What do the famous Blue Stickers look like ?

We are all working so hard to get our visas / permits, but do you know what it looks like?
Below are examples of some of the visas and permits, along with a brief explanation of each.

You can click on each picture to have it enlarged in a new window.

Residence Permit

This is the famous PR permit which allows you to stay in New Zealand Permanently.
With this permit you are however not allowed to leave the country and return again. To leave the country and come back again you need a Returning Residents Visa (shown below) which allows you to come and go.

Leaving the country without a RRV would mean that you cannot re-enter New Zealand and would have to go through the whole process of applying for PR again.

To obtain a PR permit, you need to apply to immigrate to New Zealand.
More info on how to go about applying to immigrate to New Zealand can be found HERE.

Returning Resident's Visa

You are issued a Returning Resident's Visa along with your PR permit. You need this visa when you leave New Zealand to visit family outside New Zealand, or leave the country temporarily for any reason.
If you have a PR permit and don't have a RRV, please apply for one immediately. The form is HERE.

The RRV is only valid for a certain period of time so you need to ensure that you are back in New Zealand before the expiry date.

Also never leave New Zealand without a RRV otherwise your PR permit will expire
Also ensure that your passport is valid for the duration of your visit too .

Once your RRV has expired and you apply for a new one, they will in all likelyhood issue one for an idefinite period, which means that you can now come and go with the same ease as a natural citizen.

Work Permit - Closed

If you have a job offer in New Zealand and apply for a Work Permit, you will be issued with a closed work permit. This means that the permit only allows you to work in a specified capacity at a specified employer for a certain amount of time. You must leave New Zealand BEFORE your work permit expires or you will be deported. If this happens your chances of being accepted into any other country is as good as zero.

If you are in New Zealand on a closed work permit and you get a better job offer or your circumstances have changed and you want to change jobs. You must speak to your Immigration Case Officer BEFORE changing jobs. South Africans have been kicked out of New Zealand before because of this, so don't take chances.

The Closed Work Permit is normally issued to the Principle Applicant, ie., the person applying for the permit.

Work Permit - Open

An open work permit allows you to work in New Zealand at any employer in any capacity for the period specified on the permit. As with the Closed Work Permit, it is important to leave the country BEFORE your permit expires.

An open work permit is usually issued to the partner of the principle applicant.

If you have a different visa / permit and would like to share how it looks, then please Contact Us. Your personal details will be blanked out to protect your identity.