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Thread: This should be easy...right?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Auckland, NZ
    Posts
    60

    Default This should be easy...right?

    Hi everyone,

    I'm a Londoner with a Kiwi fiancée, and we're planning on moving out to NZ this year -ideally by November/December. (Kind of a scarily short timescale, but we've been talking about it for years...)

    From the outside my situation seems relatively straight-forward, as we've been together for nearly seven years and will be applying for a partnership visa...but there are a few things that are confusing us:

    1) In the Family: Partner Category section (p12) of the INZ1002 ("Residence Guide") leaflet, it doesn't explicitly mention that applicants (in that category) have to meet the minimum income requirements, but on p13 (under "Family: Parent Category") it says that "Your sponsor and/or their partner must meet a minimum income requirement to demonstrate that they are able to financially support you" - So, does this apply to Partner Category applications too?

    2) Why am I convinced that if the minimum income figure does apply (currently around NZ$30000), that we actually need twice that? She's a home-bound Kiwi, after all so I don't think that she'd need to meet the requirement? (Yes, the answer to this question could be: "You're crazy/ill-informed/stupid/all of the above")

    3) The INZ1002 guide also mentions that a permanent resident visa may be awarded if all the other requirements are fulfilled. Does anyone have any direct experience of this?

    Thanks in advance, all!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,822

    Default

    Hello and welcome.

    There isn't any income requirement for the partnership category.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Poole, UK to Chch, NZ
    Posts
    2,064

    Default

    If you've been living together for the last 12 months and beyond, you have no skeletons in your closet and medical history is fine... you are IMHO very likely get your visa through within a few months (maybe even weeks!)

    And no, there is no minimum income requirement!

    I don't know about the PR bit - the change in naming systems not so long ago still confuddles me..

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,822

    Default

    There are certain conditions (on a partnership application) for getting an award of Permanent Residence immediately, without getting just Residence first. From this page: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra.../residence.htm

    Most people who are eligible are initially granted a resident visa then progress to a permanent resident visa by making another application after they meet the commitment to New Zealand criteria. However, new policy settings enable a small number of residence applicants to progress directly to a permanent resident visa. These are:

    foreign national partners of New Zealand citizens (and the partner’s dependent children) where:
    the New Zealand citizen has been living overseas for at least five years, or has been in New Zealand for three months or less after living overseas for at least five years, and
    the partnership has been ongoing for at least five years.
    I haven't so far seen anyone on this forum going through on that basis, but then, the new law has only been in force since the end of last November.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Auckland, NZ
    Posts
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    Default

    Thanks both - much appreciated: It looks like we'll be the test case!

    We've been together for nearly seven years (in the UK), neither of us have had any run-ins with the police/justice system, our skills are broadly transferrable, and we've got lots of evidence of financial interdependancy, joint foreign travel, shared homes/lives, acceptance/acknowledgement of the relationship from friends and family, etc. The only problem may be that I've been a smoker for a number of years, but I'm in the process of giving-up. (Yeah, that bit might need more willpower than luck.)

    I'll keep you posted...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Kapiti Coast, NZ
    Posts
    157

    Default

    Smoking won't affect the outcome unless your chest x-rays are bad. I don't even think you need chest x-rays as you're not from a high risk TB country like us. We were both smokers for almost 20yrs when we applied - given up now and it didn't affect anything at all. Maybe if your pack count calculation is outrageous on the medical forms it may make a difference?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    4,455

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JaniceW View Post
    ...
    I don't even think you need chest x-rays as you're not from a high risk TB country like us.
    ...
    Just to clarify...
    Everyone who applies to live here for more than 12 months must have a full medical and chest x-ray certificate.
    Except
    Children under 11 years and women who are pregnant are not required to undergo a chest X-ray examination unless requested by INZ.
    You may be thinking of...
    People visiting for 6–12 months and who are from, or have spent a lot of time in, a country with TB risk factors must have a TB chest screening x-ray.
    Ian

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    North Yorkshire, England
    Posts
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    Default

    Hi scorchio,

    My OH is also hoping to get a PR visa straight away but we are a bit held up at the moment with blood re-tests so the suspense will carry on for a while yet. I would also like to know if there is an earlybird out there who has satisfied the criteria. The race is on...........

    Tim

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    in my own little world...
    Posts
    532

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Origems View Post
    Hi scorchio,

    My OH is also hoping to get a PR visa straight away but we are a bit held up at the moment with blood re-tests so the suspense will carry on for a while yet. I would also like to know if there is an earlybird out there who has satisfied the criteria. The race is on...........

    Tim
    Tim, I've posted on your other post re the medical. My Partnership visa took 3mths so no 'earlybird' for me, but there have been quicker!

    The waiting is definitely the worste part of the process, well it was for me anyway.

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