# Live and Work in NZ with Australian Permanent Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)



## chigz_fj (Jun 8, 2013)

Hi People

I know Title of this thread sounds a bit strange .. 

I currently have a job offer for NZ but my longer term objective hs always been to live in Australia.. I was hoping to complete 3 years in NZ before making the move to Australia.. 

I have obtained a work visa for NZ once i Start work etc, then I CAN apply for residency.. 

But given the nature of the costs involved in obtaining a residency NZ, I was wondering whether it would be possible for me to obtain the Permanent Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) for Australia instead and work in NZ for the 3 years.. 

I tried looking at the immigration NZ website, but I dont see any specific, unless Visa Subclass 189 is temporary visa? 

Are there any special rules for Australian citizens and residents? - Immigration NZ Knowledgebase

Please advise.. 

Thanks in advance.


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

Yes, you can work in NZ as an Australian permanent resident but you would need to migrate to Australia before the initial 5 year visa has expired. Any time spent in NZ does not count towards the residency requirement for an Australian RRV or citizenship.

If you were granted a 189 visa offshore, you would of course need to enter Australia to activate the visa before you could move to NZ.

You should also be aware that it takes at least 6-8 months to go through the process of applying for a 189 visa, including a skills assessment, police checks, medicals, etc. Not to mention the cost. If you have a job offer now, it seems unlikely that they would hold the job opening for you for that long.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2013)

Have you actually looked at the costs if applying for the 189? It certainly doesnt come cheap, fees have just been increased substantially and takes a long time from skills assessment, EOI, applying then the long wait till grant. 

You do realise the 189 wont give you NZ PR with its privileges even if you are working and living there? You would still need to apply for that. 

If you then lived in NZ on the 189 for 3 years you wouldnt qualify for an Australian return visa or citizenship untill you actually move there and qualify and would have to apply for NZ residency anyway when your 189 expired if you were still there.


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## chigz_fj (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks guys .. 

I think you guys share some valuable insights .. 

Yes, I am aware of the cost of 189. .it certainly is not cheap, and it certainly takes up a lot of time .. 
At the moment I have a JSV (equivalent to work visa) which activates when I enter NZ, once I put pen to paper then I can convert JSV to 2 yr work visa or residency (if I wish to) .. 

Nevertheless, Perhaps the better option is to see 5 years out in NZ (obtain citizen) then move later to Aus (if i dislike the life in NZ).. 

shots for the kind info! . .


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

_shel said:


> Have you actually looked at the costs if applying for the 189? It certainly doesnt come cheap, fees have just been increased substantially and takes a long time from skills assessment, EOI, applying then the long wait till grant.
> 
> You do realise the 189 wont give you NZ PR with its privileges even if you are working and living there? You would still need to apply for that.
> 
> If you then lived in NZ on the 189 for 3 years you wouldnt qualify for an Australian return visa or citizenship untill you actually move there and qualify and would have to apply for NZ residency anyway when your 189 expired if you were still there.


Hi Shel,

I have a quick question, based on what you have mentioned above highlighted in blue. 
Does that above statement mean if out of 5 years first 2 years I spent outside Australia and then remaining 3 years I stay in australia, will I not be able to get RRV for remaining 1 year in order to complete my 4 year of stay to be eligible for applying citizenship. 

Please note I understand that after I get visa I have to activate my PR visa within 11 month, so once my visa is activated my 5 year cycle starts from that day or from the day I got my PR visa approved? Please clarify my above 2 doubts. Thank you so much for your time and advise.


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2013)

No you have misunderstood me. 

In your circumstances if you went to Australia after 2 years you would still have 3 years to leave and enter the country. After 2 years you would be eligible for a return residents visa BUT you do not necessarily need one. 

You are entitled to live in Australia forever on your PR but your right to leave and re enter ends after 5 years. If you never wish to leave Australia for a holiday or to visit family you do not have to get a RRV and do not need to apply for one to be eligible for citizenship. 

You could enter the day before your visa expires and live there forever and apply for citizenship when you qualify if you wished. You just couldn't leave the country until you qualified for a return resident visa or obtained citizenship and a passport.


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

_shel said:


> No you have misunderstood me.
> 
> In your circumstances if you went to Australia after 2 years you would still have 3 years to leave and enter the country. After 2 years you would be eligible for a return residents visa BUT you do not necessarily need one.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for clarifying.

One more doubt, please help me n understanding that. 

1. for remaining 3 years I will live in Australia but during those 3 years I might go to home country atleast once or twice for a month or so and that would be within 5 year time-period, so in this case I assume I will not need RRV. 

Let's assume I get PR visa on Oct 2013. I activate it in Aug 2014. I assume my 5 year cycle starts from Aug 2014 (please correct me if I m wrong). So now I have till Aug 2019 the 5 year cycle. Supposedly now I plan to move to Australia in Aug 2016 permanently. But I might travel to my home country between Aug 2016 to Aug 2019. So keeping in mind I will not be able to re-enter Australia after Aug 2019 I will not plan to go out of Australia in Aug 2019 till Aug/ September 2020. As I plan to apply citizenship immdly after I have resided in Australia for 4 years. 

Please clarify my above understanding is correct, I believe in above case I will not need RRV. Sorry for putting dates there n making it confusing, but I did so as keeping dates will help me in understanding need of RRV n eligibility criteria for citizenship. 

2. Please help me if I understood correctly about as when 5 year cycle starts - when I gt PR approval or when I activate my PR after my first time landing? 

Thank you again so much for your time n helpful n prompt response.


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

1. Once the initial visa expires you will need an RRV if you plan to leave and re-enter the country.

2. The visa is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued, not the date you make your first entry.


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

ozbound12 said:


> 1. Once the initial visa expires you will need an RRV if you plan to leave and re-enter the country.
> 
> 2. The visa is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued, not the date you make your first entry.


Thank you ozbound12 and _shel for your prompt response, I truly appreciate it. Thanks again.


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## samrats81 (Jun 15, 2014)

*Subclass 189*

Hi,
I am a holder of the Australia subclass 189 from a foreign country. I have secured a job in New Zealand and I am aware that I need to enter Australia first to activate my PR. Would you please be able to advice if there are any formalities I need to complete in Australia before I travel to NZ (medicare etc)? Also, do you know how long I have to be in AU before I can travel to NZ?
I have tried to look everywhere on the internet but have found nothing mentioning this. I have also tried contacting the local AU immigration office and they asked me to get in touch with the AU immigration for any subclass 189 query. However, they could not provide me any contact number or email id.
Appreciate if anyone can please help and also guide me to any documentation in this regard?

Thanks and Regards,
Sam


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

samrats81 said:


> Hi, I am a holder of the Australia subclass 189 from a foreign country. I have secured a job in New Zealand and I am aware that I need to enter Australia first to activate my PR. Would you please be able to advice if there are any formalities I need to complete in Australia before I travel to NZ (medicare etc)? Also, do you know how long I have to be in AU before I can travel to NZ? I have tried to look everywhere on the internet but have found nothing mentioning this. I have also tried contacting the local AU immigration office and they asked me to get in touch with the AU immigration for any subclass 189 query. However, they could not provide me any contact number or email id. Appreciate if anyone can please help and also guide me to any documentation in this regard? Thanks and Regards, Sam


Once you have activated the visa, you are an Australian permanent resident and can then go to NZ if you wish. You can't apply for Australian medicare if you don't have an Australian address so you couldn't apply for that or anything else in Australia for that matter. I don't know how medicare works in NZ or if you would even be eligible, best to ask the folks in the NZ forum.


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## mohit_arora (Apr 2, 2014)

Hi,
My wife is having Aus PR - Subclass 189 and have not entered Aus yet. The first entry date is June 2015. She is traveling to New Zealand shortly. Since, she is having Aus PR, she does not need any other visa to enter New Zealand.
I have a concern -
i. She has a hopping flight from Brisbane to Wellington. The transit time between India-Aus and Aus-NZ flights is 90 mins. If she has to get immigration stamp at Aus before boarding the plane to NZ, is 90 mins sufficient to do so? Please share the experience if anyone has.


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## TheExpatriate (Feb 7, 2014)

mohit_arora said:


> Hi,
> My wife is having Aus PR - Subclass 189 and have not entered Aus yet. The first entry date is June 2015. She is traveling to New Zealand shortly. Since, she is having Aus PR, she does not need any other visa to enter New Zealand.
> I have a concern -
> i. She has a hopping flight from Brisbane to Wellington. The transit time between India-Aus and Aus-NZ flights is 90 mins. If she has to get immigration stamp at Aus before boarding the plane to NZ, is 90 mins sufficient to do so? Please share the experience if anyone has.


90 minutes is definitely NOT enough to check out and re-check in


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