Partnership Permanent Residency advice needed!

[andriasneddon]

Hello everyone!
My Kiwi fiance and I moved to Wellington about two and a half months ago, and are settling into the city while trying to find jobs. I'm here on a 2 year partnership work visa, which I've had in the past once before from 2008-2010. We're hoping to get the process going for my NZ Permanent Residency application before the end of this year. We're just waiting for his criminal record check to come back from Canada (where we met), and we're trying to put together some documents for Immigration to prove that we're in a stable relationship. We're not planning a wedding at this point because this application is the biggest thing on our future "radar" at the moment, and we want to know that I can stay and we can live normally before we get married, and we're not in any rush! We're applying for life insurance together, and have years worth of photos and emails and cards. We have a joint bank account, but no utilities bills together in the past or at the moment because our past and current apartments have included all utilities (lucky us, I guess!). I've applied for PR in the past when my partner and I were living apart (I was in Canada and he was in NZ) but our application was returned because I didn't meet the residency requirement. We've been together for about 6 1/2 years and have lived together for about 4 of those years. So we're giving it another go, in the same country this time
I'm looking to hear from other people who are going through a similar situation or have been through it in the past, who might be able to answer a few questions and offer some encouraging words as we begin what I expect to be a long process.
-Any suggestions on other relationship evidence that we can provide, based on what I've mentioned already?
-Any ideas about how long the whole process would take, and what the stages are (residency visa vs. permanent residency?)
Thanks so much!

[JandM]

You will be applying in the first place for a partner-sponsored Residence visa. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...ly/default.htm

Once you have Residence, you can qualify for Permanent Residence after a minimum of two years, in the same way as all other Residence holders, however they got Residence. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...quirements.htm

There are plenty of old threads to find on here about partnership evidence. What strikes me about what you are saying - no utilities bills - is to make sure you get plenty of mail addressed to you both at your new home, whether together or each as an individual, particularly from officialdom and organizations (keep the envelopes as well). INZ are going to be looking to see *something* for every month or so, showing that you're still together, over the last 12 months preceding your application.

[jawnbc]

I have friends whose relationship started whilst one was here and the other in the States. The American was allowed to come on the 2 year visa (he refers to it as a "work visa", which confuses people who've already researched their options), then applied for his residency visa when the 2 years were up. So he's about a year out before he can apply for citizenship. His advice to people: "when in doubt, include more sh!t (documentation and evidence).

Good luck!