, so that they know how to get in touch with you.

Is the process of getting a PR quicker in NZ? I'll have a job and hopefully a house, and we'll be in NZ so I'm thinking the EOI and ITA will go through quicker.

INZ in NZ tends to be very busy and I wouldn't like to say that it would be any quicker (and may even be slower) than applying from London. Things like the medicals should be cheaper and quicker in NZ because you can use ordinary GPs instead of booking in with a panel doctor.

If we go down to NZ in March on a holiday visa, and extend that, get a job and send off the EOI - how long will it take?

It can depend on how many points you have when you apply as to how long it takes. Applicants with 140 points or more and a job offer would be processed much quicker than someone without these, but we're talking a couple of months at least and up to a year at most for those on less than 140 and no job offer, if there aren't any hiccups along the way.

Will I need to get a work visa so I can actually work in my job? - while waiting for the PR visa -

Certainly. You can't work legally in NZ without a WP. This will tide you over until your application is finalised. Both your WP and PR application can run side by side.

If we need to get a work visa do we all need jobs? (Me, Partner & Daughter (22))?

If one of you gets a WP, either you or your partner will also get one automatically for the same length of time. That does not mean that the other person HAS to work. However, your daughter would have to apply herself as, at 22, she won't be classed as a dependent child unless she's in full time education. Same goes for the PR application. She would have to make her own application.

But don't you have to leave NZ and re-enter to get your PR visa?

If you're granted PR when you're outside NZ, you have 12 months in which to get there to activate it or you could lose it. To be honest, I don't know what happens if you're already in NZ when it's granted. I'm sure one of the others can supply details of this, but I must say I haven't heard of anyone having to leave after getting it. Perhaps because you're in the country it is automatically activated.

[janmommy]

Originally Posted by MotherBear

However, your daughter would have to apply herself as, at 22, she won't be classed as a dependent child unless she's in full time education. Same goes for the PR application. She would have to make her own application.

The Immigration Guide (form 1002) has a dependant child between 17 and 24. So she should be fine since she is almost completely dependent on me.

But she will have to get a job (work visa) before our PR comes through? Or go to college/university?

[MotherBear]

That surprises me although I have now found where it states this is so. My surprise is purely because I've heard of other people asking about adult children immigrating and they were told they would have to apply separately and couldn't be included in the parents' application. I don't think the 'children' involved were over 25 either.

The bit I found on it related to the application for a WP where it says:

Your partner holds a New Zealand work permit
If your partner holds a work permit for more than six months we may grant you a work permit for the same length of time your partner is allowed to work in New Zealand.

You must show that you are in a genuine and stable relationship with your partner. Your partner must:

be eligible to sponsor you
intend to be in New Zealand for the period you apply for in your application
provide a letter of support.

Then further down the page.....

Dependent children
We regard children as dependent if they are single, not in a partnership and are:

under 21 years or
under 25 years and in full time post-secondary school study or
physically or mentally disabled.

I found this here .

Perhaps I'm taking it out of context or there's some conflicting information somewhere along the line (which wouldn't be unusual for INZ). Whatever, it's great news if your daughter can be included in your application.

If she wants to study in NZ she would need a Student Permit and if she wants to work she would need a WP. A school-age child would be granted a Student Permit if the parent had a WP, but I'm not sure what happens with an adult child. Maybe a WP would be given and she could work if she wanted to.