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Thread: Resident Visa via Partnership

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    15

    Default Resident Visa via Partnership

    Good day,

    It's my first time to post here, I am amaze how people here help each other by sharing facts and their opinions. Let me start by giving a little of background on my application.

    Applying for: Residence Visa under Partnership (we are living in Sydney)
    Lodge my application: 18th of March (Christchurch Branch)
    Received confirmation about my application: 20th of March (via mail)
    Documents submitted: Marriage certificate (married in Sydney 2012)
    Medical Certificate and chest x-ray (General)
    Police certificate with fingerprint (both of us)
    Photos together, with family, with friends (like a scarp book)
    travel documents (itineraries) / hotel bookings
    Cards and letters from one another (since 2010)
    Correspondence/Proof of address (gym membership, car insurance, car registration)
    Joint bank account with both of our salary being deposited to that account and some
    of our bills and payment being deducted there as well, (since 2012). NZ bank
    account (2013)
    Remittances/money transfer (since 2010)
    Concerns:
    - The confirmation we received from them stated that they will allocate a CO within 4months period (10days in their
    website). Does this mean the time frame for processing will be greater than 6months? (stated in their website)

    - If ever granted, can we still stay in Sydney for a year or two to settle everything before we live to NZ?

    - Can anyone share their experience and the time frame in CHCH branch?

    Really hoping you can give your insights. Thanks

    Exy

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    INZ timings are never a promise, always their best guess. What's on the website will have been written based on how things were going at the time that page was last updated. What you were told will have been based on how things were going when the official wrote it. And these are generalities, whereas individual cases vary, depending on complexity, and depending on how quickly (or not) people respond to the questions as the CO verifies ever piece of your evidence. It will take as long as it takes.

    If you are notified you (or your partner) have been Approved for Residence, you have 6 months to pay the Migrant Levy and send in your passport, then you have a small wait for that to happen, then, from the date on the visa, you have a further 12 months (no excuses accepted, so allow time for travel delays, or the visa could lapse) to arrive in NZ and activate the visa by presenting it at Immigration at the airport.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    15

    Default

    Hi all,

    Thank you for a prompt reply JandM! Got an unexpected visit from the courier guy last Tues (1st of April) and to my surprise, the CO of Immigration CHCH branch returned my documents with a note that I need a time line of my relationship with my wife, It is one of the requirements that I overlooked. I am almost finish with the time line but If someone will throw some additional ideas how to do it then I would appreciate it much. In a way I am happy that they allocated a CO in exactly 10 days after my application has been submitted and finger crossed I hope everything will go well.

    exy

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    The timeline is just to make things super-easy for the CO to see that you're in line with the rules. It only needs to be a listing of dates that are significant (e.g. when you first met, first moved in together, any house moves, your wedding, etc.), connected in to the evidence you've already supplied. Think of it that the CO is being told, 'We're a couple since 2010 (or whenever),' so s/he will be looking for the proof that backs that up. June, 2010? - oh, yes, both names on the house rental. July 2010 - picture of them both at cousin's wedding. Also July 2010 - air tickets for them both for their holiday. And so on and so on. Remember that the basic requirement is for 12 months' partnership, so you need to cover the last 12 months up till now very thoroughly - even the time AFTER you put in your application will help, since INZ are very careful not to issue a visa to anyone if the couple has now split up, and often ask for more partnership proof just before the visa is granted.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    15

    Default

    Thanks for the info, I was just thinking, since we are a in a relationship since 2009 (living together now for 2 years), is it possible to apply directly for PR? I just thought I read something about applying for PR if the relationship is 5 years or more

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    See F2.5.1 here. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/46503.htm Point out in a covering letter that you have been together that long, overseas, and show sufficient proof, and you should get PR.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    1,547

    Default

    Hi. If the NZ partner has been out of NZ for more than 2 years, then the visa is processed in the priority stream. To go straight to Permanent Residence, the NZ partner needs to have been out of NZ for 5 years and the partnership needs to be fully provable for 5 years, including living together for 5 years, so you may not yet be eligible for Permanent residence straight off - just residence. Without knowing more about your situation, I can't be sure. It's a shame if you can't go to PR, because with PR there is no time in which you have to travel to NZ to activate the visa. It is active immediately on payment of the Migrant Levy.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    15

    Default

    My wife has been in Sydney since 2005 and we are in a relationship since 2009, though I worked overseas we tend to see each other at least 3 times a year (either she visits me or I visit her to Sydney). In 2012, we got married and I moved to Sydney and lived as a normal couple. We have been emotionally together in those years that we are apart (2009-2012) and I think we can provide sufficient proof like travel bookings/itineraries , remittances, cards and some family recognitions photos and events etc. I know one of the requirements must be living together for 5 years but I am just double checking if living together means Physically together or living and being in a stable partnership for 5 years?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    No, it has to be physically living together for five years.

    Partnership based visas are the ones which require least proof for INZ (only the partnership, along with character and health like all visas), so they are the most often targeted by fraudsters, wanting someone to lie to get them a visa. Therefore, they are very carefully checked by INZ. It is not possible to take out and look at people's emotions, so the rules have been made to take partnership as consisting ONLY of matters which can be objectively proved - the couple living a shared life based in one place, and having financial and practical interdependence.

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