Residence through Partnership

[kakite]

Kia Ora everyone,

I'm over the moon - today I got my work visa through partnership approved. My husband and I are very happy. Because we haven't lived together for one year yet, my work visa is only valid for one year and expires in August 2015.

In June 2015 we will have lived together for one year and then I would like to apply for residence. I'm a little bit confused because I know the processing times for residence can be quite long. I can only apply for residence on June 15th 2015 when we have lived together exactly for 12 months but my visa will expire on the 10th of August 2015. So there is not much time in between. Do they do interim visas in situations like that as well? My husband is a New Zealand citizen and by June next year we are going to meet all the requirements for residence through partnership.

Looking forward to getting some replies. I can't wait to apply for residence as my last visa application... Just want to make sure it's all on time and I want to start organizing early.

Cheers
Kakite

[JandM]

Congratulations!

There isn't an interim visa for the situation you mention - when there's quite a short time between when you can submit, and when your existing visa will expire. What happens then will depend on what the workload is like at the time at the office where you will have to submit your application for Residence. It's actually normal, if someone is on a work visa that is about to run out and has a Residence application in, to contact INZ with about eight weeks to go, to ask them, 'Is my Residence likely to be through in time, or should I apply for another work visa?' In your case, you can't apply till there are only eight weeks to go. If the office is busy, they may well tell you that you need to get another work visa to cover the time till your Residence can be considered. On the other hand, since your partnership is already accepted as genuine (to give you the work visa), that makes the Residence application an easy one to process, just checking partnership evidence for the extra time, and they COULD say they'll be able to put it through quickly. It's not possible to predict - you'll have to ask them at the time.

It's important to keep on collecting evidence of living together, of all the different kinds you must already have done, for all the time between your present work visa application and your future Residence application. INZ will be looking in detail at the 12 months preceding the application, and you need to show the continuity, with three or four pieces of evidence for every passing month. Keep on collecting, even after your Residence application goes in, because it's common for a CO to ask for more partnership proof just before the visa is issued, to cover the time the processing has taken (so they don't issue a visa to someone whose partnership has broken up).

Good luck!

[kakite]

Thanks for your reply. Yeah I thought so. I think I might just have to apply for another work visa to make sure the time in between is covered. But I'll wait for the time to come and double check with INZ as well. Yes thank you for the good advice. I'm actually quite proud of how organized we are with collecting partnership evidence by now. It's better to keep regular track of things than panicking before the time comes up when you're ready to apply.

I've submitted my application on 5th August and it's the 11th today and it's approved. They must have been able to get through files very quickly ...

[JandM]

That IS quick!

Notice, if you do have to apply for another partner-sponsored work visa, and if things are running slowly at that time, in that situation they COULD issue you with an interim visa - they're available for people who've applied while their previous visa is still in force, for another temporary work visa of the same kind (though not for going for Residence from a work visa). http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...erimvisaqa.htm

[kakite]

I know I think we made it a lot easier with organizing the papers and naming things like they named them in their requirements of partnership evidence. Really glad. I can't believe it was that fast. My current visa expires in October so I'm happy we got things sorted early.

Thank you for the additional information, will keep that in mind. I actually don't mind going for another work visa first. Applying for residence costs a bit too...

[kakite]

I got my passport back today with a blue sticker in it

I thought of doing the following:

* Apply for a work visa based on partnership again in May or June 2015 and hopefully get 2 years (my current one expires in August 2015)

* Then apply for residence once I got the work visa through partnership granted to allow enough time for it to be processed

Does that make sense?

[ChrisMwn]

If you are now living together, your should apply now for residence, with what evidence you have. INZ will defer a decision until you have lived together for 12 months. You will be asked to provide more 9and current) evidence of living together as their decision time approaches. With right timing you may be able to avoid having to renew your current temporary visas

[kakite]

We are now living together but in the application form it says: In the case of a partnership application the New Zealand partner must have been living together with the principal applicant for 12 months or more in a partnership that is genuine and stable.

We haven't been living together for 12 months (moved in together on June 15th 2014) so I don't think we can apply for it yet. I'm assuming they are saying once we have lived together for 12 months or more we can apply, not before that regardless of how long the process is taking.

[kakite]

Any ideas anyone?

[JandM]

I have heard of people who risked putting in their application for partner-sponsored Residence just A LITTLE before they have lived together for 12 months, basing this on the idea that by the time a CO has been allocated and is ready to look at their papers, they WILL by then have got 12 months' proof, or if there is a matter of a few days or a week missing by the time the CO is looking, s/he will hold on to things till they qualify. That is the situation that ChrisMWn is thinking of, I believe.

But this would not work for somebody applying 10 months before they qualify. INZ would just reject the application.