Hi all

I've been only reading the forum up til now that I have a question myself. I bet this is not exactly a unique situation as I've seem countless posts about this particular visa types and people in a similar circumstance. Somehow I'd like to hear you guys' opinion on my very case.... Maybe some may have encountered some very same situation and like to share the outcomes....

In short - I'm looking getting my wife to apply for a 1-year work visa based on our relationship.

In longer words with key attributes for the situation - in bullet points

  • I am on a work-to-residence visa (thinking of applying for the residency on early 2018).
  • My wife is currently in Australia on a student visa which will be good up til around March 2017.
  • She has a nz visitor visa (multiple entry) which is good until the end of the year. And she's not eligible for the NZ Working Holiday scheme.
  • We're both a Thai citizen.
  • We got together under a long-distance bf/gf relationship on January 2015 while she was studying in Australia and I went there on xmas holidays.
  • We have known each other since 10 years back roughly but just got together when we were reunited during my holidays in Australia.
  • We got married legally in Thailand on January 2016, a year after we maintained the long distance relationship (I know INZ wouldn't care less...) Reads: we have a marriage certificate.
  • We had a proper wedding ceremony in Thailand last month. I do believe though if what they are looking for is some kind of commitment in living together, this could prove useful. It was a pain really trying to organise this thing remotely and all the efforts of going through a relatively big wedding (that people usually have back there...). At least I believe if they are just trying to single out a fraudster, this shows we clearly aren't...
  • In about 2-year time we've been together, I went to Australia to see her on a few occasions and mostly traveled around together. She came visit me in NZ 3 times in total, from merely a week to 1 month. We went to attend a friend's wedding in Singapore together once. We took our trips back to Thailand together on 3 occasions, 2-4 week long each (including the wedding ceremony one). When we were in Thailand we spent time either at my house or hers. All our family and friends are aware of our relationship (of course, we're married :P).
  • Now's the thing.... We have never lived together (as in INZ or even any other definitions). The closest may be the time when she came staying with me in NZ or when we were at each other houses in Thailand. But I don't have such evidence like a shared utility bill and such, of course.


What kind of evidence I have in mind:
  • A letter telling some story with all the evidences to support each story (not just how cool the essay is). E.g. I do have just too many photos of all the events/traveling listed above.
  • Air tickets of all the trip we traveled together - Also those she used to fly here and I flew over to Australia.
  • A joint bank account we opened in Australia roughly a year ago. Not constantly used but was just enough I guess. She used it to pay some tuition fee and a little this and that.
  • A testimony letter from my employer to help make the case. They have all the time been aware of my situation of having a long-distance relationship and getting married (as I've been off work too often.....) and some of them even met her personally. Anyone thinks this may be a good addition. My work visa is more or less sponsored by them so their words may mean something here?


What do you think of a chance of getting this visa granted? More so if it stands a chance in getting around the 'living together' golden rule?

Thanks
:-)