Partnership Residence

[Babkat]

Hello everyone!
After having read so many post here I decided that I should post something too Just looking for some advice/ support...
I have just sent my residence application to London (what a loooong process that is) and only a day after I received an email from my case officer. I was very surprised at how fast the office is working.

Just a little info about my background:
My NZ partner and I have been together for a little more than 4 years but because of many commitments in two different countries we were also apart for long bits in between. I spent last year in NZ on a partnership work visa but had to come back home after 10 months. Now my partner is with me in my home country and we submitted the application for residence.

Before that he always came on extended visits to see me (some 4 months long, some a bit shorter) and we also lived in Ireland for 4 months before going to NZ last year.

After reading many posts here I was sure I included absolutely everything in my application, but now my case officer is asking for more evidence that we have lived together. As I understand we provided enough evidence for the partnership, that we are genuine and everything, just not enough evidence for living together. We definately have the 4 months in Ireland covered, as well as NZ (10 months), but we don't have enough documents to show that we have been living together in my home country as well, as he didn't open a bank account, utility bills not in his name, no letters to the same address....it was just never necessary.

We are all set up in NZ- appartment, car, furniture, bank accounts etc. and I was so sure that I'll be going back there soon. My partner is still studying, so coming here wouldn't be an option and I would really like to start my tertiary study too at some stage. I have been putting it off for a long time now.
I am just so concerned that the application will be declined, or if I am offered a work visa I will have to go through the whole process again and study will have to wait another two years...

Just looking for some advice, maybe some people who are going through the same thing at the moment...

[JandM]

As I understand we provided enough evidence for the partnership, that we are genuine and everything, just not enough evidence for living together.

As far as INZ is concerned, a partnership is defined as living together. They have to tick the boxes for the criteria mentioned in their rules.

Evidence of partnership
Evidence of partnership may be provided by:

•marriage certificate (if married)
•civil union certificate (if in a civil union)
•proof of shared residence (such as joint mortgage or tenancy agreements or rent book)
•financial dependence or interdependence (proof of shared income or bank accounts, or accounts that show money transfers to or from your account to your partner’s account)
•birth certificates of your children
•any documents showing public or family recognition of your relationship
•correspondence (including postmarked envelopes) to you and your partner at the same address
•photographs of you and your partner together
•evidence of the duration of your relationship
•the degree of commitment to a shared life
•evidence of communication between you both
•evidence of you being committed to each other emotionally and exclusively, such as evidence of joint decision making, an exclusive sexual relationship, and the sharing of household duties, parental responsibility, and spare time.
We may verify any documents you provide.

Note: If you have been living apart from your partner for any significant period during your relationship, you must also provide evidence of the length of any periods of separation, the reasons for them, and how your relationship was maintained during these periods.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...artnership.htm

It is no use thinking that they OUGHT not to need anything else - if they are asking for it, you have to do something to fill the gap. Can you get letters from people that know you both as a couple in your home country, saying that they know you lived there together? Can you get photos of you both at functions there? Are you sure he never got any mail at your address?

[Haydinho]

Hi Babkat,

Sorry for getting a little of topic here, but i notice that you spent last year in NZ on a partnership work visa.

I am a Kiwi and i am currently undergoing this process (2 year partnership work visa) with my fiance. We are both outside of NZ so will be applying at the local NZ embassy here in Brazil.
We have been living together for almost 2 years, have a joint bank account, a Stable Union document, evidence of traveling together, photos with friends and family etc

I would like to know more about the process you went through to obtain your partnership work visa, the time it took etc. I am concerned about our application as money is tight for us currently and i dont want any delays or worse a denied application as we have tickets booked for April.

Any information you or your partner could give us would prove very helpful.

Thanks, Haydinho

[juniperjl77]

Hi Babkat,

I am sorry I don't have any input to help you in your particular situation, but I do hope you find the answers that will bring you and your partner together once and for all.

I like Haydinho am curious about your experience with the partnership work visa. Specifically your situation when you first applied, how long you two were residing together, and what information you had to provide to show this.

Thanks in advance, and again I hope all works out for you.
j

[Babkat]

Hi everyone!
Concerning the residency- i have provided or tried ticking off most of the criteria on the list. The case officer seems to be really nice too- she asked for my addressed payslips now. Hopefully that will be enough along with the other evidence. I think our case is just confusing as my partner has lots of his mail sent to his parents house because he spent time overseas and we never got around to changing it, earthquakes and such...
And the reason why i was posting here was just because i was wondering why so much is required. I have read some posts in the past archives and some seem to require a lot less evidence but i guess that is down to the individual case officer.

The application for the work visa seemed quite straightforward- my partner and i have been living together for about half a year in total at that time and not much was required. We sent in a tenancy agreement, pictures of holidays, tickets from when we were visiting each other, lots of letters from friends and family and the whole process took about 6 weeks in total. So we were very happy

[sabrushi]

Hi Babkat!
We seem to be in the same boat here. I've recently applied for residence, through my Australian partner, and they do require a lot of evidence indeed! (although, I think it's completely reasonable)
We've started the whole process a little bit more than a month ago, and I was also pleasantly surprised at how fast they are processing my application! So far, I've been asked for more evidence twice, specifically regarding the financial inter-dependence (it's probably due to not having joint bank accounts) and the time living together.
We've been together for nearly 3 yrs, and we've been living in Auckland for more than 2yrs. We've submitted photos, letters of relatives, bank statements, tenancy agreements, and some extra bits and pieces. Our CO seems to be really nice as well.. but as JandM said, they are all about 'ticking boxes'..
I will be submitting the last requested documents on Monday, so I hope to have a 'blue bananas' post any time soon!
Cheers!
S

[Babkat]

Hi Sabrushi
Good to know that some people are in the same boat Hope it all works out fine for us, however the waiting period is really hard.
I sent in the requested documents last week so I hope to hear from my CO soon.
Keep me updated
Cheers

[sabrushi]

Hi Babkat!

My residence was approved on Feb 7th (it was exactly 1 week from the moment I submitted my last document required; which by the way, was a translation of my police clearance)

I can post my timeline for you:
13/12/11 - Application submitted
16/12/11 - Application accepted by the Henderson branch
20/12/11 - Medicals received
05/01/12 - CO asked us for evidence
11/01/12 - More evidence again..
25/01/12 - Last document requested
07/02/12 - Status Approved!
09/02/12 - Letter received
10/02/12 - Blue stickers!

I do hope everything works out just as smooth as it was for us, since I feel we have similar situations; besides of being able to stay indefinitely in the country with my partner, one of the main reasons of my residence was the opportunity to get my bachelor's degree (without paying those outrageous fees!)

If you need any help, just send me a pm..

Best of luck!

Sabrina

[Babkat]

Hi there!

I was just looging on to announce the good news but I guess you beat me to it
I'm very happy for you guys. I got the good news yesterday. I still can't believe it, I think my hands were shaking for a few hours afterwards...
All in all my application took just a few days over a month, it was accepted by the London branch Jan 10th, Jan 12th I got my first email from the case officer asking for more evidence and the letetr/email came Feb 13th. The extra evidence we had was still in NZ so it had to be sent here, which took a few weeks...

i guess now the both of us have more paperwork to fill out-enrollement forms for the degree

Good luck for you guys!!!

And I can't finish this post without :

[JandM]