Which visa should I get?

[rosiedodd]

Hello! I'm looking to move permanently to Auckland in April 2014, however I'm unsure which visa would be best for me to apply for. I believe I qualify for a few, but I'm not sure which is the most preferable option.

When I arrive I will have a B.A. with the American form of honors. I am looking for work as a teacher of english to speakers of other languages (ESL), although I'm unsure if I will have a job offer before I arrive. I have a good certification in such (Pass A CELTA) as well as about a years worth of experience.

However, I also will be meeting a partner in NZ. He has a stable job as a lawyer in Auckland. We will have been dating for over 18 months once I arrive, though we never officially resided together.

So I'm not sure which visa to initially apply for. Whether to try for a partnership visa, skilled migrant, or enter on a working holiday and find work and transfer to a working visa once I'm there. Of course, if I do find work before going to NZ I should be able to get a work visa prior to my arrival. Any ideas? All advice is greatly appreciated, thank you!

[Auburn]

Without having lived together, you will not be able to get a visa based on Partnership. Residence based on partnership is granted when you can prove that you have been living together in a genuine relationship. The living together part is literal. Temporary work visas based on partnership can be obtained without having lived together for one year, but you still must have lived together for around 3 months or more. I'm not sure about the other visa options, but those with more knowledge will be along directly.

[dharder]

I'd go for the working holiday visa, which is the quickest out of the lot and will give you the chance to find out what you want to do and also try to build up a record of your relationship (is the partner an NZ citizen?). You'll be able to work and if applicable, try to find a permanent job that you can use to get a different sort of visa.

Daniela

[Karen Phillips]

I agree. The simplest solution initially is the Working Holiday Visa. You might also like to be checking that your degree is on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment in case you need your degree for employment in NZ. After 3 months, you could get a Partnership-based temporary work visa and after a year together, this could become a residence visa - assuming that you and your partner meet all the other criteria around character, your health status etc.