Residency under family catagory

[Dinkydairyfarme]

I’m just about to submit my residency application (very excited & very nervous at the same time) my partner is a kiwi and we’ve recently just got engaged (yay!) I’m a bit nervous because I require a character waiver from a DIC incident almost 3 years ago (only blemish on my police record) I’ve had 2 partnership work visas granted with this. I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with this sort of issue and how long these visas are taking as my current visa will run out at the end of December. Oh and I’m in the South Island

[JandM]

As ChrisMwn the LIA has said before, 'Once a character waiver, always a character waiver.' In other words, the normal procedure is for INZ to raise the issue again for EVERY fresh visa application, so you have to expect that. However, it is no more of an issue now than it was on the two previous applications, INZ have not changed the character criteria, you have not re-offended, and the incident is further in the past each time, so you have that much more decent life for your referees to write about on your behalf.

INZ have been having some backlogs recently, so it's even more impossible than usual to predict how long processing time will be. However, we have heard of a partner-sponsored residence going through very quickly (so it's possible there's a bit of cherry-picking going on, though it shouldn't be: "straightforward case, known couple with previous visas, loads of evidence - get it gone"). IN ANY CASE, there shouldn't be a problem, because in exceptional circumstances if the partnership resident visa has not been issued before the previous partnership work visa runs out, INZ have been known to allow another partnership work visa to cover the end of processing (But that is very unlikely to be necessary.)

Good luck, and congratulations!

[MagicPizza]

I’m just about to submit my residency application (very excited & very nervous at the same time) my partner is a kiwi and we’ve recently just got engaged (yay!) I’m a bit nervous because I require a character waiver from a DIC incident almost 3 years ago (only blemish on my police record) I’ve had 2 partnership work visas granted with this. I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with this sort of issue and how long these visas are taking as my current visa will run out at the end of December. Oh and I’m in the South Island

I applied for mine on the 8th of Jan 2019 and I don't even have a CO yet (I'm in AKL). My case is also a no-brainer and I gave them waaay more evidence than they asked for – it doesn't speed up the process. I'm expecting it to take 6 months+. Good luck