New Zealand Permanent Residence

You can apply for a Permanent Resident visa that allows you to stay in New Zealand for an unlimited time if you have had a New Zealand Residence visa for more than two years. Once you obtain the Permanent Resident visa, you will have access to the many benefits that this visa offers. Benefits of the visa include being able to study, work, have access to sponsored healthcare in Australia etc.

What Is the Difference Between a Resident Visa and a Permanent Resident Visa?

With a resident visa, you can travel to New Zealand as many times as the travel conditions of the visa allow or for an unlimited time if you are granted entry permission. A Permanent Resident Visa allows you to enter and leave New Zealand as often as you want and to stay indefinitely.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for an NZ Permanent Resident Visa?

To be eligible for a Permanent Resident visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must be of good character.
• You must hold a resident visa or have held one in the last three months.
• You must have had your resident visa for at least two years.
• You must have met the conditions of your current visa.
• You must be dedicated to living in New Zealand permanently.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Non-Principal Applicants?

If you are the partner or dependent child of the main applicant, you can be granted a Permanent Resident visa even if they haven’t become a permanent resident themselves only if you meet the eligibility requirements, as outlined below.

Eligibility Requirements for Partners of Main Applicants

You can become a New Zealand permanent resident if your main applicant has not become one yet if:

• You and the principal applicant have separated or divorced.
• You have a protection order against the principal applicant.
• The principal applicant has been convicted of a crime against you or a dependent child.
• The main applicant died.
• The main applicant is a New Zealand citizen now.

Eligibility Requirements for Children of the Main Applicants

You can become a New Zealand permanent resident if your main applicant has not become one yet if:

• Your other parent wasn’t included in the application.
• Your other parent died or became a New Zealand citizen.
• You were granted a resident visa or permit before 30 October 1995.
• You legally arrived in New Zealand to live permanently before 2 April 1974 and held a residence permit under the Immigration Act 1987.
• The main applicant was killed in the Christchurch terrorist attacks on 15 March 2019.

What Are the Benefits of the Permanent Resident NZ Visa?

Once you obtain a Permanent Resident visa, you will enjoy the benefits below:

• You can live in New Zealand.
• You can work in New Zealand.
• You can study in New Zealand.
• You can travel to and from New Zealand whenever you want.
• You can include your partner and dependent children aged 24 and under in your visa application (if you included them in your original residence application).
• You can get sponsored medical services and social security benefits.
• Your children will be able to attend free schools and universities.
• You can register and vote in elections (after one year of residence).
• Your children born in New Zealand are automatically citizens of New Zealand.

How to Apply for an NZ Resident Visa?

To apply for a Permanent Resident visa, you must:

• Complete the New Zealand application form. You must complete the Resident or Former Resident Visa Holder (INZ 1175). You should complete the form in English with capital letters and then print it. You must attach two photos that meet the NZ photo requirements.
• Prepare the required documents for a Permanent Resident visa. You must gather all the needed documents and prepare them for submission. Make sure you don’t forget to submit any documents, as your application will get rejected.
• Book an appointment with VFSglobal. When you book the appointment, you will receive a confirmation email. You must attend the appointment at the nearest visa application center to submit your application form and other required documents. Your visa application center may not be in your home country.
• Attend the appointment. When you attend the appointment, you must submit the required documents. The visa application center where you applied will send your application to Immigration New Zealand for processing.
• Pay the required fees. You can pay in person with a credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or with a bank transfer. The Immigration Cost, VAC Service Fee, and (if applicable) courier fee should be included in one payment. You must complete section L on your application form, where you must provide your credit/debit card details. Payment can be made at the time of your appointment.
• Wait for a decision. You will receive information on your visa application after it gets processed. The decision will be sent to you via email.

What Are the Required Documents for a Permanent Residency NZ Visa?

To apply for a Permanent Resident visa, you must prepare the listed documents:

• Proof of your identity
• Police certificate
• Your Resident visa
• Proof you meet the conditions of your current visa
• Proof you meet the time commitment requirements

Proof of Your Identity

You must prove your identity by providing the following documents:

• Your passport. You must submit your original passport or a certified copy of it. You can only provide a certificate of identity if you don’t have a passport.
• Two photos of your face or a certificate of identity. The photo you submit must be 3.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm high and meet all the other photo requirements of New Zealand.

Your passport should be valid for at least three months after the date you intend to leave the country.

Police Certificate

You may be required to provide a police certificate as evidence that you are of good character. Immigration New Zealand will notify you if you need to submit one. If you must submit a police certificate, then it must be less than six months old.

Your Resident Visa

To apply for a Permanent Resident visa, you must have had the Resident Visa for a minimum of two years when you apply. Your required two-year period starts from the date your visa was issued, if it was issued when you were in New Zealand. However, your two year-period starts from the date you arrived in New Zealand if your visa was issued when you were outside New Zealand. When you apply, you must provide:

• Your resident visa, or
• Your residence permit

Proof You Meet the Conditions of Your Current Visa

You must prove that you fulfilled the conditions of your current Resident visa to apply for a Permanent Resident visa. Requirements of Resident visas may include:

• Traveling to and from New Zealand only for the time allowed by your Resident visa
• Spending a minimum number of days in New Zealand
• Having invested money in New Zealand
• Working only in a particular job and/or for a specific employer

Proof You Meet the Time Commitment Requirements

You can prove that you are committed to living in New Zealand permanently in five ways. You must provide evidence in at least one of the five following ways:

• By showing that you have spent enough time in New Zealand
• By showing that you have New Zealand tax residence status
• By showing that you have invested in New Zealand
• By showing that you have a business in New Zealand

Enough Time in New Zealand

To apply for a Permanent Resident visa, you must have stayed in New Zealand for a minimum of 184 days in each of the last two years. The two years are calculated immediately before you apply for permanent residence. You don’t need to stay for 184 days at once, you can enter and leave New Zealand as many times as the conditions of the visa allow you. You don’t need to provide any documents as evidence since it is in the records of your travel.

New Zealand Tax Residence Status

You are a New Zealand tax resident if you:

• have spent at least 41 days as a resident in New Zealand in each of the two years before applying for permanent residence, and
• have tax residence status for 24 months before you apply for permanent residence.

As evidence, you can submit the following documents:

• a filled-out Confirmation of Tax Resident Status endorsed by Inland Revenue.
• a declaration from Inland Revenue

Invested in New Zealand

You have invested NZ$1,000,000 in New Zealand for 24 months or more. You can provide the listed documents as proof of the value and possession of finances and/or assets:

• bank documents
• share certificates
• business ownership documents and valuation reports
• property deeds and reports

Business in New Zealand

You bought or started a business in New Zealand a year ago that is successful and beneficial to New Zealand. If you purchased a business in New Zealand, you must have at least a 25% share. As evidence, you must provide the following:

• your latest business accounts certified by a New Zealand chartered accountant
• a letter or email from a New Zealand chartered accountant confirming that your business is functioning and making a profit

Established a Base in New Zealand

You have established your base in New Zealand by living there as a resident for at least 41 days in the year before you applied for permanent residence. Dependents included in your residence application must have been living in New Zealand for at least 184 days in the two years before you applied for permanent residence. You must have one of the following:

• Purchased a home one year before or after becoming a resident, still own that home and live there now. Proof that you own a home includes:
  • • Your house deed
    • Mortgage documents
    • rates demands
    • Home insurance papers
    • Utility bills
    • • An employment agreement
      • Pay slips
      • Confirmation from your employer
      • Documents showing you are running the business (if you are self-employed).

      What Is the Processing Time for a Permanent Resident Visa for New Zealand?

      The Permanent Resident NZ visa is usually processed within three or five months. However, most of the applications are processed within five months. Once you obtain a Permanent Resident visa, you must transfer your visa to a new valid passport before you can travel if your passport has expired. To transfer your visa, you must:

      • Send your old and new passports
      • Submit a completed ‘Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa’
      • Pay a transfer fee

      For How Long Is the NZ Permanent Resident Visa Valid?

      The Permanent Resident visa allows you to stay in New Zealand for an unlimited period of time. There is no limit to the number of times you can leave and enter New Zealand.

      What Are the Fees for a New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa?

      The fees for a Permanent Resident visa for New Zealand depend on the country from which apply:

      Application fee	NZD $ 220 — $ 260
      Visa application center fee	NZD $ 17 — $ 77
      Courier fee	NZD $ 13 — $ 100

      Note: If you were affected by the Christchurch attack in 2019, you do not have to pay a fee for applying for a Permanent Resident visa.

      How to Include My Family in Visitor or Residence Applications?

      While you complete the application form, you must provide this information in the ‘Additional Applicants Details’ section. You must provide the following:

      • Their personal details
      • Information about their health and character
      • An acceptable photo of their head and shoulders
      • A copy of the bio-page of their passport

      Can I Get a Permanent Resident Visa Without Having a Resident Visa?

      You can be granted a permanent resident visa without having held a resident visa first if you are:

      • A refugee and protected person
      • Successful applicant under the Talent (Accredited Employer) Residence from Work Category who meets a particular income threshold, and
      • Partner for more than five years of a New Zealand citizen that has been abroad for more than five years.

      Can I Bring My Family When I Obtain a Permanent Resident NZ Visa?

      If your partner and dependent children aged 24 were included in your resident visa application first, you can include them in your application. They don’t have to complete application forms or pay fees separately.

      If you have included in your resident application children that are now 25 or older, they have to apply and pay separately.

      Can I Work on a Permanent Resident NZ Visa?

      Once you obtain your NZ permanent residency, it is legal to work in New Zealand.

      Can I Study on a Permanent Resident NZ Visa?

      You can study in New Zealand when you become a permanent resident of New Zealand.