Hi guys,
I am currently looking at getting a partner visa sometime in the future for my Thai girlfriend Oy and would like some feedback and thoughts about our situation. I met Oy during my first visit to Thailand and made a second visit 1 month later to see her again, we have know each other for approx. 6 months now. We are both very much in love and I am trying to find a path that will eventually allow us to live together permanently. Here's our current situation:
I am a NZ citizen currently living in Perth Australia, Oy will be joining me in about 3 weeks on a 3 month tourist visa (visa application lodged with a visa adviser who says we have a strong application), after she goes back to Thailand I am planning on arranging an application for a student visa for her which will allow her to stay here in Australia for upto 66 weeks and work upto 20 hours per week. During this time we will set up a joint bank account and keep all letters addressed to her and myself that show our address, take many photographs of us together and try and collect as much supporting evidence as we can that show we have been living together and are in a genuine relationship.
Now this is where the NZ side of it comes in...
After her student visa expires and she goes back to Thailand, I will be quitting my job here and returning back to my motherland NZ for various reasons, but not to mention that it will also then be possible for us to get a partner visa as we will not qualify for one in Aus.
I understand this plan is looking a fair way into the future and of course depends on if we do indeed grow to love each other more and both decide we want to be together but I would like to be able to see a way this can be possible now before things get more complicated. Also, I am currently boarding at my older brothers house where Oy and myself will be staying, therefore there will be utility bills in our names.
Will evidence of us living together in Australia for over 12 months be enough for NZ immigration? Will I need to be employed in NZ in order to get the partner visa? Does this seem like a possible plan?
Any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.