Commitment to New Zealand

By:
In: Residence Visa, Visa Policy
Tagged: , , , ,

To be granted permanent residence, you need to show us you’re committed to living in New Zealand permanently.

There are five ways you can show us your commitment to living in New Zealand permanently.  We need to see evidence of at least one of them.

Acceptable evidence of your commitment to living in New Zealand

1. You have spent enough time in New Zealand

You have spent 184 days or more in New Zealand as a resident in each of the two 12 month portions of the 24 months immediately preceding your application for permanent residence.

Evidence

We’ll check our records of your travel movements.

2. You have New Zealand tax residence status

You are a tax resident in New Zealand if you:

  • have been in New Zealand as a resident for 41 days or more in each of the two 12-month portions of the 2 years before you apply for permanent residence, and
  • are assessed as having tax residence status for the 2 years before you apply for permanent residence.

If you have tax residence in another country, even if it’s one that New Zealand has a double tax agreementwith, you can’t use your tax residence status there to show your commitment to New Zealand.

Evidence

Either:

  • a statement from Inland Revenue
  • a completed Confirmation of Tax Resident Status endorsed by Inland Revenue.

3. You have invested in New Zealand

You have had NZ$1,000,000 invested in New Zealand in an acceptable investment for two years or more.

Evidence

Acceptable evidence of the value and ownership of funds and/or assets can include:

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

4. You have a business in New Zealand

You’ve either bought or started a business in New Zealand a year or more ago. The business must be trading successfully and of benefit to New Zealand in some way. If you bought into an existing business in New Zealand you must have at least a 25% share in the business.

Evidence

We will need to see both:

  • a set of 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 a going concern.

5. You have established a base in New Zealand

You have established your base in New Zealand by having:

  • lived in New Zealand as a resident for at least 41 days in the year before you applied for permanent residence
  • and everyone else included in your residence application has been living in New Zealand for at least 184 days in the 2 years before you applied for permanent residence

You must also have either:

  • Purchased a home 12 months before or after becoming a resident, still own that home and live there now, or
  • worked full-time in New Zealand for 9 months or more in the 2 years before you applied for permanent residence.
Evidence of owning a home
  • your house deed
  • mortgage documents
  • rates demands
  • home insurance papers
  • household bills e.g. power, phone.
Evidence of employment
  • an employment agreement
  • pay slips
  • confirmation from your employer.

If you work for commission and/or a retainer, you can’t use your employment to show you have an established base in New Zealand.

Evidence of employment, if self-employed
  • documents showing you have established, bought or have shares in a business
  • documents showing you are actively involved in running the business.

 

source: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/tools-and-information/general-information/commitment-to-new-zealand