Holiday Hours: Our offices close from 5.30pm, Wednesday, 18 December and reopen 8.30am on Monday, 6 January 2025. If you need urgent assistance during the holidays call 0800 800 612 to talk to a Licensed Immigration Adviser. Wishing you and your family safe and happy holidays!
Approval In Principle Information
Here we share some general information about Approval in Principle rules. This material is for information purposes only. Contact one of our Licensed Immigration Advisers for personal immigration advice.
What Happens After Approval In Principle?
At last, we ring you to tell you your residence application is Approved!
Unfortunately, this is not the end of the journey because that first "approval" is, in most cases, only an "Approval in Principle".
Change Of Circumstances
Please do not do anything to unnecessarily delay obtaining your visas and (if you are overseas) entering New Zealand.
Your grant of residence is not complete until you have entered New Zealand.
Until then:
- You are obliged to tell Immigration New Zealand of ANY relevant change of circumstance.
- A change in your circumstances could render you no longer eligible and lead to the visa being cancelled.
Useful Information
The Malcolm Pacific Immigration team of advisers and experts take away the stress and worry of navigating the complex world of New Zealand Approval in Principle, visas and immigration.
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Residence Visa
You still need to get the resident visa issued, which may take time depending on what other requirements you need to meet.
If you are an investor, you will normally need to give proof of having transferred nominated funds through the banking system and invested. If so, you have up to 12 months to complete that step.
In some cases, there may be a need to produce other documentation before the visa is issued. If your Resident Visa is issued while you are overseas, it will be valid for entry for 12 months from the date of issue.
While you have 12 months to arrive in New Zealand to activate your residence status, we encourage you to travel as soon as possible.
If your circumstances change before arrival in New Zealand, and these have not been declared and cleared by Immigration New Zealand, complications can arise at the border or in later applications. Take advice - don't delay.
If Your Circumstances Change
Not every situation is the same. However, if any change of personal circumstances happens before the resident visa is activated (either by arriving in NZ for the first time or the visa is issued when a person is already in NZ), advice must be taken.
Anything that may affect the decision to issue the visa needs to be considered. This can include changes to the job offer, new health and character problems or even a new passport.
Consult with a licensed immigration adviser who can advise on the next steps to take.
General Comments
Of course, you don't expect anything to go wrong, but if it does, all your plans can fall apart.
Please do NOT delay in completing these final steps after Approval in Principle.
Get started with a free assessment today
We are New Zealand’s largest and most experienced team of licensed immigration advisers. Our experts take away the stress and worry of navigating the complicated world of immigration. All you need to do is get in touch. Our team is on standby, ready to help.
