some difficult questions regarding partnership visa

[enzstuff]

Hi all,

NZ citizen here looking for advice regarding a partnership visa for my girlfriend. It's a bit of a wall of text but I have tried to provide as many details as possible and want to try and get as many potential questions answered now so we know what we are in for.

Background:-
I met a Russian woman 15 months ago (January 2014) at the beach in Thailand in the last few days of my holiday with friends. We stayed in touch in the 8 months following only intermittently.

I've just recently returned from 9 months travelling. During this time I did the trans-Siberian railway where I visited her in her home town in Russia for one week (September 2014) and she came to visit me in Thailand for two weeks (February 2015).
After our second meeting (in Russia) we decided she would come to visit me somewhere in Asia (ultimately Thailand in February 2015 as above). After this third meeting we decided we would try to figure out a way we can be together.

My thoughts:-
There is nowhere practical where Russian and NZ citizens can both live and work easily. Although I can get working holiday visas for many places she cannot. She has a university degree and a good job but based on her amount of work experience and English level (good but not fluent) I don't think she will qualify for any visa in NZ on her own (except tourist). Therefore the only option I see is to try to apply for the partnership visa. To do this we need to live together first. Unfortunately for me this means traveling to Russia and living in Siberia where I cannot work, on a visa which lasts maximum 90 days. This will be expensive for me and a challenging 3 months, essentially the only reason to go to Russia is to satisfy the visa requirements.

Questions:-
1) Does the fact that we have known each other for 15 months and met in person 3 times count for anything? If so can you give me any advise on how we should present this in our application. Note that we are not officially in an exclusive relationship (although we kind of are since our last meeting). I just do not want to do long distance but we will be in a monogamous relationship "officially" once we are living together.
2) Further to question 1) I think this will be the most important time period to explain in our application aside from when I'm living in Russia. After meeting in Thailand I made my way back to NZ over a period of 6 weeks through some countries in Asia as I was not finished travelling when she came to meet me. The main reason I came home is to apply for the visa for Russia. During this time we kept in touch most days on either skype or facebook. During this two month period (two weeks together and 6 weeks while I've been making my way home) we've essentially been in a relationship together in our eyes. Does this count for anything or not as we are not "living together". Do you have any advise on how I should word it in the application?
3) I understand the partnership visa route requires evidence of living together for up to one year and that immigration NZ will take applications seriously after 2-3 months. Therefore preferably ASAP (but I assume it will be sometime near the end of my time in Russia) she will apply for the visa. Presumably immigration NZ will take a while to look at our application, by which time I will have to leave Russia and we will no longer be living together. This will be a red flag on their "box ticking" list. How much compassion are they going to have for our reasonably impossible situation to continue to live together?
4) Continuing from question 3, can she come to NZ on some sort of visa, even a visitor visa, without causing any issues while we wait for immigration NZ to process the partnership visa? This way we can continue to live together and satisfy immigration NZ's requirements.
5) I will not be opening a bank account in Russia, and we will not have a joint account, or shared bills. It is just not practical. In Russia, foreigners must register their address with the authorities (hotels do it for you but when staying at a private apartment the landlord must register me at the post office). Will this be sufficient? Our arrangement will likely be, that she continues to pay the rent and any expenses for the car and I will pay for grocery bills and any meals out or entertainment. What advise can you give me here on documenting our expenses and shared living costs?
6) I will obviously be meeting her friends and family while in Russia. Without it seeming forced or unnatural, what would you recommend I keep in mind with regard to collecting evidence here? Again, more box ticking but I don't want to come out the other side of this and have our application declined because I don't have a photo of us with her great grandmothers pet cat!
7) The average salary in Russia is about $1000 per month so even on a good wage travel is difficult. This means I would likely be contributing to the cost of any visas and flights and paying for her expenses in NZ initially until she gets a job. At any stage does this need to be disclosed and do I have to prove that I have a certain amount of funds? Will this affect any other visas she applies for in the interim as asked about above in question 4) until the partnership visa is approved?
8) Based on everything above what is your recommendation on the types of visas we apply for and when?

[Karen Phillips]

I think it would be very difficult for you to get a partnership visa right now - as I can see you understand. However, if you both explain your relationship and provide as much evidence as you can, then she might be granted a general visitor visa to allow her to travel to NZ, spend more time with you and get to see the country (key words!). She would be advised to do the whole medical and character stuff, get a letter from you offering her accommodation etc for the time she is in NZ and also, this is very important, evidence, that if things don't work out long term for the two of you, she has the money and the motivation to return to her home country. This could include letters from immediate family stating that she has a home with them, maybe a letter from an employer saying that her job is being kept open. If she can provide evidence or at least mention in a cover letter that she has travelled outside Russia before and never overstayed, always complied with the terms of the visa etc, this would help. She needs to show that she has $400 NZ a month (say $2400) in a bank account and sufficient to purchase a return flight. You could complete an INZ1025 - but you need to make it very clear that this is a visit to see if things will work out and if they don't, that she will return to her own country and not become an over-stayer. If all goes well, about 3 months after her arrival, she could apply for a partnership-based work visa and this should be successful and for one year. Once she has been in NZ for a year, she can then apply for residence as your partner. Hope this helps! I can't guarantee it will work. I have not found all INZ offices as supportive as others in this sort of situation.

[enzstuff]

Thank you for your reply some very good and un sugar-coated advice but it's a different point of view to what I've seen by searching previous threads (it looks like people are having some success applying for the partnership visa with only two-three months living together). Hoping to hear from some more people.

[Karen Phillips]

It is indeed possible to get a partnership based work or visitor visa after 3 months but as I tried to hint, there is a big difference in success rates between different INZ offices. My Russian clients have not had an easy time of it.

[JandM]

I don't think anyone is going to be able to tell you any better news, or hopes, than Karen has. Wishing the two of you all the best.

[Crackers]

Hi enzstuff,
Moscow branch is rather strict with their requirements, so I doubt that your girlfriend will get a partnership visa even if you spend more time in Russia. They would consider your relationship as a social interaction (holiday for example) than a demonstration of an ongoing and committed relationship. So my advise is to apply for a general visitor visa, let's say for 3 months, with all your supportive documentation. She doesn't need any medicals or police clearance for that. Quite possibly they would issue a limited visa instead. But if she is lucky then she can apply for a partnership visa onshore.
P.S. I'm from Russia and I went through all that partnership based paperwork both there and here not long ago.

[JandM]

Thanks for this supportive answer.

Please can you not say you're 'advising' people. This is because it's against NZ law to give immigration advice if you're not a Licensed Immigration Adviser. There's a thread explaining about it in the Lounge area, which you will be able to see when once you have made five posts on any threads. Thank you.

[dharder]

I don't really have a lot to add, except that I do think Karen has put this as realistically as you will hear it. Even though you might consider this a relationship, you must be aware that it might not really meet the standards of 'genuine and stable' in the eyes of others.

In any case. I have said this before in another thread. As you know, NZ is a small place, and chances are people know someone you know in real life, in the forum, etc. I would not post anything here in this public forum that you would not want immigration to know. It sounds as if you are intending to use the last 15 months as part of proof of your relationship, but saying that you are not really in an exclusive, monogamous one now would seem to contradict that. Just be aware that this is a public forum, and you cannot assume that what is written here stays here.

[Crackers]

No, I'm definately not an adviser, I just decided to share my own experience. I am originally from Russia and now residing with my partner in NZ. I can email you all my NZ partnership visas to prove it if necessary.

[JandM]

I understand that you're not an adviser, and I understand you just want to help - which is great, and thank you!

But for the sake of the ENZ forum, just please don't SAY 'I advise you to (whatever)' or 'my advice to you is (whatever)'. The forum is not allowed to advise, or let members advise (if they're not licensed). We share experiences, and pass on links to official information, or other people's accounts of what they had to do.