Hello helpful people of the internet,
I've tried to make the title fairly self explanatory! I'm including my partner on my SMC application (currently at the EOI stage) but am not claiming any points for his job/quals.
We've been together for 6 and a half years, non-stop, but the opportunity to live together only arose in November 2015. We lived together for 10 months, until September 2016, as we then left the UK to travel and head to New Zealand in October 2016.
I understand the following: "A partner will only be granted residence if both people in the partnership have been living together for at least 12 months". - Is there any leeway with this? Ie we've been together for a long time but just fall short of the minimum 12 months living together arrangement. We have been living together obviously since we arrived in NZ (in a van from December 2016 - Feb 2017, although I'm not sure they will count that), from February 2017 we've been sharing a house, but don't have our names on any contract / bills - we are just flatting informally with friends. So I assume this last two months don't count either? We are getting post delivered here, so could that be an acceptable form of evidence?
Any advice much appreciated. Hopefully they look at the whole picture rather than "must've lived together for 12 months", but if that is the only option, then will they accept our 10 months back home + 3 months house sharing in Wellington?
Many thanks!