[Nettie]

Could any one help me with the application forms? In particular Family Details section A16 & A27.. Partnership status. What does that refer to? Is it so obvious I'm missing it or am I completely thick?! Can't find it in the guide and for some reason I can't print it out to have a better look.
Please if anyone can help let me know before I blow a gasket. Forms don't you just love em.

[jo-and-jeff]

Could any one help me with the application forms? In particular Family Details section A16 & A27.. Partnership status. What does that refer to? Is it so obvious I'm missing it or am I completely thick?! Can't find it in the guide and for some reason I can't print it out to have a better look.
Please if anyone can help let me know before I blow a gasket. Forms don't you just love em.
You don't specify to which forms you are referring, so I'm assuming you mean the Application for Residence in New Zealand (NZIS 1000) (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/D10B5CEA-318C-4E3F-88BF-FE8FDCFC7170/0/1000.pdf). If you are talking about a different form, you need to specify which one.

This is a .pdf document, which means that you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to open it. If you don't already have Reader, you can download it here (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html).

The options for partnership status are:
Married
De facto (de facto union, a.k.a. "common-law" marriage)
Separated
Divorced
Widowed
Never married

Sections A16 and A27 list Partnership Status*
* For a definition of partner, please refer to Section C of guide
They are referring to Guide to Applying for Residence in New Zealand (NZIS 1002) (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/EFA678B7-EDE5-49CA-A8FE-74BD75CA30DE/0/10022up.pdf#page6), which talks about Partnership Status starting on page 6.

There are a bunch of rules and explanations in this section, but the main part is:
C6 Genuine and stable relationship
You may apply for residence at any time under this policy,
but to be granted residence you must meet all policy
requirements and have been living together in a genuine
and stable relationship for at least 12 months. Acceptable
evidence you and your partner are in a genuine and stable
relationship includes:
marriage certificate (if married)
civil union certificate
proof of shared residence (such as joint mortgage or
tenancy agreements or rent book)
financial dependence or interdependence (proof of
shared income or bank accounts, or accounts that
show money transfers between your account and your
partner’s account)
birth certificates for your children
any evidence of public or family recognition of
your relationship
correspondence (including post-marked envelopes) to
you and your partner at the same address
photographs of you and your partner together
evidence of the duration of your relationship
the degree of commitment to a shared life
the performance of household duties.
Please note: if you have been living apart from your partner for any periods during your relationship, you must also provide evidence of the length of these periods and the reasons for them.

C7 Minimum requirements for the recognition of
partnerships
The minimum requirements for recognition of partnership
are that you:
are both 18 years or older (or can provide evidence of
parental/guardian/other consent if either of you are 16
or 17 years of age); and
have met prior to this application being made; and
are not close relatives according to Schedule 2 of the
Marriage Act 1955 (see the following list).
You're really going to want to get the Guide (NZIS 1002) printed out before you try to go any further, because there is a tonne of information in there that you will need to read.

Hope this helps!

Jo

[Nettie]

Thanks alot for quick reply but I have got all that, but it's not explaining (or not to me any way!) what I need to put in. It relates to mother/ father details, name, dob, "partnership status" country of residence. Having just read your reply again I'm assuming I input de facto? I feel really stupid on this one and I always thought I at least had half a brain!

[jo-and-jeff]

For each person you list in the Family Details sections (because I presume that you'll be listing yourself and your partner as well as each of your children), you need to indicate the appropriate Partnership Status, as one of the following:
Married
De facto (de facto union, a.k.a. "common-law" marriage)
Separated
Divorced
Widowed
Never married

[Trigirl]

just put in all your immediate family and your partners immediate family.

for the partnership status stuff its asking about *their* status: so if for example you have a sister and she is single, then put single. if she is married, put married. if your parents are married, put married. if they are divorced, put divorced. etc.

See jos reply above for what the categories mean.

[Nettie]

Thank you. That makes perfect sense to me now. Thought it would be obvious and it was really. Cheers, I'm sure I'll be back with an equally daft question before much longer!