Q: The whole process of acquiring New Zealand citizenship.

New Zealand has three immigration status: resident (PR), permanent resident (IRRV) and citizen.

Successful application: PR (resident) -> 2-year immigration supervision -> IRRV (permanent resident) -> 3-year immigration supervision -> Citizen (citizen)

The specific process is as follows:

1, I submitted my immigration application to the New Zealand Immigration Bureau for the first time. After successful approval, I got a permanent resident visa, which is a resident visa valid for 2 years. Under normal circumstances, after getting PR, you must live in New Zealand for 184 days every year for these two years, and then apply for permanent residence.

2. After obtaining New Zealand PR, I have lived in New Zealand for 1 350 days in the last five years from the date of applying for citizenship; And stay in New Zealand for at least 240 days every year for these five years.

First of all, we must understand the difference between residents and citizens, because China is a single-ethnic country with only citizens; New Zealand is a country of immigrants. Like other immigrant countries, immigration status is divided into: residents and citizens.

New Zealand resident status refers to the right to live in New Zealand for a long time or permanently. It is protected by the laws of the New Zealand government and enjoys the rights and obligations of New Zealand residents.

New Zealand nationality, naturalization as a New Zealand citizen, holding a New Zealand passport, is also under the diplomatic protection of the New Zealand government and enjoys the rights and obligations of New Zealand citizens.

There is a difference between New Zealand's resident status and citizenship:

1, the difference between traditional addresses.

Traditionally, China citizens who have obtained the resident status of other countries and settled overseas are called "overseas Chinese"; China people who have obtained citizenship of other countries are traditionally called "foreign Chinese".

2. Differences at the legal level.

After obtaining New Zealand resident status, he is still a citizen of China and holds a China passport. Immigration New Zealand will attach a resident visa (commonly known as a green card) to your China passport, giving you the right to live in New Zealand for a long time or permanently. At this time, you have two identities: China citizen+New Zealand resident. In diplomacy, you enjoy the theoretical protection of the China government and the protection of the New Zealand government.

After acquiring New Zealand citizenship, since China does not support dual citizenship, joining New Zealand citizenship will lose China citizenship (Article 9 of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China: China citizens who have settled in foreign countries voluntarily join or acquire foreign citizenship will automatically lose China citizenship). At this time, you have a New Zealand passport and are a New Zealander in the legal sense. At this time, you only have one identity: New Zealand nationality, and you are only protected by the New Zealand government diplomatically. At this point, you will no longer have any relationship with China except the blood of Chinese descendants, and your account in China will be revoked. Legally speaking, you can no longer call yourself a China native, but you can only call yourself a China native or a Chinese New Zealander at most (if you have obtained New Zealand citizenship, it is against the New Zealand Declaration of Naturalization to insist on calling yourself a China native in public or in writing).

3. Different rights and obligations.

Mainly reflected in the right to stand for election, New Zealand residents do not enjoy the right to stand for election. In other words, you cannot stand for election as the national leader of New Zealand, and New Zealand nationality is not subject to this restriction. Secondly, the obligation of military service is different. Like any other country, New Zealand citizens have the obligation to defend their country. In the event of war, their citizenship will be required for military service, and maybe one day you or your descendants will fight other countries as New Zealand soldiers (assuming that fighting China is tantamount to brothers and sisters, but refusing to fight is tantamount to treason). Residents of all immigrant countries have no obligation to defend their country. Therefore, once the two countries become hostile or social unrest occurs, you can be a "swingman", you can return to China camp at any time and exercise your right to defend the motherland aboveboard, and you can also defect at any time and rush to the immigrant country.

4. Different rights of visa-free entry in other countries.

Only New Zealand passport holders, that is, New Zealand citizens, have the right to enter hundreds of countries without visas. China passport (China nationality)+New Zealand green card (New Zealand resident status) can easily apply for tourist visas to most countries in the world. If you only have a white passport from China and a green card from New Zealand, you won't enjoy the right of convenient passage, so it's no problem to travel around the world as long as you have New Zealand resident status.

5. The right to travel to and from China is different.

If you are a New Zealand resident, you are still a citizen of China at this time, and the motherland welcomes you to go home at any time, with only one air ticket. If you are already a New Zealand citizen, it means that you are no longer from China, and you will lose the right to freely enter and leave China and live in China for a long time. Before returning to China, you need to apply for a visa from China like foreigners from other countries. You can only enter China if it is allowed. The validity of the visa will not exceed three months, and you may be refused (yes, you are blind, and you may be refused entry. There are many examples. It should be noted that as early as 30 years ago, any act of voluntarily leaving China nationality for any reason would be officially recognized as treason, treason and betrayal of the people).

6. The effect of "regret medicine" is different.

After acquiring New Zealand citizenship, you can give up New Zealand citizenship actively or passively, and China citizenship will not be affected. However, if you voluntarily or passively give up your New Zealand citizenship after acquiring it, you may become a "stateless person". Although New Zealand recognizes dual citizenship, China does not. Once you apply for the nationality of another country, China will no longer recognize you as a citizen of China. As the saying goes, "it's going to rain, and your mother is going to get married." Since you can decide to leave China nationality, the China government does not expect you to "leave". Under the existing political, metallurgical, physical and legal framework, once you join another country's nationality, it is difficult to restore your China nationality. In a sense, you have chosen a road of no return.

7. Cancel the identity difference for some reason.

Serious crimes in New Zealand may lead to the revocation of New Zealand resident status, ranging from deportation to imprisonment; Moreover, New Zealand citizenship will not be revoked even if it is a crime (even if it is revoked, there is no place to rush, and the China government insists that there is no such person in our country).