Here's Hoping.........

[NZMagpie]

Hi All.......just a couple of questions if anyone can help.

I'm a Kiwi married to a US citizen for nearly 5yrs. We're living in Oregon and wanting to move back home.

We're opting for a partner type visitors visa for now, (working is not an option at the moment & residency will take too long & be too costly if we're declined), & I need to know a couple of things before submitting paperwork.

1. I know we are going to need a character waiver, do you provide character letters from people with the application or do you have to wait for them to request them? (that's assuming they don't just say a flat out no of course).

2. If it's granted ......how long do you have to get down there?
& also once there how long would you have to wait before you can apply for residency?


Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers
Kim

[JandM]

1. It may be helpful to look at the fine detail of the instructions about character for the temporary and the residence visas. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/35052.htm

What is normally done is for the applicant to submit their application along with the police check certificate which shows the offence(s). Then the INZ official will contact the applicant asking for their comments on their record. They then have to come up with a reply which gives an account of their circumstances at the time (so, any extenuation possible), their present-day attitude to what they did, and how they have now changed so such a thing would never happen again. This is when they would also submit any character references they can obtain, preferably from people of standing in the community who have known them for some time (that is, not just family or friends).

2. I don't know how long a partner-sponsored visitor's visa gives you to arrive.

You can apply for Residence at any time when you can show evidence of having been living together for 12 months or more, so you could do it now or at any time you want to, regardless of whether you have a temporary visa first.