Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa

[IT_GUY]

Hi Everyone,

I'm getting married end of February and need to sponsor my partner to come live with me in NZ. (I hold PR)
We have never lived together and will be living in my parent's house for a while before coming back to NZ.
As we have not lived together for more than 12 months can it be a problem?
Would applying for a Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa be a better option? and move to a work visa after that.

Thanks!

[JandM]

There isn't enough information in your post to know exactly what your situation will be.

Nobody can sponsor a partner for Residence until they have lived together for 12 months or more. However, it is possible to sponsor a partner for a Partner of a New Zealander work visa https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...s-visa-holders once they have good evidence of living together for a lesser amount of time - no particular length of time is specified in the regulations, but we know from experience that applications are usually taken seriously once there is around three months'-worth of proof to submit. How long a time are you likely to be staying with your parents before travelling back? - enough to show as evidence?

You will see on that factsheet that one of the conditions is that the couple are intending to be based in NZ, so you would need to have some evidence to show your plans about that.

I wonder, is yours perhaps going to be an arranged marriage? If so, and you can show evidence that it has been/is being arranged in accordance with a cultural tradition - see this factsheet https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...e-visitor-visa for necessary information - there is a Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor's Visa which allows the new spouse to enter NZ and begin living with their partner to collect the evidence of living together, before moving on to the Partner of a New Zealander work visa mentioned above. This visa is for use within three months of the wedding - see details on the factsheet.

Incidentally, a partner-sponsored work visa does not imply that the holder is expected to get a job in NZ necessarily - it just gives them permission to take a job if they wish.

An ordinary Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa is not appropriate in your partner's case, because a visitor is someone who intends to make a stay of limited length in NZ, before going back to their established home and life in another country. Obviously, that is NOT the case for someone who is marrying a NZer and intending to make their new life together with their spouse. It is just the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa which has the special meaning.