Partnership based visa application home visits.

[Aidan1988]

Just a word of warning folks.

Apparently immigration officers from the high risk partnership visa unit have been seeing fit upon performing home visits, to inventorise applicants and their sponsors underpants and request why underpants are not present in a quantity sufficient to satisfy immigration instructions.

Relevant text: 'Another couple were found not to be genuine after a visit to the home address listed on the visa application. “[Sponsor partner] not home and minimal belongings including only one pair of underwear,” documents showed. “Partner explained he had a skin infection and had to to dispose of all undergarments.” In both cases, the partnership visa applications were rejected.'

From article: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/3...-not-clear-cut

Keep those underwear drawers well stocked folks ;-)
Looks like your IO may go poking through your belongings with a fine toothed comb looking for anything amiss.

Its behaviour like this that keeps the IPT busy these days.

[JandM]

I see that's old news, and that particular team was disbanded. But INZ officials have always had the power to interview anybody, anywhere, if it is felt that that is the best way to get at the truth of a situation. (They have a higher level of powers than the police on some matters.) People on the forum have had a CO turn up at their workplace, to shadow them and see exactly what they do for their job. This can be for one of two reasons - that the job is unusual and difficult to explain, so the CO needed to SEE that it involved the use of specialized skills and knowledge, OR because there was a suspicion that the employer might be SAYING that a friend or relative was in a senior role in the company, whereas s/he was actually unskilled and being given busy-work. People have also had a home-visit, as described in the article: because partner visas don't require proof of qualifications or a job, they are the ones most targeted by fraudsters paying people to lie to get them a visa, so at the sponsoring partner's home it should be obvious that the foreign partner really does live there, by the presence of their clothes, possessions, favourite foods, hobbies, etc.. Of course it must be rather a shock to get one of these unannounced visits, but if you're a genuine applicant, it's a good thing that a CO has actually found their own satisfactory evidence, and you no longer have to chase around after paperwork and references to convince them.

[Aidan1988]

Oh yeah for sure.
I understand a small minority of partnership visas are fraudulent and home visits are a useful tool to confirm applicant claims or IO suspicions.
Yes, my previous job was alongside some RSE workers, some woman from Immigration showed up and had a look around to confirm the nature of the work. Dont know if it was unannounced or not, wasn't my business, I'm a NZ citizen.
What is strange is INZ thought it a salient fact to disclose that only 1 pair of underwear was discovered on the property. That and one partner was not home. Do they have no PR training, could they not find a less creepy way to explain their concerns.
I mean, me and my wife are about to take the plunge into the Immigration system and apply for a partnership visa.
I just find it creepy and unnerving having a faceless bureaucrat in Hamilton or Henderson poking through the most intimate details of our lives( photos, videos, letters, chat logs, tenancy agreements, marriage certificate, account statements, references), not to mention the dreaded phone interview where they've had a history of asking questions such as what side of the bed does a particular partner sleep on, what medications does a partner take etc.
Dont even mention about an IO counting my partners underpants.
Its Orwellian.

[Aidan1988]

I mean you read stories like this...

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/natio...mum/ar-AAIiNZt

And it becomes clear INZ is pulling a great big proverbial middle finger to article 16 of the UNDHR.
Admirable that the son holds no grudge against the IO assessing the application.

[TheNewKiwi]

The issue with the second story you linked is the lack of cohabitation and financial interdependence, in my opinion. Not xenophobia, or poor processing, or anything else. INZ has clear cut criteria for what constitutes a genuine and stable relationship, and they are missing the two biggest.

And contrast the stories in the links you shared with a story like mine. I arrived in NZ on a general visitor visa, with my partner as financial sponsor. We had never even met in person before! When we were living together 4 months I applied for a partner work visa. When I was here a year I applied for a partner residence visa (currently a permanent resident). All visas successful; none of the applications contained chat logs, emails, or other personal correspondence. There was no home visit, and not even a phone interview. We submitted proof of joint bank account, joint internet bills, joint electric bills, joint travel, joint mail, a relationship timeline, and 2 letters of support (one long-time friend and one family member). We didn't even have joint tenancy, as my partner owns our home outright. And we submitted bank statements with the balances blacked out. Absolutely no issues anywhere along the way.

My point is, don't assume the worst. Every case is different. And of course the negatives are highlighted in the media. People who are happy with the outcome of their visa process don't usually rush to the nearest news outlet to sing the praises of INZ.

[Kiwiheart]

There's nothing to be worried about if the relationship is true. Before my visa was granted I was even thinking of them visiting us and I thought it would be much better as we got nothing to be afraid of

[JandM]

It's often quite a shock to born NZ citizens to find how stern and strict Immigration NZ routinely is towards visa applicants and their sponsors.

[Aidan1988]

Yeah, well I'll soon find out just how stern and strict they really are.

I think for peace of mind, I'll use a highly regarded immigration lawyer to obtain a visa for my wife's initial entry into the country.
Despite it being costly, it should improve the odds of a better result and avoid the heartache of declined applications and probably having to spend money on a lawyer in the end to sort it all out.

As far as I can tell, it's the first visa to enter the country from a non visa waiver country as a partner that is the most difficult, particularly with no appeal rights.
From there it gets progressively easier with additional partnership work visas, partnership residency, permanent residency. Just a formality of filling the forms out, paying the fees, provide the same old evidence( updated of course ), and as long as no new health or character issues arise its smooth sailing.

[Sean_patel]

Hey Aidan do you know of any good high profile lawyer that y can assist when partner is overseas

[Aidan1988]

Sean Patel

I'll be going to see a law firm tomorrow, they have a former senior immigration officer of 8 years working for them as a 'immigration executive' who also holds bachelor of laws degree.

That's in Christchurch, Saunders & co.

There was a fella in Christchurch, Michael Yoon, who claims to be the best immigration lawyer in NZ.
Very highly reviewed, claims to be too busy to take on new clients though at the moment.