When does your visa expire?

Keeping track of your visa expiry date is important. If you hold a temporary visa (visitor, work, or student) then you can’t afford to let it expire as the consequences of being lawfully in New Zealand are serious. Keep a reminder in your diary to make sure you reapply at least 3 months before your visa expires.

If you hold a resident visa knowing the date you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa is key to completing your migration journey. The application for a Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) is online and the team at Malcolm Pacific Immigration can help you get it right – first time.

We reported last month the changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme. You can read more about those changes here.

If you have been impacted by the new AEWV rules then now is the time to take advice on what you can do to qualify for a work visa extension. We are already talking to people about signing up to English language courses, tracking down overseas work experience documents or getting overseas qualifications assessed to see if they meet new standards. In some cases, we are working with employers and clients to see if there is scope for a genuine promotion into more skilled roles. Time is critical and now is the time to get advice even if you have one or two years left on a valid visa.

If you hold another type of work visa then you may want to consider moving across to an AEWV to secure more time in New Zealand. Quite often people holding a Working Holiday Visa or Post Study "open" Work Visa can transition across to an AEWV.

The same goes for people who hold an AEWV and want to change jobs or employers. It is possible to move between jobs or employers provided you secure a Variation of Conditions to your work visa before taking up a new role.

If your job is at risk through a restructure you need to act quickly. Start looking for a new role and take advice on the next steps. Accredited Employers must notify Immigration NZ (INZ) within 10 working days of a migrant worker holding an AEWV leaving their job. Technically a work visa is no longer of the job on the visa is no longer held. There are options – take early advice.

If applying for residence is on your horizon make sure you get advice on eligibility. The team at Malcolm Pacific Immigration can complete a free assessment. Just get in touch.