Partner sponsored visa question about "living together" requirements.

[Jassy]

Hello...

Just a quick question... My boyfriend arrives in 2 weeks on his WHV and we will be getting a place together so we can accumulate as much of the 12 months cohabitation required to apply for the partner sponsored visa next year.

It has been mentioned to me by someone that they will not accept applications where a couple lived with flatmates... Is this true?? And why? Does this mean our only option is to live together alone? Like just us? - this would really limit our options.

We were hoping to maybe move in with another couple in an already established flat, or get an empty 3-4 bedroom place and get a flatmate or 2. I don't see how this would affect our application or the validity of our relationship, but if it will in ANY WAY, make it more difficult, I want to know in advance.

Thanks.

[dharder]

I don't know the answer to that, haven't heard or read about this as a requirement for the NZ application at all.

100s of years ago (okay, only feels like it, probably was the mid nineties), it was a condition for a partnership based visa to stay in the UK: They only considered it living together as a couple if it was just the couple. Student flatting together with others did not count.

I have never heard the same applied to a NZ based partnership visa, though.

You could ask INZ directly, I think that would probably be safest and easiest option.

Good luck,

Daniela

[catt]

It may be to do with utility bills as in whose names are on them. Items which you will need to submit to prove you have been living at the same address with the appropriate dates i would think. If you are not the renter then the bills would not be in your names except for personal items such as telephone bill if you are on a contract.

[JandM]

I'm with catt's guess, in that this rumour you have heard may be based on what you can prove, proof they can tick boxes for being INZ's way of working. (And I'm just thinking of various people I've shared accommodation with back in the day, while in NO WAY being anywhere near a partner - ew! ) Yes, check with INZ, so you can get your precious year off on the right footing. I don't think that there being other people in the flat/house would OF ITSELF be a block, because there are plenty of couples who have got their visas while staying with parents or other family members. It's probably dependent just on how the formalities are set up, so it's easy to SHOW that you are a pair.

[Jassy]

Ok.. thanks guys.

I suppose if we got and empty place then and had the lease and all the bills in our names, then a flatmate or 2 probably wouldn't matter.
I will check directly with INZ just to be sure though.

Thanks again.

[sophiedb]

Definitely check with INZ, but I can tell you that my first partnership visa (way back in 2002!!!) was based on time spent living with hubby (at that time my bf) and various other couples in a flatshare. Our names were on all the bills, so we had that as "proof" to send in. Two of the couples we shared with also got partnership visas, and because their names weren't on our rental agreement we wrote statutory declarations to say that they were flatting with us - they did have other official-looking post coming to them at that address though, like their bank statements and cellphone bills.

That said, all of this was in Australia. The systems are similar but by no means identical!