(1) Requirements for a permanent resident visa

To be eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa (PRV), the principal applicant in your original residence application must:

  • hold a resident visa, or have held one in the last three months
  • hold, or have held, that resident visa for at least two years continuously
  • meet relevant character requirements, and

If you were not the principal applicant in the original residence application, you normally cannot apply for a permanent resident visa unless you apply at the same time as the principal applicant or later.See our immigration instructions for RV1.20 for exceptions to this requirement.

Under some residence categories, applicants may be granted PRVs straight away, not a Resident Visa. An example of this is under Residence from Work, where a person may be granted a PRV if they work for an accredited employer, earn a base salary of at least NZ$90,000 per year and meet the Normal Residence from Work Criteria.