Will my wife, husband or partner be able to bring children over too?
If your spouse or partner has dependent children, they can be included on the spouse visa or partner visa application. Children younger than 16 are automatically classified as dependents. If they are 17 to 24 years of age, they may be considered dependent if they are single and rely on the sponsor or their parent for financial support. For children older than 17, evidence of dependence may be required. Officials will consider factors such as whether the child is working or attending school. If your partner if single or divorced, s/he must be legally entitled to take the child out of the country.
What if my partner and I have been living apart?
To be eligible for a spouse or partner visa, you must have lived together for at least 12 months. If you have been apart for any significant amount of time, you will need to indicate this on your resident visa application. You must also indicate how long you have been apart, the reason for your separation, and the steps you took to maintain your relationship during this time.
What if I have submitted the application and paid the fees, but my visa application was rejected? Can I get my application fee back?
Unfortunately, no. Whenever a visa application is submitted, the corresponding New Zealand visa fee is non-refundable.
What if my partner and I have been living together for less than the required 12 months?
There may be some circumstances in which exceptions may be made to this requirement, but you should not count on it. All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have not been living together for the required amount of time, you might want to look into obtaining a temporary New Zealand visa to allow you to meet this requirement.
My partner and I have not lived together for the required amount of time, and she is not able to get a temporary visa to New Zealand right now. What are our options?
Under New Zealand immigration law, you must have lived together and have been in a committed relationship for at least 12 months. However, this requirement does not stipulate that you must have lived together in New Zealand. You may wish to consider moving to your partner’s country temporarily to meet this requirement.
Once I am issued my resident visa, how long will I have to migrate to New Zealand?
You must enter the country within one year of your wife, husband or partner visa being issued by a New Zealand Embassy. Otherwise, your resident status will be considered abandoned, and you may have to re-apply.
What if my partner has been deported from another country in the past?
Normally, New Zealand immigration officials will not grant visas to people who have been deported. However, each application is considered on a case-by-case basis, so there may be some exceptions in certain situations.
I have known my partner for a long time, and we communicate via phone and e-mail. However, we have never actually met in person. How can we secure a partner visa?
You must have previously met your partner, and there are no exceptions to this requirement. Normally, you must have also lived together for at least one year. You may wish to obtain a temporary visa for your partner to come to New Zealand or travel to your partner’s home country temporarily to satisfy this requirement.
Does the application have to be made from within New Zealand?
No. There are New Zealand immigration branches in numerous countries, and applications can be mailed to or dropped off at any of the appropriate locations. However, if you are currently living in New Zealand, you may apply for a partner or marriage visa from within the country. This application for a partner, husband, or wife visa from inside New Zealand can be mailed or delivered to the appropriate immigration office.
What if my partners dependent child has a criminal record?
In order to bring dependent children over the age of 17 to New Zealand under the partner visa category, each child must have a current police check. Certain crimes and convictions may result in a denial of the resident visa application.
What if my sponsor came over on a partner visa himself, and he and his partner have since divorced?
In this situation, you may be still eligible for a partner visa. However, at least five years must have passed since your sponsor’s divorce and the initiation of your visa application.
What if we have been living outside of New Zealand for several years?
You may still be eligible for a resident visa to migrate to New Zealand. If your sponsor has been living outside of New Zealand for more than 2 years, but still has a visa allowing him to return to the country, he is considered an expatriate and is still eligible.
How long does it take to obtain a partner visa?
There are many factors that can affect the processing times of your case. Wait times can be as little as 3 months, but may be as long as nine months. A lot depends on the current backlog of similar cases and whether there are any problems with your case.