Residency

A week after receiving my Approval In Principle, I took another phone call: this time from Malcolm Pacific to tell me that my passport was now available for collection. So I am now a resident of New Zealand. So far as I can see from elections.org.nz, this means that I will be eligible to vote in the General Election later this year, and in two years’ time (subject to some not-very-onerous restrictions), I’ll be eligible to apply for full citizenship. This takes five years in total.

For the time being, though, it opens up much more of the job market as many companies won’t employ people who aren’t residents, except on short-term contracts. It also means I have better access to healthcare and other such benefits.

It also means, paradoxically, that I can leave NZ (my previous work visa was only eligible as long as I remained in the country). So maybe we can pop across the ditch at some stage – although not at the moment, as flights are grounded due to the Chilean volcano ash cloud currently covering the country.

(Thank you National Geographic)