[feathers]

Hello everybody

I've been lurking on these forums for quite a while and thought I would take the plunge and ask for some advice/info from you knowledgable bunch!

Basically the scenario is this, my partner is a kiwi but he lives in Europe and I live in the USA, he wants to move back to NZ and I would like to join him there. We have been together about a year and a half but I don't think we would count as partners under NZIS criteria as we haven't lived together, have no joint bank accounts ets etc

So my original plan was to submit an eoi which I actually did this week and go through the PR route but the costs of this are pretty high and the timescale seems to be looking longer and longer by the day!!
By doing a search of the old forums it became clear that if you are a partner of a kiwi you are entitled to a work visa, which costs nothing(or susbstantially less than PR) and is much quicker then the PR route.
So really after all my ramblings my question is, does anyone think I would be successful if I apply for a work visa under partnership policy. I found something strange on the NZIS website at http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/worktemporarily/caniworkinnz/whatisrequired/joiningapartner/
that states that they will grant work visas even if your relationship is less then 12 months so that gave me hope that they might be flexible on their partner definition too??

So thanks for reading my long explanation, any thoughts or similar experiences would be greatly received.

Cheers

[Diny]

I know that the NZIS are pretty tight when it comes to proving a relationship. However, even though you may not have shared the same address and don't have a joint bank account, this doesn't mean you're not partners.

I've been with my Kiwi partner for over 17 years - married for 15 of them (tomorrow in fact) so it was a little easier for me to prove it was a genuine relationship. However - there's more than one way to skin a cat. I know that they will take practically anything as proof. Even postcards and letters sent to each other, or postdated letters that have been sent to the 2 of you. Photographs are good proof too. Also, could you ask any friends or people with abit of 'clout' in the community to write a letter to the NZIS confirming that you have a relationship lasting more than 12 months. Have you been on holiday together and have an 'entry/exit stamp' in your passports with corresponding dates. just about anything will do - and in my opinion anything is worth a try.

Sorry I can't help you on the work visa info.

All the best - Diny

[Tara Sage]

Happy Anniversary Diny :nice1

[Diny]

Thanks Tara. Hubby away until Thursday so will have to celebrate alone :(

Some good news though - today he signed his new contract of employment, the house has gone on the market today and as soon as it sells we're NZ bound.


............ P A N I C ............. :eek

[feathers]

Yes a Happy Anniversay from me too and best of luck with the big move!!

Thanks for your helpful reply we have a ton of phone bills and emails that we can use, some pictures and altho we have been on holiday together it's either me visiting him or vice versa so there are no matching date stamps in the passports but if we give them the dates of our trips maybe the NZIS will be able to verify it with one or other of our passports.

Once again thanks for your helpful hints I think its worth trying this route as its just so much faster and cheaper than PR

[Diny]

With the amount of applications the NZIS get landing on their desks, I'm pretty sure they can suss out the genuine ones from the phoney ones. Let's face it, not every couple who are in a genuine relationship, for one reason or another, actually co-habit.

Just send every bit of information and 'evidence' that you have and keep everything above board, as long as your medicals and police reports check out I'm pretty sure you have as much chance/right/opportunity as any other applicant.

Thanks for the anniversary wishes and all the best for you NZIS application - whichever route you wish to take. :D

Diny

[Jodie]

Hi guys,

We went to the Immigration Office today to apply for work visas (cos I've got a job offer - Yay! ::): ), and thought we'd have no problem cos we'd been really organised and brought everything with us from the UK and got my new job contract and employer form filled out etc. Or so I thought....

We're applying for a work permit through my job being on the POL (IT Project Manager for a web company) - and Darren's applying for a general work permit on the back of mine (through our 'de facto' relationship). BUT....

To prove the length of our relationship (4 years) we needed to show some, if not all of the following:

Joint bank accounts dating back at least a year
Mortgage statements as far back as poss
Bills in both our names
Council Tax statements as far back as poss
Letters from friends, family (and people in 'authorative positions' if poss) stating that they have known us as a couple for x years
Photos from over the years :icon_eek: icon_exclaim.gif

We took a letter from the bank stating that our joint account had been open for over 2 years, a joint bank account statement and a copy of our tenancy agreement for the house we've just rented here (to prove we're planning to be together once we're here cos that's another thing you have to prove!!), but this wasn't enough.

So, to cut a long story short, after thinking we had everthing they'd need to see, we don't! We now have to spend the evening phoning our local council, mortgage companies, solicitor who handled our house purchase 2 years ago etc. to get them to send us confirmation letters. Wonder how long that'll take.... It'd be easier to get married!! :icon_wink:

So just a warning - bring EVERYTHING with you that could prove ANYTHING you are stating in your application!

Jod
:icon_evil:

[jesselyn]

I've been with my Kiwi partner for over 17 years - married for 15 of them (tomorrow in fact)

happy 15th anniversary!!! :clap

jes :angel

[jesselyn]

Some good news though - today he signed his new contract of employment, the house has gone on the market today and as soon as it sells we're NZ bound.
............ P A N I C ............. :eek

wow - congratulations!!! :nice1

umm dont panic, everything will be under control ;) ... hugs diny :D ...

jes :angel

[feathers]

Well I spoke to a guy at the NZ embassy in Washington today, I have to say I'm amazed at how quickly they got back to me, i sent them an email and less than 24 hours later he called to discuss my question!!

Anyway am going off topic but he informed me that my partner and I wouldn't have enough evidence in the NZIS's view to prove that we are a couple. His suggestion was that I move to NZ with my partner when he returns there and we immediately set about 'proving' our partnership by setting up joint bank accounts, a shared tenancy agreement etc etc. And then after about 4 months put in my work visa application based on our partnership and include the evidence we already have from the time we've been together so far.

So this means I won't be able to work for 4 months or so which does worry me slightly and also I'm not sure if it's exactly legal!!? What do I tell the immigration officers when I land in NZ, I can't say I'm coming here to live with my boyfriend and can he set up joint bank accounts with me if I'm just there as a visitor??

But having thought about this it seems a preferable route to the EOI/PR as the length of time for that seems very uncertain, the cost is not inconsequential and after all that I would still only get a 2 yr work visa and not PR cos I don't have a job offer!!! This way I could get a one year work visa which can be extended for another year or at that time I could go for PR through my partner or the SMC, I believe it's a little cheaper to do it in NZ!

[veronica]

It won't be a problem, just tick the holday bit the same as everybody else, and stick to it. They don't need anymore info than that at the airport. It would only constitute a problem if you got to the end of the six months and hadn't done anything. Believe it or not they are not out to get you and they do want more people out here. Its just that they want genuine ones who won't be a drain on the economy and will contribute to it.

[feathers]

Thanks Veronica, I am just a touch paranoid about immigration, I live in the USA at the moment but I'm a brit and despite having a work visa for this country every time I arrive back here after a trip home I hate going through immigration. They are so rude, unwelcoming and downright suspicious that I always half expect them to put me on a plane back to the UK. And nowadays I have to be fingerprinted and photographed everytime I enter the country! So I think this has slightly coloured my judgement of immigration services, hopefully the NZ guys will be a little less frightening!

[veronica]

yeah but that is USA and this in NZ!

We have hit the same attitude there several times, do you reckon they have special training courses or just pick people who already have that attitude for the job..