J and I got exciting news this week - our applications have been approved, so we are now, officially, NZ permanent residents! We are very excited, because this is really the last legal step to live here indefinitely. Permanent residents can vote, work any job, and live here forever, so many people stay permanent residents, rather than becoming citizens. At this stage, that is our plan as well.
We were on resident visas, which did not expire, but our right to leave the country and be guaranteed return did expire, so it was important to get all this sorted before we wanted to go on another trip. And now we have!
Who knows what the future will hold, and what other adventures might come our way, but at the moment, we are loving living here and would like to stay. It is a great feeling to know that we're secure in that now, and can always have NZ as a place to call home.
How bittersweet! I am happy for you but that means you're not coming back to the states any time soon to live:(.
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