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Thread: Partner visa after working holiday

  1. #1
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    Default Partner visa after working holiday

    I (a kiwi) and my current girlfriend (USA citizen) are currently looking to move to NZ together in May 2017. We are currently deciding whether to

    1) start living together now, to start the partnership clock, or

    2) to wait and start living together when we move, and she would apply for a working holiday visa (she would be 28 when it starts). In May 2018, she would then apply for the partner visa.

    Is it less likely for a partner visa to be approved if the living together period is during a working holiday?

  2. #2
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    Oct 2013
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    makes no difference. If you were to start living together now, you could lodge a partnership based work visa application and it would be approved for a minimum of 12 months stay, after your arrival. You only need to have lived together for 2-3 months to lodge an application, if you have good evidence of your relationship and of living together. You could also consider lodging a residence application which could be approved once you have lived together for 12 months.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisMwn View Post
    makes no difference. If you were to start living together now, you could lodge a partnership based work visa application and it would be approved for a minimum of 12 months stay, after your arrival. You only need to have lived together for 2-3 months to lodge an application, if you have good evidence of your relationship and of living together. You could also consider lodging a residence application which could be approved once you have lived together for 12 months.
    When you say you only need to have lived together for 2-3 months, would this be 9-10 months in advance of the beginning of our time in NZ, so that the 12 months occurs? I guess I'm confused about the distinction between the work visa requirements and the residency requirements. I was under the impression that the partnership based work visa requirements was 12 months or more of living together.

    Are you also able to let us know what kinds of evidence are considered acceptable to prove we're living together? Because of the rent control laws here, it's awkward to get an extra person on a lease. Would being on utility bills be enough? We can also show Google location history which would show our phones stayed in the same place every night for many nights.

  4. #4
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    I was under the impression that the partnership based work visa requirements was 12 months or more of living together.
    That's wrong - that's for Residence. For the partner-sponsored temporary work visa, as Chris says, 2 -3 months' good evidence is enough.

    Evidence. Here's what INZ themselves say. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...artnership.htm And here https://www.google.co.uk/#q=site:enz...tnership+proof are many old threads to give explanations and more ideas. A shared lease is not essential.

  5. #5
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    A few follow up questions/comments:

    1) You are all so wonderful for replying and contributing to this site!

    2) What are the likelihoods of her temporary work visa getting approved if i) we start living together this May 2016 and apply for the work visa to start in June 2017, or ii) we start living together in March 2017 and apply for the work visa to start in June 2017.

    3) What are the normal approval rates for partner sponsored temporary work visas, in circumstances where the relationship is clearly genuine?

  6. #6
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    Either one will be approved if you provide sufficient, clear evidence of partnership. There is no advantage for the partner-sponsored temporary work visa on having a longer period of time, as long as you have proof for the minimum period, which experience shows (though it isn't actually written anywhere official) to be 2 - 3 months. You need something to clearly show you both in the same place at the beginning of the time, then, if possible, two or three varying items per week (yes, overkill is good) to show that you're both still there at the same address.

    Making the case for the relationship being genuine, within the terms of the regulations, is what the application is all about. ALL 'obviously genuine' cases are granted. It's when people haven't proved their situation to INZ's satisfaction that you hear complaints - but the onus is always on the applicants to submit their case in accordance with the requirements.

  7. #7
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    This is great, thanks! A couple more follow up questions: we've also been looking at Australia and the forums say applications can take up to 18 months, and there's no interim arrangement possible. Is it a similar story in NZ, where we'd have to lodge the application extremely early? Are the eligibility tests relevant for the beginning of the visa period, or the date of application?

  8. #8
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    Australia and NZ are different countries with different immigration laws and processing systems.

    If you look here http://www.immigration.govt.nz/templates/Custom/OfficesAndFeesPopup.aspx?FRAMELESS=false&NRNODEGUI D={655C84F9-7E5C-4006-8841-7296DF2B84F2}&NRORIGINALURL=%2fNR%2fexeres%2f655C8 4F9-7E5C-4006-8841-7296DF2B84F2.htm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest, you'll see that your girlfriend's application has to go to INZ in the USA. And if you look at their own processing times page, you'll see their own estimate as to how the work is currently running. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/branc...ocessingtimes/

    When assessing a partner-sponsored application, INZ look in the first place at the evidence in the time running up to when it was lodged, but it is also normal that they require more partnership evidence covering the time of processing just before they issue the visa. This is to make sure that they aren't giving a visa to someone whose relationship has broken down in the meantime. Therefore, you have to keep on collecting partnership evidence while the processing is going, and even continuing after that, with a view to putting in for partner sponsored residence after you will have 12 months'-worth.

  9. #9
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    totally different processes and policies. Also not sure you'll be eligible to sponsor in Australia. Australians can sponsor here but not sure it works the other way around. I doubt it unless you got perm residence over in OZ.
    See this thread for further help. BTW you don't need to provide evidence of your commitment to NZ as you're a citizen already
    http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49237

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