Partnership Work Visa (12month)

[gacax]

Hello all, I've been reading numerious topics on this forum about immigration to NZ and its provided a lot of insight to the things that couples need to be prepared for.

I'd like to just jump straight into what I know already, and put my situation out there to see what people think.

I'm a NZ citizen by birth, and my partner is Chinese Citizen, I met my partner 09th September, I met her going out to dinner with some work friends on their anniversary date (nice of them to take me along), and this is where I first met her at her work (waitress, I'll cut this story out its too long) and on 17.10 after much dating and spending a lot of time together we entered into an exclusive relationship.

We've recently moved in together (13th December 2016), and her existing Post Study Work Visa is about to expire around mid March 2017.

I'll list the things that I can give to immigration should they need to see;

• Facebook Photos
  I'm not the most photo-genic person, so we have take I'd say around 12 or so photos together since we started dating. Some include friends with us as well.
• Phone Call Logs
  I have literally...over 100 or so call logs, we called each other every night
• Relationship timeline (each)
• WeChat Conversation (chat conversation)
  This one is hard to 'give to immigration' because the chat logs are over 800mb, there are also hundreds of phone calls on here recorded, luckily I've got a phone that I can migrate the conversations to, and send to immigration (would they accept this?), otherwise I can take screenshots of key conversations (very painful, were talking over 4 months of every single day communication, lots of interesting topics though .
• Conversations with her family
  I have some basic knowledge of Mandarin language, and have been in semi-regular contact with her parents, and her brother overseas.
• Invitations to my family event
  We were invited to family pre-xmas event (sadly we couldn't make it she had to work), recorded in Facebook Messenger from my mum to her.
• Joint Bank Account
  We have a joint freedom account, which we now use for everyday transactions (her wage is deposited here, while mine goes to my bills master account)
• Joint Tennacy Agreement
  Dated 14th December
• Combined Savings (incl savings plan)
  When I say combined savings, the account is under my name but we both make contributions to the savings (as shown from our freedom joint account). Not long after we first entered into a mutual relationship, she gave me her savings to put into my bank account (she had a bit of a spending problem and wanted me to keep it safe) - since then we have used this money for joint things like purchasing a plane ticket to her home country together.
• Travel Tickets
  Travel tickets to meet her family June next year, as well as attend a family wedding there.
• Cards / Gifts (incl birthday)
  We gave each other a couple cards while we were dating, and also birthday card and gift on her birthday.
• Supporting letter from both of our family
  I have numerous family that can vouch for our genuine relationship.
• Supporting Letters from work colleagues and friends (each of us)
  I'm aware this doesn't add up to a whole lot, my work colleagues are in government positions (managers) so hoping it would be more helpful than to leave this blank.
• A future plan of our life together
  We have talked about and discussed our future plans with each other in detail, including study, plans to buy a house and save, and our career futures.

My concern points are

• Inconsistent photo's across the timeline of our relationship
  I don't like photos, and we don't tend to take too many of them. I've got at least a couple for each month. The photo's we have are all VERY meaningful however, and are covering very special key moments in our relationships development. My understanding however, IMZ would be looking for evidence from the date we moved in more-so than from when we first met?? (theory here) - how many do they usually look for?
• No letters or bills addressed to each other
  This one is tricky, I'm already established here in my home and the everything, the power, internet, rent, food, health insurance, contents insurance, pre-existing bank loan is already under my name (her name joined onto the tennacy there-after 14th Dec 16). I'm aware I can maybe ring up the companies and get her added as an account holder also?
• Chat Conversation
  That chat log is huge, seriously its 800mb+ in size, I wish I could just dump it with IMNZ but hey thats not fair on them, and its up to me to get the key parts. But has anyone heard of ways to show the chat other than screenshots (as this would be most painful...)
• Receipts
  During the initial parts of our dating, we each used our own bank accounts to do the dating stuff. Later on, we set up the joint account together and we use eftpos for literally everything, BUT we don't keep the receipts (oh gosh I hope this isn't bad!), as its all itemized anyway on the transactions (we do each have our own card for the account, under each of our names, hopefully this can differentiate).

Phew what a lot to ramble on about. ok so the plan is that around Feb 14th or afterwards, I will submit the application for "Partnership Work Visa" to IMNZ, hitting the 3 month mark (I can leave this later, but I don't feel comfortable submitting too close to her visa expiry! Mid March 2017).

Looking over what I've written I realize I do have quite a bit of varying pieces of information, but it still keeps me up at night. If you can comment on anything I've mentioned here, or give any on-going advice I'd appreciate it! and just to put it out there, yes we are in a serious and very committed relationship!

[JandM]

Everybody gets anxious. It sounds as though you are building up a serious body of proof. Keep on doing it. Be as methodical as you can be about keeping paperwork that can tie purchases by each of you to specific items in your financial records. Make a point of generating mail that will come for each of you to your shared address - she can write and ask questions so that institutions will write an answer, for instance from the bank, or about getting insurance (whether or not she wants any in the end), or some club about membership. More ideas on old threads. https://www.google.co.uk/#q=site:enz...tnership+proof

No doubt someone who has done this will be along with a comment about how to cull your electronic records.

As long as your partner lodges her application while her existing visa is still valid, INZ will issue an interim visa to keep her legal in NZ while the processing goes on. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...a/interim-visa

[gacax]

Everybody gets anxious. It sounds as though you are building up a serious body of proof. Keep on doing it. Be as methodical as you can be about keeping paperwork that can tie purchases by each of you to specific items in your financial records. Make a point of generating mail that will come for each of you to your shared address - she can write and ask questions so that institutions will write an answer, for instance from the bank, or about getting insurance (whether or not she wants any in the end), or some club about membership. More ideas on old threads. https://www.google.co.uk/#q=site:enz...tnership+proof

No doubt someone who has done this will be along with a comment about how to cull your electronic records.

As long as your partner lodges her application while her existing visa is still valid, INZ will issue an interim visa to keep her legal in NZ while the processing goes on. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...a/interim-visa

Thank you, glad to know I'm on the right path. I'll start keeping receipts as we are still buying things we need for the home.

Actually I do have a question, as far as applying for Partnership based residency early (alongside the Work Visa) is this possible? This could help show that we are serious about each other.

[JandM]

as far as applying for Partnership based residency early (alongside the Work Visa) is this possible?

You can apply for partner-sponsored Residence as soon as you can show 12 months' evidence of living together (not before that). The partner-sponsored work visa can still have some time to run when you apply for residence.

[gacax]

I've been checking over some if my facts and realized that 13th December To 13th Feb is only two months living together (5 months relationship).

I'm aware INZ can issue an interm visa as long as its submitted prior to the visa expiry.

In best practice, ive seen others apply early and continue to provide evidence while INZ are making a decision. Thus increasing the relationship timeline a little.

In best practice, I'm thinking of lodging the application two weeks prior to the visa expiring, instead of my 14th feb I'll be doing it about 4th March , to allow INZ time to receive and acknowledge the application and have time to plan/issue any interm visa if needed.

This is good methodical thinking?

[gacax]

Got to love Christmas time. So recently we've amassed a whole pile of receipts for December , things for the house, things for our room we share, furniture etc. Quite happy with the receipts situation.

Also have got mail coming now, including a joint power account.

I'd made contact with immigration and they suggested to apply six weeks prior to her visa expiring minimum, in case there are any issues with the application lodgement. Seems a bit steep to me but I'll go with it, it means 1month 25days living together, assuming a CO takes about a week, should hit 2months living together.

[Kimmy8888]

Got to love Christmas time. So recently we've amassed a whole pile of receipts for December , things for the house, things for our room we share, furniture etc. Quite happy with the receipts situation.

Also have got mail coming now, including a joint power account.

I'd made contact with immigration and they suggested to apply six weeks prior to her visa expiring minimum, in case there are any issues with the application lodgement. Seems a bit steep to me but I'll go with it, it means 1month 25days living together, assuming a CO takes about a week, should hit 2months living together.

Did you inform.immigration about your case?

[JandM]

See first sentence of his last paragraph you quoted.

[wmgilbert]

My partner and I lived together for less than 6 months when I put in my Work Visa request and my Residence request at the same time. I got the Work Visa but it was limited to 1 year -- that allowed us to move to NZ and for me to start work while we waited for residency. Residency came through with no issues as soon as we had been living together for one year. I've now been living in Auckland for a year and a half and love it.

My experience:
1. I hired an immigration advisor and they laughed and said we were 'very thorough' in our paperwork. But we were approved within days of submitting it so I think it was worth it. I don't think an adviser was really necessary but I was working a lot of hours at the time and wanted someone to help with the details.

2. We probably went overboard in what we submitted to immigration. We extracted our text messages and printed the lot of them in small font front-and-back on paper. We also submitted a letter from the landlord, copies of our phone bills that had proof that we called each other regularly (initially in my name but I added him to my account when he moved in). Letters from friends and family, pictures (just one or two a month, we didn't go overboard there), travel tickets, etc.

3. In hindsight, I would not do a partner Visa but would have done a skilled migrant Visa instead. I meet the qualifications and it would have been less hassle. My friend came here on that one and had her residency way before me.

Hope that helps!

Wendy
https://lifeinnz365.com/

[gacax]

My experience:
1. I hired an immigration advisor and they laughed and said we were 'very thorough' in our paperwork. But we were approved within days of submitting it so I think it was worth it. I don't think an adviser was really necessary but I was working a lot of hours at the time and wanted someone to help with the details.

2. We probably went overboard in what we submitted to immigration. We extracted our text messages and printed the lot of them in small font front-and-back on paper. We also submitted a letter from the landlord, copies of our phone bills that had proof that we called each other regularly (initially in my name but I added him to my account when he moved in). Letters from friends and family, pictures (just one or two a month, we didn't go overboard there), travel tickets, etc.

I've gone and forked out $54 for software to extract the WeChat history to a printer friendly database, that way I don't have the stress of hundreds of screenshots. Though I'm thinking I will still screenshot the really important parts of conversation just in case.

As far as Skilled Migrant, I don't believe she will fit into that category, so this is why the Partnership Work Visa.

Preparing all I can, I'm wanting to go overboard, I think honestly I'll need everything I can get my hands on.

• Bank Statements (our joint account, addressed to our property), also she obtained her own banks statement she had before she met me to be addressed here)
• Have been keeping all receipts from our household purchases together (many many many household things, incl the...grocery items)
• Evidence of joint decision making together
• Evidence of Joint Savings / Plan
• Evidence of Leisure Time / Trips Planned
• Basic Facebook TImeline of our relationship, showing key moments (some pictures)
• Joined her onto the power bill, getting letter for that
• Asked her to get an information pack on a couple Diplomas from the University
• Will include onto insurance
• Will set up a joint phone account (if possible with 2degrees, haven't figure it out yet)
• Still trying to sort out a bond transfer form to get her onto the tenancy agreement
• Preparing to get the support letters from friends / family, expecting about 6-8 support letters (her employer, my employer, family, few friends)