Limited Visitor Visa Extension --Is it possible?

[eyeney_04]

Hi admin. I applied for a general visit visa and was granted a limited visitor visa instead. INZ officer told me that my intention of coming back in my country is not sufficient enough. Hence, she granted me a limited visa so that I can be reunited with my fiance.

Is there a way that I can extend my visa after 2 months? My fiance and I are planning to get married in New Zealand after a week or two on my arrival there. After we got married, we will apply for a Permanent Residency. But since I was granted a limited visa only, I have to come back here in my country and apply again for a visit visa. Is there a circumstance that a limited visa was extended? If so, how? and why?

Thank you so much. I badly need your opinion/advice on here.

[JandM]

As you will see here http://www.dol.govt.nz/immigration/k...base/item/1112 you would need to apply for a different kind of visa - you can't EXTEND the visa.

There are two possibilities that spring to mind - the partner-sponsored temporary work visa, and the partner-sponsored visitor visa. Usually, INZ prefer a longer time of evidence (as we know from experience) for these partner sponsored visas, but there is nothing in the regulations that says this, and therefore, nothing to stop you collecting evidence of partnership (living together) from the MOMENT you arrive in NZ, and applying shortly before your existing visa expires.
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...milystream.htm
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...tm#workpartner
What has happened to some people is that they've applied for the work visa, and sometimes been granted the visitor visa instead, if it was a question of shortage of evidence/time. (I'm remembering a couple of cases where the couple applied from outside NZ, there.)

You don't necessarily have to go back to the Philippines in order to get another visa. If you apply for a different visa and it hasn't been processed before the first one expires, an interim visa exists to keep you legal while the processing goes on. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...erimvisaqa.htm If this happens to you, remember to KEEP COLLECTING EVIDENCE OF PARTNERSHIP all the while, because the longer the time together you can prove, in the more different ways, the better the case when it comes to be considered. If you get one of the partner-sponsored kinds of visa, you will also need to add this early evidence on to qualify as soon as possible for partner-sponsored Residence (which needs a minimum of 12 months).

[eyeney_04]

Thank you so much for the reply .. however, i was granted a limited visa subject to the terms:

The following conditions apply to limited visas:
you must leave New Zealand no later than the date on which the visa expires or you will become liable for deportation - do i really have to go back to the Philippines?

you may not apply for a visa of a different class or type, whether before or after your visa expires, while you are in New Zealand

you may not request a special direction or a visa under section 61 of the Immigration Act 2009, whether before or after your visa expires, while you are in New Zealand

you may not appeal, whether before or after your visa expires, to a court or the Tribunal (other than an appeal under sections 194 or 195 of the Immigration Act 2009)



Is interim visa still applicable to my case? If so, to which country should i submit my application and under what type of visa will i'll be applying again? My fiance is currently holding a working visa.

[eternalkiwi]

Interim Visa's are not applied for, they are issued by Immigration at the discretion of the Visa Officer.

My understanding is that the conditions of a limited visa (previously called Limited Purpose Visa) must be followed and cannot be changed or extended.
Therefore you must leave NZ before your visa expires. One possible option instead of returning to NZ is if you could gain a visitor visa to another country (e.g. Australia). As you are no-longer in NZ you could apply for a partner sponsored visitor visa from that country to enable you to return NZ.

If you keep collecting evidence from now, you will have the best chance of proving your relationship to qualify for a partner sponsored visa when you do return to NZ after your limited visa visit.

[JandM]

That's the first time I've seen the conditions of a limited visa, and they seem to have got everything sewn up, not leaving any loopholes. I agree with everything eternalkiwi has said.