# Moving to NZ



## sgott_wood (Feb 14, 2014)

Hi, 

I am looking at moving to NZ in the near future. I am an Australian Citizen living in Canada at the moment. I am getting married to a Canadian who has already done her working holiday visa for NZ. What is the best option for us to move to NZ. She wants to work and I'm looking to do an electrical apprenticeship. 

any help would be appreciated. visa websites don't give me any answers.


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Have your partner apply for Australian residence based on your partnership. Australian residents can live and work in NZ without an issue. (She would need to land in Oz to activate her residence and then go onward to NZ.)

You should also look in to wether or not you can sponsor her directly from in NZ as an OZ citizen.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

Nope only Australian "Permanent" Residency class visa holders can live and work in NZ - not Residency class only.

You could go down this route but may take a while to get Aus PR. May not be a problem getting Aus Residency based on partnership but you may then have to live in Aus for a while ?
May just depend how long of a relationship you can prove. I know in NZ, if you are married to an NZ citizen and you have been together over 5 yrs and you apply for Residency based on partnership, you automatically get awarded "Permanent" Residency instead.....assuming you qualify of course.

I'd be more inclined to advise you both to just come over to NZ.
You both have the necessary eligibility to get in on your individual merits.
You as an Aus citizen and your partner using the WHV.
When you both arrive, you as the Aus citizen will be immediately given NZ Residency.
When your both settled - maybe after a week, a month, whatever.....your partner applies to immigration NZ for Residency based on being the partner of an Aus citizen who is an NZ Residency visa holder.
Your partner's basically got the period of the WHV to get Residency sorted based on partnership.


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## sgott_wood (Feb 14, 2014)

Thank you for your help. 

The only problem is that she has already lived in NZ for 18 months in the past on a working holiday and then was sponsored by an employer for her second year. is there any way around it?


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

sgott_wood said:


> Thank you for your help. The only problem is that she has already lived in NZ for 18 months in the past on a working holiday and then was sponsored by an employer for her second year. is there any way around it?


Ah!!! 
Sorry I didn't pick up in that. She's already done a WHV in NZ.
This means she isn't eligible for another.

Doesn't really matter.
You enter as an Aus citizen. Your partner as a visitor.
As soon as you enter, Immigration will give you NZ Residency (you will have to declare that you intend to stay and make NZ your home for a minimum 2 years).
Then, your partner applies for Partnership NZ residency.
As soon as you do this she should be offered an NZ Temp Work Visa which will allow her to work (doesn't need a job offer first) then the Residency will come through later. It'll just tick along in the background.
You must be able to prove your relationship and living together over 12 months.


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