Partner sponsored work visa, what to apply for next?

[Tesa]

Hi there,

to quickly explain my situation:

I am from Germany and visited nz in 2014 on a working holiday visa. I met my boyfriend and we lived together for more than half a year but I needed to return to Germany. We managed to get me on a partner sponsored work visa and now I am back in nz working and living with my boyfriend. This visa is only valid for one year and will run out February next year.

Now my questions:

1. Which visa should I now go for? As I know I definitely can apply for another working holiday visa. But since we've now been living together again for another half year, we've been living together for over a year in total. Does that mean I can apply for a non permanent residency visa (what is the official name?) ? Are there any other types of visa I havent heard of?

2. We are both still young and health issues have been keeping us from having a carreer yet. That means we now bought a car together but other than that we don't own any property, have fancy holidays and big joined spendings etc. will this now be an issue when applying for the next step to residency? We can prove we've been house sitting together and lived together at his parents place and that we still are in a stable relationship but reading some requirements sounds like you need more official proof (financial stuff, marriage, and that kind of older adult stuff )

3. We both own a European passport and think of going to study in Europe in a couple or so years since my dream course does not exist in nz but is recognized there. Now if I would get my residency visa I pretty much need to stay in nz for another two years so I can apply for permanent residency right? And if I did so would I be free to then travel and live overseas without losing my residency status? And if we decide to to move to Europe during the two years it takes to become permanent resident how easy will it be to reapply for visas to live in nz?
This is quite a big thing to me since my partner can't wait to study and go to Europe but I want to be sure I can return to nz in case he doesn't feel like living there forever.

Thanks for reading! I hope you can help me figuring all this stuff !

Cheers Tesa

[ChrisMwn]

You first decision is what is more important, NZ permanent residence, or living and studying in Europe?

If you are living together now and will have evidence of 12 months living together (and evidence of you contact during any time apart), then you could lodge a partnership based residence application now. it sounds like the evidecne you have will be enough to get the application lodged at least.

yes, once you have your permanent residence visa (after two years as a residecnt) , you can stay away as long as you like and return any time as a resident.

[Tesa]

Thanks for the reply!

The problem is I need a visa no matter what. He is on nz funded medicine for at least until march 2017 and we don't want to split again since applying for a visa that way is more complicated and it does seem priority is given to couples living together at the moment of application. At the same point after that he probably is more than keen to go to Europe already since he is a few years older than me and feels pressured to finally finish a degree. And you know how guys are they don't really seem to think past that
We will need to decide but just in case does anyone know if reapplying will be harder even if we continue to live in a stable relationship and can prove so?

[ChrisMwn]

No a further application would not be any more difficult that the first. You will need to supply the same material again, together with evidence that you are currently together. if you haven't already supplied medicals they will be needed to stay beyond 12 months a a police clearacne if total time is more than two years. There would be an expectation that you would have lodged a residence application before the two years is up.

[Tesa]

Sweet thank you!

just a quick question: where can I find the forms and prices for either the residency and partner sponsored work visa (is it just the same one again or an extension?)

[ChrisMwn]

immigration.govt.nz. its a new application.