Thanks to the power of social media (which is ironic, given the rest of this post), I am able to engage with a number of immigration professionals around the world, all working with different systems. It is fascinating to see how our process here in New Zealand stacks up against, the systems of other countries.

Yesterday I was engaged in a really interesting discussion with someone in Canada, who was in turn discussing the process of “DIY visa applications” with another individual, keen on selling some sort of automated application process. Obviously that got me thinking about the way the application process has changed here over the years and the role that the “DIY” process takes in the context of trying to secure a New Zealand visa.

This weeks blog is a game of two-halves, with the first part focussing on the trials and tribulations of telling your children, that you are about to uproot them, to move to another country. The second half, is focussed on the slightly more technical aspects of actually including those children in your application (there are different rules for different visas).

The inspiration for this blog came from a conversation I had with a potential client earlier in the week. Bob (not his real name) was contemplating the big move, along with his wife (who was already onboard) their two children - somewhat less enthusiastic. As we discussed the various steps involved, and some of the challenges, the topic of “when and how do we tell the kids” came about. Bob was already knee deep in some teenage angst, having dropped this particular bombshell on his children already.

The term “Permanent Residence” or “PR” is probably the most commonly misunderstood Visa reference in the INZ vocabulary and that is largely because the term itself doesn’t actually refer to whether you can live here permanently or not, but instead it refers to your ability to travel in and out of New Zealand, once you have your Resident Visa approved.

PR as we will call it in this article, is actually the right to leave NZ and then return as a Resident (referred to as “Travel Conditions”) and comes with various timeframes attached. We also take a look at the options to extend these travel conditions, as well as what happens if you miss the boat on being able to turn your Resident Visa in to a Permanent one.

The term “Permanent Residence” or “PR” is probably the most commonly misunderstood Visa reference in the INZ vocabulary and that is largely because the term itself doesn’t actually refer to whether you can live here permanently or not, but instead it refers to your ability to travel in and out of New Zealand, once you have your Resident Visa approved.

PR as we will call it in this article, is actually the right to leave NZ and then return as a Resident (referred to as “Travel Conditions”) and comes with various timeframes attached. We also take a look at the options to extend these travel conditions, as well as what happens if you miss the boat on being able to turn your Resident Visa in to a Permanent one.

There is an unfortunate truth in the world of visas, which is not specific to New Zealand, but applicable to any immigration system, where human beings are involved in making decisions that impact on other peoples lives - that truth is that the outcome and the process involved to reach that outcome are very heavily influenced by the person who ends up processing the application.

You can have one set of rules, one set of standard operating procedures and one organisation in chart of all of it and yet, applicants of a similar background with similar situations can end up experiencing the process and coming out the other side, in very, very different ways.

For many migrants, particularly those arriving in New Zealand under one of our skilled categories, the thought of bringing mum and dad along, at some point, is not only an idea, but a crucial part of their move.

In this article we explore some of the current options for both a temporary and permanent stay and a look ahead at what might be just around the corner.

For most of us the holidays (summer or otherwise) have come to a close and I suspect many of us will be saying, what we say every year, that they were too short and over too quickly.

However 2024 is now firmly upon us and for many that will mean firming up plans to make the big move. If that is you, or might be you in the next month or two, then this article might be worth a read.

For most of us the holidays (summer or otherwise) have come to a close and I suspect many of us will be saying, what we say every year, that they were too short and over too quickly.

However 2024 is now firmly upon us and for many that will mean firming up plans to make the big move. If that is you, or might be you in the next month or two, then this article might be worth a read.

I think I say this every year, but I cannot believe how quickly the end of this year has arrived - and what a year it has been. There has been plenty going on in NZ over the last 12 months and there is potentially a lot more to come on the Visa front in the new year.

We wind up the year with a bit of a recap and a look to the future. We also line up for more seminars in 2024 (first one in January) and we have a small (and very useful) Christmas gift available for our regular readers.