Entering NZ after marrying in the USA?

[Raani]

Thank you so much J&M for getting me account access.

I met my NZ fiance online. He is flying over to the USA to meet me, my family, and then marry me here in the USA.

Due to religious reasons, we would only start living together after marriage and we haven't been together physically before marriage.

We are trying to figure out the best possible way to get me to begin a life with him in NZ.

-This is not a culturally arranged marriage, we found each other, and decided to get married.
-We haven't lived together so the partnership sponsor visa wouldn't be applicable.

But, I did read on the forum, that I can enter through the visa waiver and start collecting evidence starting day 1. Is this the only option available to me? Or should I be applying for an extended visitors visa as a more realistic and solid option?

I don't want to do anything that would be risky, upset the NZ govt, and also be separated from my fiance.

Any general/specific help and advice would be much appreciated.

[JandM]

I'm sorry - this is not going to be good news about an easy way to get a visa in your suggested circumstances. What you describe is putting yourself into the most difficult category of visa applicant.

If you enter once you are already the wife of a NZ citizen, you are likely to be stopped and closely questioned about your situation if you try to enter on the visa-waiver scheme. Entering under that system, you are coming in as a visitor. This is a problem because a visitor is someone who intends to make a short trip for a limited time, then go back to an established life elsewhere. See here for what INZ says about bona fide when making applications. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...tity/bona-fide Anyone not telling the truth to INZ can have a visa refused (or cancelled if it is already issued) on the grounds of fraud if they are found out, and that can lead to a black mark which will affect all future visa applications.

So the visa-waiver plan is probably not a good one for you. People can legitimately state that they are coming as a visitor to have a vacation, and "look, see and decide" - that is, look at the NZ lifestyle, see what there may be for them in terms of job prospects, or when meeting someone with whom they have had an online relationship, and decide if they want to take things further. However, if you are already married when making this application, it is not nearly such a convincing reason for granting you a visitor's visa, as the element of doubt needed for "look, see and decide" is missing. Certainly, you would be likely to be stopped at the airport of entry if you tried the visa-waiver route, and quite likely sent back. You could try applying for a visitor's visa while abroad, but the same doubts would apply to you as the wife of a NZ citizen who doesn't have the living-together qualification for any partner-sponsored visa. Trying to be a visitor in those circumstances looks like trying to get round the regulations.

The trouble is that no visa exists which fits the situation of couples from a background whose culture does not allow living together before marriage, where one partner is overseas. There are many tales on the forum where couples have tried for a long time to get clearance for the foreign partner to join the NZer. It is not made easy.

If it were possible to alter your plans so that you were to travel to NZ and get married there, it would make things much easier - as you will see on the link, getting married is a recognized reason for getting a visitor's visa. Once in NZ and married, it is possible to begin to collect evidence of living together, then later, towards the end of the life of the visitor's visa, to apply for a partner-sponsored work visa.

[Raani]

Why would it be more difficult if I was already his wife? I completely understand that the visa waiver is risky, I do not want to do anything wrong that would get me a black mark on my record! But what about applying for an extended visitors visa? I understand that there is no visa that accommodates someone from my background and culture, but since I don't fall into any visa category, especially the one with the living together category, can't I at least produce solid evidence of pictures, and messages, and letters from family to prove that this is an actual relationship? Even though it would be an extended visitors visa, I've read a thread where a person applied for and were granted a visitors visa with a chance to collect evidence of living together.

https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread...375#post579375

I'm not sure if this person in the thread was married though.

If it were possible to alter your plans so that you were to travel to NZ and get married there, it would make things much easier - as you will see on the link, getting married is a recognized reason for getting a visitor's visa. Once in NZ and married, it is possible to begin to collect evidence of living together, then later, towards the end of the life of the visitor's visa, to apply for a partner-sponsored work visa.

So getting married in the USA would just not work for me?

[Marco83]

I'm talking for personal experience. I and my fiance were in a similar situation. We met online and we just spent little time together. We decided to apply for a visitor visa explaining our situation and giving a lot of evidences about our relationship (skype transcripts, photos, hotel reservations...). INZ declined her visitor visa,but gave her a 3 months limited visa so we could gather more evidence of living together.
After 3 months she went back to her country and applied for a partnership visa that was approved.

[Raani]

When you say little time together, how much time did you spend together? Did you get married before she came to NZ?

[TheNewKiwi]

My partner and I are not married. However, we met online while I was a US citizen living in Mexico. We never met in person until I came to NZ.

When I decided it was time to give it a go and see if we were truly right for each other, I applied in advance for a visitor visa. I stated up front that my purpose was to spend time with him and see if we would work out. I showed proof of funding for supporting myself, as well as him submitting the sponsorship form.

I was granted a 6 month visitor visa, and flew to NZ a week later. After we had lived together 4 months, I applied for and was granted a Partner Work Visa. When we had lived together for over a year (maybe 14 months) I applied for and was granted a Partner Resident Visa.

Like I said, we are not married, so I am not sure where and how marriage would fit in here. But my experience shows it is possible for a long distance couple to ultimately live together in NZ.

We did this all with the advice and guidance of an LIA. Perhaps one could tell you the best way to work out the marriage aspect.

[Marco83]

We spent about 3/4 weeks together split in 6 months. We got marry in New Zealand few months after her partnership visa was approved.

[Raani]

Thank you for replying, Marco83 and TheNewKiwi. May I ask how you got in touch with an LIA?

My fiance will be visiting me in the USA soon, to meet me and the family. There will be many celebrations with pictures and family get togethers.

If we decide not to get married while he is here, and I travel to NZ as an unmarried person, is it okay to get married like the next day of arrival in NZ? What would be the best way to proceed in the scenario if I don't get married in the USA?

[JandM]

Why would it be more difficult if I was already his wife?

As explained above, a visitor visa (visa-waiver or visitor visa applied for in advance) is meant for visiting (and going away again at the end of a trip) - it is not a stop-gap for situations where there isn't an appropriate visa (unless INZ themselves decide to use it like that). Many people have used the "look, see and decide" reason, but if you have already married an NZer, that is not convincing.

[Raani]

Yes but I also asked a question regarding other scenarios, such as getting married after I come to NZ. How do I go about that process?