Partnership-Based Temporary Work Visa...Please Help...

[Stuart-W]

Good evening,

I feel a little bad just signing up for a forum & bowling in with a question with my first post, however, people seem quite informed here.

My situation is not especially a tricky one, however the background is a little convoluted.

My partner & I met in China in September 2013. We were both working in the same city. She is a New Zealand citizen & I'm a UK citizen. She left China to return to NZ in order to study in January 2014. I had to stay in China as I could not terminate my contract with the company I was working with. She returned for a 6 week visit in November 2014. I then moved to New Zealand on a 9 month Visitor Visa at the beginning of April 2015.

I today applied for a Partnership-Based Temporary Work Visa, as my finances are beginning to dwindle after not being able to work for three months. We have lived together for three months in New Zealand & in total, six months in China. I have been told by INZ that three months living together in NZ should be okay to attain this visa. After reading some comments & threads on here I'm a little disheartened as people have been rejected for this visa.

Unfortunately I have very little proof of us living together in China as my company paid all my rent & utilities. The only things we have are photos, a birthday card, my girlfriend's plane ticket itinerary for her visit in December 2014 & a testimony of a mutual friend.

In regards to living in NZ, we have provided a joint bank statement, a letter from our landlord to say we have lived in our apartment, a collage of photos & 'Fly-Buys' account statement. Both of us have provided a letter to outline our circumstances & a rough timeline of the relationship. My aunt has also provided a letter to say we met in China & now live together etc. My girlfriend also submitted the partnership sponsor form.

I have obviously submitted the medical forms & police checks etc. This was done with my Visitor Visa. My girlfriend is a qualified teacher & we both have university educations. (I put this in via an edit. I thought it might be of significance, but I'm pretty certain INZ are just looking for proof of continued co-habitation etc)

I'm not sure if I was inpatient to apply pretty much bang on three months, but due to my finances declining & the sheer boredom of not working, I had to get the ball rolling.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Regards,
Stuart

[macosare]

Hi Stuart, I hope for the approval of your application. I have been granted a partnership work visa recently. My partner and I have been living together for three months when we submitted the application. Hope all works well for you and your partner. All the best!

[JandM]

I don't think you should have too much to worry about. INZ seem to take applications seriously with around three months' evidence. It's often when there is three months' evidence and then one or other of the people has then gone away, maybe because of work commitments or a visa running out, that they get doubtful that the relationship is still in being. In your case, make sure you go on collecting evidence of partnership, of all the kinds you can think of (https://www.google.co.uk/#q=site:enz...tnership+proof old threads for inspiration), two or three things a week if you can, even while the application is being processed, because it's very common for INZ to ask for more proof to cover the recent weeks just before a visa is issued (so as to check they're not giving the visa to someone who has just split up with their partner). Then, continue collecting, because you will need the ongoing story for when you apply for Residence after you have 12 months' proof.

[Stuart-W]

Thanks for the advice, it's very much appreciated.

Hopefully everything will turnout okay.

In an ideal world I would have maybe left it a little longer, but for the single reason that I'm running low on cash, kind of forced my hand.

@Macosare - Out of interest, what was the timeframe from applying to receiving confirmation of the visa?

[Stuart-W]

Unfortunately, some naiveness on my part. The application was returned as I didn't put in my partners actual passport or a certified copy. I only included a copy of her passport.

[macosare]

Hi Stuart, in our case after 3 weeks from the date of submission we received an email from INZ that we should check our online visa status. We checked and it was updated from Pending to Approved. The following day, we received our passports with work visa stamped plus other original documents.

[Stuart-W]

Thanks for all the advice.

My application was accepted & processed in just under one week, which I think is super quick on behalf on INZ. I was given a nine month work visa to be going on with.

[Kiwilad]

Congratulations! That's great news! Isnt it fantastic when the turn around is so fast! Saves a lot of stress haha!

All the best with the job hunt and your stay in NZ

[Stuart-W]

Yeah, agreed. It's nice when things go smoothly.

I had a job lined-up, so it was literally just a case of getting the visa & starting when it was approved. At least I have until April now before the headache of another application!!!

[JandM]

Congratulations!

Keep collecting evidence, now, that you are living together - you are going to need a steady stream of ongoing proof, ready for your next application.