# conditions of permanent residence



## walshdon

Once you have got your permanent residence in nz do you need to stay in the country for a certain amount of time to keep it valid?


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## topcat83

walshdon said:


> Once you have got your permanent residence in nz do you need to stay in the country for a certain amount of time to keep it valid?


Yes. It may have changed, but our first permanent residents visa was for 2 years. We could come and go out of the country during that 2 years, but after that we had to get a new Permanent Resident visa stamp that didn't have an end date (then we could leave and come back years later if we wanted). 
And during that 2 years you had to be in the country for a certain number of days or (at their discretion) they could have chosen to give another PR visa with an end date.


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## escapedtonz

walshdon said:


> Once you have got your permanent residence in nz do you need to stay in the country for a certain amount of time to keep it valid?


Hi,

Like many you may be a bit confused or misled ?

Since the introduction of the Immigration Act 2009, anyone successfully applying for "Permanent Residency" or what they thought was Permanent Residency (like me) was in fact granted "Residency" - RV instead of PRV!

Permanent Residency or PRV is another visa and unobtainable unless you have first held Residency or RV.

RV allows permanent stay in NZ as long as you never leave after the initial 2yrs!!!
For the first 2 years of RV one can come and go as you please as RV includes the old Returning Residency visa or RRV part which used to be a separate stamp but was abolished with the new or revised act.

After the 2yrs is up the travel condition expires thus that if you left you would not be allowed to return.
To allow a return after the 2yrs you must apply for PRV which is a different visa to RV as I say - the difference being PRV removes all travel conditions meaning one can come and go as you please permanently, forever, eternity 

This visa can only be applied for after holding RV for a minimum 2yrs and has criteria that you have to meet - one of them being you must have resided in NZ for a minimum of 184 days in each of the 2yrs prior to application for this visa plus there are other conditions to be met and there is a further fee of $180 per person.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/alreadyinnz/residents/nextsteps/prvrequirements.htm 

Clear as mud ?


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## kentuk

Thanks for the info above I wasn't exactly sure of the difference. I have been a resident for almost 2 years so will be applying for the permanent resident visa soon. Exciting!


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## jsharbuck

How much of a help is buying a house in obtaining Perm Residency.. I know that is one of the qualifiers.


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## walshdon

So if in 2012 I stayed for the required amount of days as I arrived in July 12 and in 2013 I stayed for the required days does that qualify?


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## escapedtonz

kentuk said:


> Thanks for the info above I wasn't exactly sure of the difference. I have been a resident for almost 2 years so will be applying for the permanent resident visa soon. Exciting!


Cool. 
11 months for us.


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## escapedtonz

jsharbuck said:


> How much of a help is buying a house in obtaining Perm Residency.. I know that is one of the qualifiers.


Yeah owning a home in NZ as a resident meets one of the five qualifiers for PR


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## escapedtonz

walshdon said:


> So if in 2012 I stayed for the required amount of days as I arrived in July 12 and in 2013 I stayed for the required days does that qualify?


Yes assuming you apply for PR after your 2 year anniversary in July 2014, so your qualifying periods are the 12 month periods July 2012 - July 2013 and then July 2013 to July 2014.


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