Gill84

Yes, I see where you're coming from. It's really frustrating when the immigration people seem to give out mixed messages...it just seems silly to me that you can apply for a partnership/work visa whilst on a WHV, but you can't if you're on a tourist visa...oh well...don't want to risk getting declined, so I better just stick with what they're advising me.

Persephone

I can understand why they're a bit 'funny' about people coming over as a tourist and then applying for a temporary partnership work visa. Gaining an Essential Skills work visa as a tourist or from a WHV is slightly different in that it depends on the individual finding a job and applying under their own steam. The one Gill84 is applying for is via relationship and is an open work visa [not connected to a job offer]. It is a visa that could be gained fraudulently; if both partners were careful it could also then lead to residency.

I would think that having a good relationship history [reasonable amount of time together prior to either of them living in NZ] would make an application more likely to be successful however. It shows it's definitely not a 'relationship of convenience'. However you should take the advice given by NZIS, it is also possible another phone call could result in different advice!

I am not suggesting that Gill is planning on doing something fraudulent, just that I can see where NZIS are coming from

Gill, is there any reason why you're applying for a temp visa and not residency? Is it that you haven't lived together long enough or are you not planning on staying in NZ for more than two years?

Gill84

Hi Perephone,
The reason I'm applying for a temporary visa is that we've only been living together for 9 months,and also because I want to make sure that we can settle in New Zealand before committing to the expense of a residency visa. You never know, we might end up living in the UK in future! So we want to see how New Zealand goes first.