Partnership Visa (evidence)

[rektest1]

I can't edit the post anymore, but that 7th bullet point should read February 2023, not 2022.

cheers.

Multiple Photos from our 2023 February trip to the South Island and parts of North Island together*

[Kelerei]

I cannot legally respond to your wall of text: you'll need a Licensed Immigration Adviser for that.

However, this:

Could someone confirm the last point please? can an NZeTA convert into an interim visa? we don't want to break any laws here!

I have answered previously, but to reiterate: the holder of a NZeTA is usually granted a Visitor Visa at the border (see the Visa Waiver Visitor Visa factsheet), and this would therefore satisfy I1.5(a)(i) if a further temporary entry class visa is applied for. Note that the remainder of I1.5(a) also needs to be met.

Also take note of Y3.1(b): a visa waiver passenger must apply for a visa (together with entry permission) on arrival. This is done by completing the passenger arrival card and presenting this to an Immigration Officer on arrival (the eGate system may do this electronically).

[rektest1]

Thanks, unfortunately because she was here for 2 months already via NZeTA (Jan + Feb) her "Time in New Zealand" is only valid for another 4 months (Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec) as stated in the NZeTA conditions. On the NZeTA application it says you can only be in New Zealand for 6 months on a 12-month period. She arrives in September and we were intending to apply for the partnership work visa in December, which would put her on an interim visa whilst we wait for the results, but I'm starting to think this might be a little risky? It also means if her application is declined, she won't be legally allowed to stay in NZ as her NzETA "Time in New Zealand" would have expired and she won't have an interim visa if the partnership is declined.

Therefore, do you think it makes more sense that once she arrives and she's in New Zealand on her Visa Waiver Visitor Visa that you have mentioned above, that we apply for a Standard Tourist Visa as this would not only buy us more time (6-9 months) it would also mean if her partnership application were declined she would still be allowed to remain as she is on a 6-9 month visitor visa anyway right?

I hope that makes sense.. this entire process is very confusing.

TLDR Have I understood the "Time in New Zealand" for NZeTA correctly? should she apply for a 6-9 month visitor visa when she's here, to buy us more time to collate evidence and also ensures she doesn't have to leave the country immediately if she is declined partnership visa.

thank you.

[JandM]

The really important thing for your partner's application is that you collect solid evidence of partnership from the moment you get together next month. All your past history - that you were dating, and that you were intending to get together - is a narrative that tends to show you have a relationship, but the emotional side of things, and what happened before you moved in together, will not count for INZ, because anyone can SAY they are partners. INZ need to be shown that you are and have been sharing a living space when you apply, and that people around you know that you are a couple. Here's the official page https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...ed/partnership, and here https://www.google.com/search?q=site...t=gws-wiz-serp are some old threads where people have shared suggestions of what they can provide to support their claim.

It looks from your list as though you have good ideas already, but the old threads may show you more angles that you will be able to collect.

Whenever you put in her application for a partner-sponsored visa, you should remember to keep on collecting evidence that you are living together, as INZ almost always ask to see more, to cover the time while the application has been being considered. This is to make sure they're not going to issue a visa to someone whose relationship has broken up in the meantime. When she gets her temporary visa, STILL keep on collecting evidence, as she will need more to submit with her application for partner-sponsored Residence in due course, and then more while that is being processed.

The kind of visa she will be on as a visa-waiver entrant is still a tourist visa, and the cumulative time isn't going to be altered because she makes another application. Also, it's very unlikely that INZ would grant another visitor visa - those are for people making a time-limited visit to the country, but who have a home and life elsewhere which they intend to return to after a fixed period, and since your partner is going to apply for a partner-sponsored visa, it's obvious that that situation does not apply to her. It's only natural that you feel rather nervous about the application, as that is the normal state of mind of anyone putting in their case to INZ, and there's no magic formula to make it better! You need to be very careful to be totally honest throughout (thinking here, not saying something other than the partnership situation once she's there), as any suspicion that you might have misrepresented your intentions can be counted as fraud, which would nullify the whole case.

Once she has put in her application for a partner-sponsored temporary visa, she will be automatically covered by an interim visa from the time that her existing tourist visa expires, until such time as the case has been processed. That is, the interim visa takes over, and keeps her legal. If you put in a good case with ample evidence of all the kinds you can think of, there is no particular reason why it should be rejected. Although no particular length of time is mentioned for evidence for a temporary visa, we have seen from people's experience that INZ takes cases seriously which show around three months'-worth, and from what you say, you should be able to provide that, within the life of your partner's visitor visa. But make very certain that she submits BEFORE it expires, even by just a few days - if in doubt when that will be, ask INZ beforehand, in good time.

[rektest1]

thank you so much JandM will keep ya'll updated

[noabr93]

Hi! I'm in a similar situation trying to figure out if I could return to NZ on a nzeta and then apply pwv
Did you manage to?
Thanks🙏🏼

[JandM]

Yes. See his posts within the last couple of weeks! (Click on What's New, top left of the screen.)

[rektest1]

Hey sorry didn't see this, yes we got our partnership visa - it took a very long time to document everything but we went with the "overwhelm them" method. In fact we gave them so much information they processed our visa within 5 working weeks... (website says 14 weeks!) and this was during the December / January holiday break too haha. We also weren't questioned and they didn't ask for additional evidence. I think they took 1 look at our application and said "far out..."

This was our experience, I won't dive too deep into the details or we'll be here all day, but I hope it helps.

First and foremost, if you are genuine, show that you are genuine and nothing should go wrong! just make sure you do some research on their website and this amazing forum. Don't be put off by people that have been declined, there's a million reasons why it happens.

When you arrive in NZ and go through biosecurity you will most likely be asked a question or two about your stay, this happened to my partner. It was a little daunting because we had to be separated during biosecurity, kiwis have their own line, international have theirs. Just be truthful! She was questioned at one point but told them she was here with her partner (me lol) she told them we are applying for a partnership visa. She also mentioned that she had an exit flight incase the visa gets declined, this shows you have done your research before arriving into the country, which they will appreciate. For example, my partner had a cheap flight to Sydney in case we got declined, as we didn't want her staying illegally. This was a non-refundable flight but we just took the hit, it's worth it in the grand scheme of things. This can be a one-way flight, you don't need return flights to visit Australia. Make sure you get your Aussie visa waiver sorted too.

Soon as we landed in Wellington, the very next day we went to ANZ and got her a bank account, then we did a joint bank account at the same time (this is important for later). Make sure you do this ASAP, I believe you can apply for an ANZ account online, and finalize in-person once you're in the country.

At this point, you need to start living together, this is the most important aspect of a partnership visa...don't get too caught up in the lovey dovey stuff, yes it's important but living together is more important. Get both of you on the lease OR ask the landlord to write you a formal letter stating you are both living there as of XYZ date.

Start putting money into your joint bank account and use it as much as possible:

Rent / Mortgage
Appliance shopping
Furniture shopping
Groceries
Petrol
Doctors Visits

When you buy big items (like a couch, or a washing machine, etc) ask the merchant to put both your names on the invoice and/or delivery address - and use the joint account.

Get both your names on a joint power/gas company so your monthly statements have both your names on it

Get your own mobile plan with the same address as your partner, collate both of your monthly bills for the application as this will show both of you living there for 3-4 months+

At this point, you just need to live together and share expenses, make sure you setup automatic payments from your main account into your joint, for example my partner wasn't allowed to work but had savings from the UK, she would automatically transfer 200-300 every week for rent/groceries and because I was working, I would add more than her. We also explained this in our application, stating how we share expenses, chores, what we enjoy cooking/doing/etc. We also mentioned future plans once she was allowed to work and we had more income.

Get 2-3 people to write you letters approving the relationship, parents are a good one (from both sides), and a friend or two.

One thing we were worried about is her NZETA, we had done the calculations based on their website and even asked for advice on this forum, we came to the conclusion her NZETA would expire in December so we got super nervous about this and the interim visa, but she called Immigration and apparently her NZETA (which automatically grants you a tourist visa) was valid until March 2024.. (we were way off lol) so we didn't even need the interim visa in the end.

Long story short, yes you can go from NZETA -> Partnership Work Visa - just make sure you tick all the boxes and set aside time to document/collate everything, it takes AGES! especially the timeline of you relationship part, and collating call logs, text messages, etc.

good luck!

[Kelerei]

just make sure you tick all the boxes and set aside time to document/collate everything, it takes AGES! especially the timeline of you relationship part, and collating call logs, text messages, etc.

Since you've only done this for the Work Visa, two things that I can tell you (and that you can find out yourself by reading other people's experiences on this forum) are:

• Don't dispose of the relationship evidence you've used in support of your Work Visa application; and
• Keep on collecting relationship evidence.

The reason is that the Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa can not be extended for beyond 24 months since the holder's first day in New Zealand as a partner of a New Zealander (see WF2.1). Once those 24 months are up, INZ will normally decline further applications for this visa. INZ's expectation is that, before those 24 months are up, either the partner has applied for residence or the partnership has not endured -- and, if you take a look at the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa factsheet, you will quickly see that when residence is applied for, relationship evidence will need to be provided all over again.

The good news is that INZ has considered that you, as the New Zealander, will be eligible to support your partner's application for the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa within 12 months of the grant of your partner's visa. Had this not been the case, your partner's visa would have been declined under WF2.5. Note, too, that you need a minimum of 12 months evidence of living together (F2.5(a)) -- I have seen before, on this forum, an application declined due to applying too early.