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Posted by mrsmrfy 13 years ago.

Help please! Can anyone please help with an Australian migration consultant here in NZ?

I finally got through to someone at the Australian consulate and I was told that I would be legible for a 461 visa because I am married to an NZ citizen BUT my daughter was NOT eligible for the 461 visa because she is 19 and NOT dependent on us. I cannot understand this, she has always lived at home with us and although she does have a job it doesn't pay much and I don't feel she is able to live by herself. The lady was quite rude and not helpful at all. When I quoted the eligibility criteria on the website (relative of the partner as long as they are living in the household of the NZ citizen on 444 visa) she dismissed this and said NO, she wouldn't be eligible! I am sooo upset! I will NOT go and leave her. My husband is Kiwi (born here), her little sister is a Kiwi (born here), her brother is a kiwi (has NZ citizenship) and leaving for Oz next week! I cannot leave her in NZ if all other members of her family are going to be in Australia. Can anyone please recommend a migration consultancy firm that can help us here in NZ. The other option is to delay all our plans, we both apply for NZ citizenship and then go! However, major stumbling block is that my husband has work lined up to start soon! We have heard that NZ Citizenship applications can take up to a year!

3 replies, the latest on 10 January 2011.
Reply from graciedeska 13 years ago.

The migration agency I recommended in another post, MyAustralianVisa.com does phone and email consultations for people outside Australia, or you can search for a registered migration agent (with expertise in Australian visas) based in New Zealand here: https://www.mara.gov.au/agent/ARSearch.aspx?FolderID=394

Don't forget that if you run out of time you and your daughter could just move to Australia anyway, I believe, and apply for the visa while you are here. A good agent will help you sort something out I'm certain. Good luck!

Reply from mrsmrfy
OP
13 years ago.

Thanks Grace for all your help. It has been a roller coaster of dramas and stumbling blocks. we have decided that the best (more permanent option) is for me and my daughter to get NZ citizenship first. I know this is going to take a long time but as my husband says, it will give us peace of mind in australia that we are more permanent. I won't need to worry about losing permanent residency in NZ, paying for health insurance in Aus, worrying about whether my 461 can be extended, whether my daughter can extend her's etc... I am very disappointed (as is my husband) as I could have applied for this ages ago, I only wish I had looked a bit more closely at the 461 eligibility for my daughter. One query I have is, if we did just to Australia and apply at that end, how would we get in? what visa would we go in on? Doesn't everyone need a visa of some sort? what would we declare on the form?

Reply from graciedeska 13 years ago.

Hmmm I'm not sure actually. I had thought you might be able to go on a tourist visa and then apply for a 461 visa there, but apparently this is frowned upon. It looks like it is best to apply for the visa that you want while in New Zealand. However, waiting for your NZ citizenship will make things a lot simpler! All the best :)

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