Hello everyone!
My partner and I applied for SMC residence with myself as the principal applicant. To be allowed to stay in NZ during the processing period, I was granted a temporary work visa linked to my position and my girlfriend got a partnership open work visa. Both visas are valid until May 2018.
Now my online status for residence just changed to "Approved" but the decision about my girlfriend has been deferred until October because CO is convinced we are a genuine couple but considers we only started living together in October 2016 (the 6 months we travelled together previously do not count as a living together period). So we have a few questions about the next steps.
1) As I will shortly be granted residence, will my girlfriend's current work visa remain valid until May 2018 (unless she gets residency before) or will she have to apply for an other visa as soon as my residence is official?
2) CO asked for more "officials evidences" covering the October 2016-October 2017 period (joint tenancy agreement, joint bank account statements,...). We have been together all that time but our case is tricky for a lot of reasons: we were hosted by our boss when we did some orchard work end 2016, we stayed at friend's place for a month in January and we have rented sites in several campgrounds for the last 6 months where we lived in our caravan, so we have neither tenancy agreements nor internet or water bills... and like an idiot I forgot to change our address on the banks statements! So question is: if my girlfriend's residency is refused in October, will our case be closed, meaning we will have to apply again later, or will we still be allowed to provided more proves until one day CO is satisfied and grants residency?
3) Because nothing is simple, my girlfriend has a opportunity for a one month professional training outside NZ in September-October. CO advices us to stay together until she gets residency but in case she decides to go, is it more likely to delay the decision for a month or is it a chance that we will have to start a new 12 month period?
4) If the application is turned down, will it have a (negative) impact on a future application, specially for an other temporary partnership visa?
I know it is complicated but thanks in advance for any help on any point