Originally Posted by
oskarszulc
So in case we don't apply together we'll have to wait until my visa is issued to be able to properly fill out the other form, is that right?
No - your partner COULD apply later, but before your visa comes through, but would have to supply a letter explaining that this application depended on yours (giving all your details and when that one went in). It's possible, but a bit more complicated.
Is there any clear advantage in applying together, or that shouldn't have any impact on the outcome? I'm asking this specifically because I'm quite sure I could be applying be myself a few days faster, and that might be important for my employer.
Normally, it wouldn't be any advantage or any disadvantage, as regards officialdom. It IS an advantage, though, in proving your partnership. INZ require evidence of a live-in relationship (around three months at the least), preferably right up to the time of the application, and if anyone has left their partner and moved to NZ, it can sometimes be hard to convince the authorities that the relationship didn't break up.
And just one more question: can partner visa be issued for shorter time than the visa it's backed with? I'm asking this, because 12-month partner visa could save some time for doing general medicals and leave with just x-ray examination (please don't ask why those are conducted in two separate places in Poland and one is getting closed for a week...).
No, this one won't work. People often try to dodge having to pay for two medicals in a short space of time (because of the cost) by applying for the shorter visa, but the official line on this is to say, 'You're X's partner, and X is applying for a 3-year visa (or whatever), so you're obviously intending to stay longer than a year, so get a full medical.'