Partnership visa options...I have no idea what I'm doing

[88Lance]

Hello, I'm glad I found this page, a lot of good info here. Anyways, I am completely confused how partnership visas and residency works, it seems every page talks about different options, and almost non of it makes sense to me. I'm 28, US citizen. I have been talking to a girl from NZ that I will be meeting soon. She has permanent residency. I can come to NZ for 12 months on the working holiday visa without an issue. This gives us time together, but as the 12 months is coming to an end, if we still are serious, what do I do?? She says claim partnership visa and just go get permanent residency and thats it, but I don't think thats how it works. I did read "once you have been in a relationship for 12 months", but in 12 months I would be having to leave. I'm lost. How do we go about this??

[bharatv87]

If you are in a genuine partnership and are living together but for less than 12 months, you can apply for a partnership based work visa which is usually granted for a year. After you have lived together for 12 months, you can apply for partnership based residency.
Onus is on you to prove the genuineness of your relationship and not just living together.

[88Lance]

If you are in a genuine partnership and are living together but for less than 12 months, you can apply for a partnership based work visa which is usually granted for a year. After you have lived together for 12 months, you can apply for partnership based residency.
Onus is on you to prove the genuineness of your relationship and not just living together.

Thank you for your response! So at about 10 months, I can apply for the partnership based work, and that starts a new year? But at the original 12 month mark I am eligible for partnership based residency. If we split during the partnership based residency do I have to return to the US? If we are still going good, what are the next steps? Thanks again

[OrangeTM]

Hello 88Lance:

I hope you and your partner can be together for a long time. However, just in case you guys split during the time of applying for partnership based Resident Visa, you need to inform INZ as soon as possible to avoid further investigation; and yes, you might need to back to US because you need to obtain a valid visa all the time in NZ, or you can apply for a temporary Visa, like Work or Student Visa.
If everything goes well, you and your partner enjoy the new life, the next step is applying for Partnership Resident Visa under Family Category. Once your resident visa granted, you can stay in NZ permanently, and you need to live in NZ at least half year (around 184 days) for 2 years, then change your Resident Visa into a Permanent Resident Visa (formerly called Returning Resident Visa), which allows you travel between NZ and US anytime without any time and place limitations, put simply, you can back to US as long as you want, and come to NZ whenever you like.

Hope this might answer your questions.

[88Lance]

Hello 88Lance:

I hope you and your partner can be together for a long time. However, just in case you guys split during the time of applying for partnership based Resident Visa, you need to inform INZ as soon as possible to avoid further investigation; and yes, you might need to back to US because you need to obtain a valid visa all the time in NZ, or you can apply for a temporary Visa, like Work or Student Visa.
If everything goes well, you and your partner enjoy the new life, the next step is applying for Partnership Resident Visa under Family Category. Once your resident visa granted, you can stay in NZ permanently, and you need to live in NZ at least half year (around 184 days) for 2 years, then change your Resident Visa into a Permanent Resident Visa (formerly called Returning Resident Visa), which allows you travel between NZ and US anytime without any time and place limitations, put simply, you can back to US as long as you want, and come to NZ whenever you like.

Hope this might answer your questions.

Thanks for your response. It clears up a lot for me. does the 2 years start from the time I got to NZ or when i apply for the partnership residency visa? So it would take 2 years or 3 to reach PR?

[OrangeTM]

2 years start from the time your Resident Visa granted. For example, if your Resident Visa approved 08/09/16, you might apply for Permanent Resident Visa on 08/09/18. So, it takes 2 years.

[88Lance]

I see, this actually makes sense. haha If something happened to the partnership during the residency visa, am I affected, or is the residency visa have nothing to do with the partnership?

[ChrisMwn]

I see, this actually makes sense. haha If something happened to the partnership during the residency visa, am I affected, or is the residency visa have nothing to do with the partnership?

Once you have residence visa it does not matter what happens to your relationship. Your eligibility for further residence visas or PRV would be solely based on whether you met the requirements (such as time spent in NZ)