Planning on Applying for Partnership-based Work Visa

[NZdreaming]

Hello, I am a permanent resident visa holder currently living outside of New Zealand.
My partner and I plan to apply his Partnership-based Work Visa sometime in 2018, when we have lived together for longer than 3 months.

My partner and I have been together since 2009 but have been living together only since October 2017.
We live in a relative's home, where our monthly rent covers our own private room and shared use of facilities (kitchen, bathroom) as well as our share for water, electricity and internet.
We have no bills named after us, we only deposit to the relative's bank account.
We are both currently finishing up our bachelor's degrees and are full-time students and the money we have in our shared bank account came from what is left of my savings working in New Zealand as well as my boyfriend's monthly share in profit from his family's small business.

My main concern is, does it matter how much money we currently have in our joint bank account? Also, is our evidence enough?

Our evidence:

1. Multiple photos of us together, friends acknowledging our relationship, Facebook timeline screenshots (even ones when his brothers were still young and small; they have grown up significantly)
2. Social media conversations
3. Shared bank account records (opened in 2014 and one where I have sent money to when I was still working in NZ)
4. Receipts for purchases made such as groceries etc paid with our joint account (which I have also scanned and could provide copies of if the receipts ever fade)
5. Receipts for parcels sent to our shared address with our names and address clearly indicated.
6. Tenancy Agreement drafted by an attorney and duly notarized by a Notary Public (equivalent of Justice of the Peace)
7. Records of us depositing our monthly rent into our relative's account which is also reflected in our joint bank account records.
8. Testimonies from his parents acknowledging our relationship since 2009 and us living together since October 2017, notarized by a Notary Public.
9. Testimonies from friends also acknowledging our relationship since 2009 and our living arrangements since October 2017, also notarized by a Notary Public

Thank you very much!

[JandM]

It looks as though you have a good basis of evidence for your application. See here https://www.google.co.uk/search?sour....0.r4MFGobb_GA for old threads which have discussion and examples of partnership proof. As you can see here https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...lders#criteria on this fact sheet, there is no mention in the Criteria of a requirement for showing any sum of money.

[NZdreaming]

Thank you very much, JandM! We can rest a little easier knowing this now.

[JandM]

Keep collecting evidence. INZ routinely ask for more proof of living together covering the time of processing the application, just before the visa is issued, making sure they are not giving a visa to someone whose relationship has broken down in the meantime. Also, keep copies of everything you send in - you will need evidence again of this early time when you want to apply for partner-sponsored residence. (A further application will almost certainly not be dealt with by the same CO, or even in the same office. It makes things much easier for a new CO to have the paperwork on their desk, you having said "originals with my application to (whatever) branch, (whatever) date (and other details)," rather than their having to access old records through the system. ALSO, it can happen that a CO writes that you have not given evidence of (whatever), and it makes it much easier if you can reply, 'Yes, I have - see paper number 12 in my bundle, blue A4 paper handwritted by (whoever),' to point them to what they need to look at.) Summing up, collecting evidence and keeping copies of it need to be part of your routine all the way from now, till you eventually get residence for your partner.

[NZdreaming]

Thank you! I think being “too prepared” would be best.

[NZdreaming]

Regarding the photos we will be sending in, do you recommend we send original copies or would scanned copies suffice? If we do send original copies, will they be returned? Thank you!

[JandM]

I'm not sure about photos getting returned. Anybody who has done this?

I can't see that it matters one way or the other about sending in original or copy photos. The way technology is these days, there can be multiple printouts from a digital original, and all those printouts are equally valid. But if you were intending to lay out several small-format photos and scan them as an A4 sheet, to save space, it might be worth having the sheet certified as a true copy of the photos. (If you are sending in lots of photos, it's probably only worth certifying anything that is VERY significant, if it's expensive where you are.)

[TheNewKiwi]

I'm not sure about photos getting returned. Anybody who has done this?

I have! INZ returned everything I sent them when I applied for mine. My immigration adviser may have kept copies just in case, but we sent in originals on everything (pictures, bills, birth certs, etc).

Also, I agree you should save everything you are sending and add to it for when you apply for the partnership residence visa, so your evidence outlines the entire relationship. For example, we sent in a stack of electricity bills for my work visa application. When I applied for the residence visa, we sent in those same bills plus the ones we had accumulated since then.

The only things you are allowed to refer back to from your prior application are your medical and police certificates, which they ask about on the residence application form.

Also, we didn't bog them down with tons of photos. My adviser emphasised quality over quantity. For example, we didn't send in a ton of pictures of us doing random things. We sent in a couple photos of us from our anniversary dinner out, one taken in front of the restaurant sign, and attached the dated receipt. We documented shared travel, attaching a picture of us at our destination to the boarding passes for our flight. Think of what is most meaningful and reflective of a genuine relationship, rather than just making sure you bury them in evidence.

If you have any other questions I am happy to help

[TheNewKiwi]

Sorry I didn't include this in my other reply!

does it matter how much money we currently have in our joint bank account?

Not necessarily how much you have in joint accounts, but your finances are very important.

Section E1 of the sponsorship from (INZ 1025) for your partner's work visa asks you to attest that you have the financial means to meet your obligations as a sponsor. And Section E3 requests you attach evidence of sufficient funds. My partner attached his rates bill to show he could provide me housing (he owned his own home) and a bank statement to show he had enough money to meet his obligation of support.

[NZdreaming]

Hello, TheNewKiwi! Thank your your replies. I’ll read through the INZ form, thank you!

Happy new year, everyone!