Help! Partnership Work Visa Declined

[C.C.]

Hi there,

INZ declined my partner's visa as not being satisfied with our genuine partnership. Anything we can do? We've made all arrangements to have him over here in mid-January...

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[JandM]

It might help people to comment helpfully if you would give the basics of your situation (how long you have lived together, how long since that), and what kinds of evidence you submitted.

[C.C.]

Hi JandM,

Thank you for your response. I took a closer look at my husband's application and found out he forgot to submit our photos and our chat history...
We had lived together for 4 years before I came to NZ. We had provided our joint bank accounts, lease and marriage certificate. Unfortunately, he forgot to upload the photos... One of the reason to decline is that we couldn't prove that we had even met in person... I compiled all the pictures and chat history and sent to him, but they are not there in his application. How stupid this is and I really regretted that I didn't check his application even after I tried to hurry INZ so many times.

In this case, is there any chance you think I can supply the missing information he intended to supply? If he goes ahead applying for a visitor visa as it seems to be faster... would we look suspicious and be likely to be declined again?
We were so confident as our relationship is genuine and we've been together for over 10 years. We've made all kinds of arrangements in January. I signed a new lease waiting for him to come over and he was about to resigned his job and lease. It would be really nice if somehow I could still save this situation, but it is our fault...

Thank you very much!

[JandM]

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...-declined-visa
Sorry to give bad news - you can't appeal against the decision on THIS application. As it says in the link, that's only possible if the applicant is in New Zealand at the time. And in any case, an appeal is only for situations in which INZ appears to have acted unfairly in some way. As far as your husband's case is concerned, they couldn't judge evidence that wasn't there.

So the next move can only be to apply again, WITH all the evidence. Be careful - if he were now to apply for a visitor's visa, it would go against the Bona Fide requirement, defined here. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...tity/bona-fide He has already said in the application just refused that he wants to come and make a life with you in NZ, so if he were then to apply for a visitor's visa, it would obvious that one of the cases is not honest. A visitor's visa is not to be used as a convenient get-out for any situation where the person hasn't got a visa appropriate to their real situation. (A visitor is someone intending a trip for only a limited amount of time, after which they are expected to go back to take up a life which they prove is set up and waiting for them in another country.) Realistically, he needs to apply for the same sort of visa as he did before, as the situation with your lives hasn't changed, and, though I don't expect it will speed things up at all, in his place I would send a covering letter explaining that he is re-applying because he forgot to send basic evidence to support his case when applying the previous time.