Enough evidence for Partnership Residency application?

[kaybee1661]

Hey!

I know there are probably heaps of threads about suitable evidence for a residency application through the partnership category, but just wanted to run what I have past you guys to see if I'm on the right track, and also ask for some advice on my situation.

My partner and I first got together in December 2015. I'm going to be honest and say the first year of our relationship was pretty up and down, as we got together right after he broke up with his ex, and although she left the country, they still kept in touch. It was very on-off over that time, as he wasn't sure if it was over between them. So yeah, it was tumultuous and pretty up and down, but we do have lots of photos etc of us together over 2016, so in my timeline I have said we were "dating" over this time period.

I would say we have been serious and committed since about April last year, then he went to Australia for a few months to work, returned in August, which is when we officially moved in together. So we have now been living together for just over 12 month, which I know is the minimum requirement from INZ for a residency application. Previous to that, I spent most nights at his place, and most of our time together, but no concrete evidence of us living together.

What I want to know is whether to say we were dating, and include the photos we have together over that period, is going to satisfy INZ, or whether they're likely to ask for more proof that we were together over that time? As we have lived together for more than 12 months, with 2 tenancy agreements to prove it, will that be enough for them? We have also purchased a section of land together and will be building a house next year, and have a dog together now too, so there are future plans there! Plus plans to go on holiday in November for a friend's wedding, then on a family holiday with his mum & a few of his siblings.

I am including the following evidence:
• A timeline of our relationship so far
• A copy of our tenancy agreement for our apartment (from 25th August 2017)
• A copy of our tenancy agreement for the house we live in now (from 4th May to present day)
• Bond lodgement forms for both rentals above
• A copy of our Sale & Purchase Agreement for our section (dated December 2017)
• A copy of our plans for our house so far
• Proof of our joint bank accounts together
o An everyday account for bills, groceries and rent
o A savings account for our holiday in November
o A savings account for our house deposit
• An invoice from RockGas for our gas bottles for our old apartment
• Proof of our electricity account with Powershop in both our names
• Proof of our internet account with Slingshot (with him as an authorised person)
• Copies of flight tickets
o My flight to see him in Australia in July 2017
o My flight ticket home from Oz in August 2017
o Our flight tickets to Australia in October 2017 for his best friend’s funeral.
o The ticket for our flight in the ski plane in Mount Cook in February 2018.
o Our flight tickets to the Philippines in November 2018
o Our flight tickets to Hawaii in November 2018 for a holiday with his family
• Proof of our Shairpoints Airpoints account
• Hotel accommodation receipt for the Philippines in November 17, plus paypal confirmation of 50% deposit paid so far.
• Our AirBnB confirmation for Hawaii in November 17
• Pictures of us together, dating back to December 2015
• Social media proof, dating back to December 2015
• Facebook conversations together from when he was living in Australia June-August 2017
• Letters from friends and family
• Letters addressed to us both from friends & family (I have a card to us both but with no envelope sadly, and a wedding invitation to us both from my friend in England, with the envelope. I'm going to ask friends and family to send Christmas cards etc to us both this Christmas, so if/when they ask for more evidence, I can include stuff like that!)

Do you think this will be enough?

Cheers, thanks for any input!

[JandM]

INZ look for evidence that a couple has been living together mainly for the 12 months leading up to the date of lodging the application for partner-sponsored residence. Anything before that time doesn't have a strong bearing on the case, so you don't need to try to make the on-off period, or the time when you mostly stayed over but not officially, into something that it wasn't - you can say quite frankly that this was the beginning of the relationship, which developed so that you moved in together in August last year.

Here https://www.google.com/search?ei=-HC....0.mrvaLudrKRI are the old threads, with examples and discussion. It's good to have a variety of proof (and you'll find suggestions on the old threads) - social and informal things as well as what you have mentioned. And keep collecting everything possible while your application is being processed, because INZ routinely ask for more partnership proof just before granting a visa, making sure that they are not about to issue one to somebody whose partnership has broken up in the meantime.

[kaybee1661]

Hey thanks so much for your response!

I have another question - do I need to send our actual passports, or can I send a certified copy? I am happy to send mine, but my partner actually has a trip planned for mid October and I'm worried how long it will take for the originals to be returned?

Cheers!

[JandM]

Here's what they say. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/know...-question-7058 I think it will be fine to send the certified copy in the first instance. If they need it later, as we're well on into September already, it won't be till after he's done his trip in October and come back again.