The living together rule that blindsides genuine couples
One of the cruelest features of New Zealand's partnership rules is that genuine couples who have not lived together cannot get a partnership visa at all. Their only route is a general visitor visa, and during the Covid border closures those were suspended, leaving couples stranded. The issue was serious enough that the government was taken to court over it.
What happened
- Two New Zealanders, unable to bring their partners into the country, took the government to court over decisions to suspend and cancel visa applications.
- Couples who could not meet the living-together requirement had to rely on general visitor visas, which were not being processed at the time.
- Around 50,000 temporary visa applications were cancelled and refunded, among them many partners waiting to join their New Zealand partners.
As reported by RNZ, 8 December 2021: “Government taken to court over cancelled visa applications”.
The lesson
Living together is a hard requirement for every partnership visa, including the partnership visitor visa. Couples who cannot meet it are pushed onto the general visitor visa, which is discretionary and can be slow or suspended. If you have never lived together, do not gamble on a partnership application that cannot succeed, and do not assume the visitor-visa fallback will be quick. Plan the pathway, and present it carefully, with advice.
The visa in this story
Partner of a New Zealander Work VisaAn open work visa for the partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident — work for any employer while you live together in New Zealand.
Don’t let this be your story
Most partnership visa heartbreak is avoidable with the right advice before you apply. Have a lawyer assess your situation honestly, backed by our money-back guarantee.