Emigrate to New Zealand: The Importance of getting the right Visa.

May 14, 2009 by
Filed under: NZIS & Immigration issues 

We already know of one immigration “advisor” who has made a stack of money getting someone a work visa when they were able to get a residency visa. As these people are intending to stay permanently, they now have to go through the process all over again and pay out more money. Worse – the advisor is still telling them to just renew the work visa. This is frankly Idiotic.

Well, if you want to see why it’s a damn good idea, especially now, to get Residency if you can and not mess about with work visas; you need to look at this thread on Expat Exposed.

Latest rant: NZIS processing!

This guy has been on a work visa and doing the job for 2 years, and is now being told he cannot have a renewed visa. So he has to go home – at huge expense and upheaval and a great deal of stress.

Be very clear on this – with “recession” and “economic crisis” on everyone’s mind (whether or not it is legitimate) it means that getting Work Visas is going to be harder. And even worse, if you do get one and pack up all your worldly goods and make a permanent move to New Zealand – you may not get your visa renewed. In fact there seems to be a very high chance of not getting it renewed. You need to remember that only a Permanent Residence visa is actually permanent. Work Visas are temporary and you can be asked to leave New Zealand at the end of the term. If you have not converted to a residency permit – you have no automatic right to stay in New Zealand.

It pays to understand the difference and to know from the outset whether you intend this to be a Permanent move or just something you want to do for a few years. Bear in mind it can cost thousands of £££ to move your life over here, and then thousands more to have to move back if you were intending to stay forever, but only had work visas and they do not get renewed.

Be careful. If you don’t get a residency Visa then you cannot stay in New Zealand permanently.

PS: Expat Exposed is known to be one of the more negative New Zealand Migrant forums. I think this just acts as a balance for the ones where you are only allowed to say nice things – but do bear it in mind if you take a look, and please do not have a go at the posters. On the Bell Curve of migrants, there are always going to be people who have a hellish time from start to finish in their new life. They are no more making it up, or whinging, than the people for whom all is roses round the door and bluebirds twittering are making it up and living in cloud cookoo land.

The vast majority of us live on the normal bit of the curve – and just have a good time with a few bad days. You will never know what life in New Zealand will be like for you until you try it.

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Related posts:

  1. Silver Fern Visa – don’t hold your breath.
  2. Silver Fern Visa – Still causing mayhem for immigrants
  3. Immigration New Zealand is still misleading people about Work To Residence Visas.
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Comments

2 Comments on Emigrate to New Zealand: The Importance of getting the right Visa.

  1. William Knight on Thu, 14th May 2009 2:39 pm

    2. This is very good advice. Not advice we’ve followed, naturally, but good none the less.

    Trouble is, many decide at the outset it’s forever only to change their minds, and many others come for a few months and never leave.

    I really don’t think you can know how you will fell 12 months down the line, which is why the immigration process is just daft. Necessary? perhaps, but daft none the less.

  2. Avalon on Thu, 14th May 2009 4:50 pm

    3. Thank you William. I think how people feel down line will probably end up as a blog all in its own right :) A lot of people say you have to say a mythical 2 years to give it a proper go and poor scorn on those who cant make it that long.

    Im a case in point. For 9 months I wanted nowt more than to get out of here, and the only reason I made it through was because my parents were coming for 6 months at the end of that time.

    One thing seems certain – the rules about who we manage this move have changed, and a lot of people are gonna get badly burned before its over I think :(

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