Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa grants residence to the partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident. To be eligible you generally need to have been living together for at least 12 months in a genuine and stable relationship. It is the visa that lets you settle permanently — live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely — and it is the destination most partners are working toward.
Who it’s for
- You are in a genuine and stable relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident.
- You have been living together for 12 months or more.
- You want to settle in New Zealand permanently, not just work or visit.
Eligibility
- Your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident eligible to support your residence application.
- You have lived together for at least 12 months in a genuine and stable relationship.
- Your relationship is credible and well-evidenced across its whole history.
- You meet health and character requirements.
How to apply
- 1Confirm the 12-month requirement. Check you can show at least 12 months living together in a genuine and stable relationship.
- 2Build a thorough evidence pack. Residence is assessed strictly — assemble strong evidence of living together, shared finances and commitment across the full period.
- 3Submit your residence application. Apply to Immigration New Zealand with your forms, relationship evidence, and health and character documents.
- 4Attend any interview or respond to queries. Some applicants are interviewed or asked for more evidence — be ready to respond clearly.
The evidence that decides it
Every partnership visa rises or falls on one thing: showing Immigration New Zealand your relationship is genuine and stable. Start with our guide on what that means and the evidence that proves it.
Genuine & stable relationship guideFree: Relationship evidence checklist
The exact documents that show your relationship is genuine and stable — emailed to you, with a copy shown on screen.
Common questions
- Do we really need 12 months living together?
- For residence, you generally need to show at least 12 months living together in a genuine and stable relationship. If you don't meet it yet, a work or visitor partnership visa is usually the step before residence.
- What if we've spent time apart?
- Periods apart are not automatically fatal, but you must explain them and show the relationship remained genuine and stable. Strong, consistent evidence matters.
- Does the resident visa let me work?
- Yes. Residence lets you live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
- Why do partnership residence applications get declined?
- Most often because the evidence doesn't convince Immigration New Zealand the relationship is genuine and stable, or the 12-month living-together requirement isn't clearly met. See our guide on declined applications.
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