# Partner on a skilled visa



## hanalav123 (May 8, 2011)

Hi all I have just signed up to this forum, but have been reading it for a while.

My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate to New Zealand.

I would hopefully qualify for a skilled visa, and was hoping my boyfriend could come with me. However it appears that you have to be living together for 12 months beforehand. We are 21 and 22 years old and have been together for 5 years but still live with our parents due to the high cost of moving out, do you think they would accept this? We are in a stable relationship, we just dont live together.

Thanks


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## anski (Aug 17, 2008)

Hi & welcome to the friendly Expatforum.

I am sorry I do not know the answer to that question, someone may come along & answer it for you or perhaps an Immigration agent may be best to advise.

Please feel free to post any more questions & we will try to answer them.

Anski


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

hanalav123 said:


> Hi all I have just signed up to this forum, but have been reading it for a while.
> 
> My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate to New Zealand.
> 
> ...


Hi there

Can you prove a 5 year relationship? Do you have photos of you together/receipts from holidays? How about a 'reference' from a person in authority? (a Uni lecturer or employer who knows you've been together for a number of years? Be a bit creative - and start saving evidence now! There's no definite yes - but it certainly can help your case later...


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## mamoun1982 (Apr 14, 2011)

from operational manual


> F2.20.15 Evidence of living together in partnership that is genuine and stable
> a. Evidence that the principal applicant and partner are living together may include but is not
> limited to original or certified copies of documents showing shared accommodation such
> as:
> ...


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## KeepDiscovering (Jan 10, 2009)

hanalav123 said:


> Hi all I have just signed up to this forum, but have been reading it for a while.
> 
> My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate to New Zealand.
> 
> ...


My experience to share.

I obtained my work permit under 'sponsorship' category last November. My partner is a native NZ citizen. We have been on the relationship since 2006 but we never lived under together (like your case).

Sponsorshop category has the same "12-month living together" requirement. I decided to adopt the 'honesty is best policy' approach, i.e. I specified on the application form that we had never lived for 12 months together (which was logical as I lived in Middle East and he lived in NZ), but at the same time I provided quite plenty of supporting evidence such as:

- Lots of email correspondences throughout years (chose an email with a 3 month interval; must show the dates)
- Pictures taken throughout the years (fortunately on some pictures there were dates shown)
- Visa stamps from passports which should both of us travelled somewhere together on the same dates
- Supporting letters from lots of friends, business partners, etc.

The point is, do not let that requirement be a hindrance. What they really want to see if that your relationship is authentic and has lasted for some time.


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## masibabes (Jun 14, 2011)

hi hanalav123,

im new here but i saw ur msg and i thought i share with u my experienced.

my partner is a new zealanders and im a singaporean. we met in 2008, but i had to leave to nz to further study in 2009. he quit his job in singapore and came to join me in mid of 2009 in nz. im back in singapore in early of 2010 as my cat is sick. 
I applied for work visa in May 2011 to join my partner in nz.

2008 we dont lived together as he had his own rental appt and i live on my own.
2009 we lived about 6 weeks together but the lease was under his name and no utility bills to support as weekly fees inclusive of rental payment. we provided letters from friends who were our flat mate in campus, letter from both of our parents and correspondence letters from banks, overseas friends to indicate individual addressess to same address. we provided facebook pages, emails to prove that we contacted each other daily for the last 3 years. Pictures of us together in NZ and in Singapore, with friends and family.

we compiled all relevant documentation and submitted to nz immigration in singapore. my work visa application was declined within 3 weeks but they offered me a 9 months general visitor visa to join my partner. so i am moving to nz next month.

yes, it is not what i was hoping for, but i had to grab that opportunity that immigration officer had offered me, and we will try again once im in nz.

this is what the immigration officer, who is not a local kiwi who took my case replied to me:-

_We have considered all information provided including the response to our letter of 04 May 2011. 

Although your relationship is genuine, there is very little evidence to prove that you were living together. As such we are unable to approve your work visa application under the partnership category. We are prepared to offer you a general visitor visa for 9 months for you to join your partner in NZ. You can apply again under partnership after you showed that you have been living together. 

Please reply by 26 May 2011 whether you accept this offer. If we do not hear from you by the given date, a decision will be made on your work visa application with the information we have on file.

Regards
Julia Ng_
_Immigration Officer, Singapore
Immigration New Zealand | Te Ratonga Manene
391A Orchard Road, #15-05 Tower A, Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238873_

I asked for an advice from a licensed immigration agent as i thought once im in nz for 6th or 7th months i can re apply for work visa once i open a bank account with my partner, have a same address, and etc that required by the immigration, as mentioned by mamoun1982:- F2.20.15

and this is what the licensed immigration agent advised me:-
_I can tell you that if you are living with a NZer there is absolutely no need to wait for 6-7 months – I advise those clients who listen to me to apply after 6- 8 weeks_

but i guess it is really up to the immigration officer who took up your case. but nonetheless, do not give up and keep trying. i know it cost money, but just provide all the evidence that required and follow protocol.

i hope the above helps in anyway. in the end of the day, nz immigration have to secure the best interest of their country and make sure the people coming to nz are genuine.

maybe u and bf can come to nz and live together and try to apply for work visa.
nz immigration also have created Interim visa since 7th february 2011. do check it out.

Interim visas

best of luck and hope we can meet up in nz.

cheers,
masi


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## masibabes (Jun 14, 2011)

hanalav123 said:


> Hi all I have just signed up to this forum, but have been reading it for a while.
> 
> My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate to New Zealand.
> 
> ...


Hi hanalav123,

have u look into these yet?

_Working Holiday Visa

This policy aims to achieve two things – allow young people to come to New Zealand for the primary purpose of a holiday but allowing them to work for some of that time and also, if truth be told, in the hope that some might meet PR criteria and remain as permanent residents.

The broad criteria are:

You must be a passport holder of one of the countries in the list below
You must not be aged under 18 or older than 30
No children are allowed to come with you
Health and character met

This policy has strictly controlled numbers (usually only a few hundred) each year.

The only countries that enjoy this scheme are as follows:

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay._


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