Resident Visa

Due to its economic growth and vast range of career opportunities, over 70,000 foreigners make New Zealand their new home each year. Before you can move to and legally reside on New Zealand soil, you will be required to obtain a Resident Visa.

A Resident Visa refers to a legal document issued by the New Zealand government that grants you the legal rights to live and travel throughout New Zealand.

Obtaining a Resident Visa for New Zealand is not a widely available opportunity. To be able to apply for a New Zealand Resident Visa you must in most cases either be a skilled worker, or have a partner who is already a New Zealand resident or citizen and can support your Resident Visa application.

If you have questions regarding your Resident Visa, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email (applications@immigrationconsultancies.com) or call us at 09 369 1681 and one of our Resident Visa immigration advisors will be in touch as soon as possible.

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To legally reside in New Zealand, you must apply for and obtain a Resident Visa. Keep reading to find out more about New Zealand’s Resident Visas before compiling the necessary documentation and proceeding with your application.

THE PROCESS

What Is a Resident Visa?

A Resident Visa is a legal document issued by the New Zealand government that authorises your temporary or permanent residence in the country without any constraints.

There are two main types of New Zealand Resident Visa: a Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa and a Partnership-Based Resident Visa. Your personal circumstances will dictate the right Resident Visa for you.

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: The New Zealand government welcomes individuals to live and work in the country who have the skills needed to contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth.

The New Zealand government is looking for skilled and qualified individuals across a large number of industries including engineering, education, oil & gas, hospitality, construction, science, agriculture & forestry and healthcare.

If you believe you are a skilled individual who can contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth and wish to make New Zealand your home, you can apply for the SMC Resident Visa.

To do so, you need to send an expression of interest (EOI) outlining your work experience and qualifications to the appropriate regulatory body.

If your EOI is successful, you will be offered the opportunity to apply to live and work in New Zealand. The great thing about this type of visa is that it gives you indefinite permission to live and work in New Zealand.

Partnership-Based Resident Visa: If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or holds a New Zealand Resident Visa, you can apply to live in New Zealand on a permanent basis.
If you are granted a Partnership-Based Resident Visa, you can live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. If you have dependent children aged 24 or under, you can include them in your visa application.

The Typical Resident Visa Application Process

Before you can apply for a New Zealand Resident Visa, you must acquire all relevant supporting documentation and fill out the forms required for your Resident Visa application.
These range from your level of qualifications to proof of ability to financially support yourself while in New Zealand. The supporting documentation will depend on the type of Resident Visa for which you wish to apply.
Once you have all the relevant documentation, you can submit your Resident Visa application for review. Then all that is left is to wait for the relevant body’s decision.
Your application can be accepted, declined or, in rare instances, postponed. A postponed application will require further supporting documentation to be submitted and can delay the decision process.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Resident Visa?

Once you officially submit your Resident Visa application, you can expect to wait 20-24 months for a decision. This wait depends on when you apply and the demand for Resident Visas at your time of application.
In rare cases, your visa may be delayed if the regulatory body requires you to send further supporting information. In most cases, this information involves financial statements, proof of employment history, character and health standards, flight bookings and more.
If your Resident Visa application is rejected, you can reapply immediately. You can also find out why your initial application was unsuccessful. Ultimately, getting a professional to take care of your application is always a good idea.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional For Your Visa Application

When dealing with confusing and stressful legal documentation that has a significant impact on your application’s potential success, it is wise to seek the help of a visa application expert.
Rejected applications will result in additional costs, hassle and time as you determine why your application was unsuccessful.
To prevent such headaches, hundreds of foreign individuals who seek to make New Zealand their home enlist our help with their Resident Visa applications each year. Over the last 20 years, our average visa application success rate is 97%.
Other benefits of hiring a professional to manage your New Zealand Resident Visa application include:

● Dedicated Resident Visa advisor to support you at every step of your application process
● Years of knowledge and expertise in applications for Resident Visas
● No need to do anything except provide the relevant evidence and mandatory documentation to support your visa application – we take care of the rest
● A significantly higher chance of obtaining your Resident Visa

If you don’t know what type of Resident Visa you need to apply for or how to get the process started, reach out to our Resident Visa advisors by email (applications@immigrationconsultancies.com) or call us at 09 369 1681 today.