First of all, thank you to those of you who generously take time to answer questions from people like me. I've done searches in this forum and on the internet, but I'm still unclear of how to go about doing what I want to do. I understand it may not be possible to do easily. I appreciate any advice.
I am a US citizen. I met a woman online and we have carried on a relationship online and via Skype. I want to travel to NZ, immediately live with her, establish a partnership, then eventually work and reside in NZ. I'm pretty clear on the "gathering proof", applying for partnership work visa, then applying for partnership residency visa part. I know you need at least 3 months of a committed relationship and proof to even consider applying for any type of partnership visa.
I guess I have 2 main questions, both regarding Visitor Visas:
1) Since I'm American, do I even need to apply for a Visitor Visa before going? If I don't, that only gives me 90 days to stay. Should I apply for a Visitor Visa while I'm there to extend my time so I can gather partnership proof?
2) If I apply for a Visitor Visa, do I disclose that I'm coming for the purpose of visiting this person? I know a visitor visa is supposed to be temporary and they want you to leave at the end of your stay. I don't want to leave at the end of my stay. I want to apply for a partnership visa after 3 months.
Thank you so much.