Is my partner eligible to support my future application?

[Kamilla]

Hi everybody

Thank you for such a great forum which I find to be very useful for new kiwis

Will really appreciate if you can help with the following question.

In 2012, my partner received his Residence applying from overseas. After that, his girlfriend (at that time) received a Work visa under Partnership (they had lived together less than 12 months). However, here in New Zealand after a while they broke up and she went back home.

My partner and I have been living together since April, 2014. I am on Student Visa now. This year I will apply for my Post study work visa. My question is if my partner is eligible to support my application for a residence visa under partnership, say, in May 2015?

As far as I understand from: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra.../nzpartner.htm, my partner is eligible to support my application because he has not "supported an application where a residence class visa was granted on the basis of partnership in the five years immediately preceding the date the current application is made". Am I right?

If yes, could you please also advice me how to facilitate my future application process? Any special tips?

Thank you very much and have a good day

[JandM]

I read the regulations the same way you do. Your partner didn't sponsor his previous girlfriend for Residence at all, so I don't think there shouldn't be any barrier to his supporting your application for Residence once you can show evidence of 12 months' partnership. If you still have any doubts, you could check with INZ.

Tips? Make sure you have plenty of evidence of the partnership, starting from the beginning of living together, continuing on throughout the 12 months, with three or four items of different kinds covering every month. Keep it all organized and dated. Don't stop collecting, even after your application goes in, as it's very common for the CO to ask for more evidence just before the visa is issued, to cover the time of processing - they're making sure they're not issuing a visa for someone whose partnership has broken up.

[Kamilla]

Thank you very much for your answer