A Partnership Residence Visa is designed for individuals who are the partners of New Zealand citizens or residents and wish to reside permanently in New Zealand. Upon obtaining this visa, you gain the privilege to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely. Additionally, you have the option to include your dependent children, aged 24 and under, in your partnership visa application, with the exception that children aged 21-24 must be financially dependent on an adult.

If your partner holds New Zealand residency through citizenship or residency status in Australia, they must be residing in New Zealand.

In certain cases, a Permanent Resident Visa may be granted if your partner is a New Zealand citizen, and the two of you have lived together outside of New Zealand for five years or more. However, it’s essential that your partner is either overseas during the application or has been back in New Zealand for less than three months.

To support your Partnership Residence Visa application in NZ, your partner must be eligible, and they are required to complete a ‘Partnership Support Form for Residence/Temporary Entry’ as evidence of their support.

For a Partnership Residence Visa in NZ, you must also present evidence demonstrating that you and your partner have maintained a genuine and stable relationship while living together for a duration of 12 months or more.

When applying for a Partnership Visa in NZ, the responsibility lies with the principal applicant and their New Zealand partner to prove the authenticity and stability of their partnership. Adequate evidence must be submitted with the partner visa application. If, upon assessment, an immigration officer is convinced that the couple is genuinely and stably living together, but the partnership duration is less than the required 12 months for a Partnership Residence Visa in NZ, they may defer the final decision, allowing the qualifying period to be met, and may grant a Work Partner Visa NZ in the interim.

If you wish to gain more insights into the Partnership Resident Visa Category application process, understand the assessment criteria, and become aware of potential challenges, feel free to contact us today at +64 22 161 5501 or email us at shivani@visawisenz.com