Hi Friends,
Shortly after we received New Zealand citizenship, I ordered our New Zealand passports. They came in the mail within a week of applying. It was quite the quick turnaround! The application process was straightforward and easy as well. We went to the AA to get our passport photos done because the photos we took ourselves didn’t meet the minimum file size requirement. The staff at the AA were great! And it took only a few minutes to get the photos done and emailed to us. I would rate my overall experience of applying for and receiving our passports a 10/10. The online application portal was easy to use, and the information they requested was minimal.1
Now that our passports have arrived, we have a total of 12 passports. I knew I needed to find a solution for carrying them efficiently while travelling, so I looked into passport bags. The largest passport bag I could find with RFID technology only had 4 slots, and I wasn’t about to buy 3 of them. So I kept searching and finally found a bag with RFID technology large enough to carry all 12 passports. Bonus that it’s crossbody and anti-theft style. Link is HERE for anyone interested. Even with all the passports in it, there is still extra space for additional items like cards or phones. And my personal favourite, it’s cute and comfortable!
Something I didn’t touch on in my previous post (that I only realised after I hit Publish) is the perks of being a New Zealand citizen and holding a New Zealand passport. When I held a Permanent Resident Visa (PRV), I didn’t think there was much that citizenship could offer me that I didn’t already have with the PRV. Turns out, I was very wrong. New Zealand citizenship offers the following perks:2
- The ability to obtain a New Zealand passport
- New Zealand citizens can visit many countries on a visa waiver basis
- The ability to live and work in Australia
- Access to New Zealand consulate services overseas
- The ability to be elected to New Zealand government or local council roles
- The ability to serve in the New Zealand armed forces
- The ability to represent New Zealand in international sport
- The option for future children, born overseas, to apply for New Zealand citizenship by descent
- Being eligible to apply for education scholarships, which are only available to New Zealand citizens
For #2, the list of countries we can now visit visa-free is HERE. This perk alone is absolutely worth getting a New Zealand passport. We can easily visit other EU countries. Seeing as we’re overdue for a vacation, this widens the possibility of places we can visit easily.
When we do visit the US, we have to travel on our US passports. The US has strict rules regarding dual citizenship, one of which is that US citizens are ineligible to enter on a visa. All US citizens must enter the country on a US passport. This includes natural-born citizens who haven’t yet declared their citizenship.
The ability to live and work in Australia is a perk we often see Kiwi friends taking advantage of. Although we don’t plan to do this, it is nice to know we could enrol in Medicare (Australia’s universal health insurance scheme) if we decided to move there (even if temporarily). I’ve seen unexpected healthcare costs send people back to their home countries, and it’s tragic.
It’s a relief to leave the visa life behind. I feel a sense of belonging here on a different level now. Becoming a citizen may not be the right decision for everyone, but it was definitely the right move for our family. It’s surreal even posting this, because when I started this blog, New Zealand was just a dream in my heart. We’ve come a long way in our almost 7 years of being here. It’s wild to think it’s even been that long!
While this may seem like a natural conclusion to this blog, I’m keen to keep it going. I have plenty of new content to add in other topics, and I’ll continue to post life updates periodically. I’ve also added some categories to this blog to keep it organised. The categories are:
- Our Story & Life in NZ Updates
- Secret Sauce Co NZ
- Homeschooling NEW
- Gluten Free Baking Adventures NEW
I have already added some posts under the new categories, so check those out if you haven’t yet! Feel free to share this blog with anyone interested in either homeschooling or gluten-free baking. I’ll be working on more new posts soon! And feel free to post in the comments any content you would like to see from me.
With Love,
The Cullums
The Cullums Immigrate 