What is the cost of a partnership-based visa in New Zealand?

The Immigration charges from $211 NZD for a partnership-based temporary visa application and $495 NZD if work rights are needed. The immigration fee comes at $1,480 NZD if it is a partnership-based resident visa application. *Note that the above fees do not apply to citizens from certain fee-waiver countries, and are subject to change by the Government.

Can I work in New Zealand on a partner visa?

Yes on the condition that you have been granted a partnership-based temporary visa with work rights.

Partnership Visa New Zealand

NZ Partnership Visa for Work or Residence

Partnership-based visas are one of the most common and inquired types of visas in the NZ immigration system. They are a straightforward pathway for migrants to settle or migrate to NZ.

If you are in a relationship with an NZ citizen or someone holding an NZ visa, this is an option you should definitely consider.

That being said, it’s important to highlight that there is no such thing as a “partnership visa” in NZ. This catch-all term refers to some visitor, work or residency visas that are issued based on a relationship. Some partnership-based visas are applied for on their own while others are applied as part of a visa which allows including a partner as a secondary applicant. This means that there is no simple answer to how to obtain a partnership-based visa as this depends on the status of the sponsor (the NZ citizen or NZ visa-holder) and the nature of the relationship.

What is considered a “Partnership”?

Two people who live together in a genuine and stable relationship

Can be a heterosexual or same-sex relationship

These people can be married, in a civil union or a de facto relationship

Both of you need to be aged 18 or over or have the consent of your parents or guardians if you are aged 16 or 17

You cannot be close relatives

How are you granted a partnership-based visa?

The pathway to be granted a partnership-based visa goes by satisfying the criteria regarding the “Fourfold Test”.

The Fourfold Test was originally devised by the Residence Appeal Authority in the 1990s (now known as the Immigration Protection Tribunal, or IPT). This test is included in the immigration instructions and is composed of:

Credibility;the evidence provided by you must be reliable and true.
Living together; you and your partner must be living together unless there are genuine reasons for any period of separation.
Genuine partnership; you and your partner must both be found to be genuine as to your reasons for being in a relationship.
Stable partnership; you and your partner must demonstrate that their partnership is likely to endure.

How can you satisfy the Fourfold Test?

You need to provide evidence of your relationship with Immigration New Zealand (INZ). There is no exact list of documents that must be provided but some common examples are:

Marriage Certificates
Any Child/Children’s birth certificate
Joint rental agreements and bills
Joint bank accounts
Letters from friends vouching about your history as a couple
Photos together in social events and joint travels
Cards, letters, emails and social media conversations

The required amount of evidence can vary depending on the type of partnership-based visa you are applying for.

How does INZ evaluate your evidence?

When processing a partnership-based visa application, INZ will consider:

How long you and your partner have been together
How committed you and your partner are to a life together
Any children you and your partner have together
Whether other people recognise your relationship
Your living and financial arrangements as a couple

Additional requirements for partnership visa

One often ignored fact about partnership-based applications is that proving your relationship to be genuine and passing the fourfold test may not be enough to be granted a visa. Besides the core requirements, you must also meet generic requirements:

Health issues: Applicants must have an “Acceptable Standard of Health” (ASH) unless they have been granted a medical waiver.
Character issues: Applicants must also be assessed as being of good character and not pose a potential security risk to NZ.
Partner’s requirements: Even if your partner is an NZ citizen/visa holder and is not applying for a visa on their own, they must also meet certain requirements to be deemed eligible to sponsor partnership-based applications.

How we can help you apply for your association visa

Engaging the services of an immigration adviser is one of the best decisions you can make to ensure a successful partnership-based visa application. While you can apply on your own, many migrants have honoured us with the responsibility of taking care of their applications. The reasoning behind it is the high stakes regarding a migratory process, time constraints and personal issues. Here at Visa Advisors, we have years of experience helping migrants to obtain partnership-based visas.

We will check and confirm your eligibility for your visa before applying. Nothing can be as frustrating as applying for a visa when there is no pathway to it in the first place. We can provide you with the peace of mind that you are eligible for a partnership-based visa or we can advise you about the sensitive parts of your case that could demand special work
We will provide you with the most accurate list of evidence which is tailored to your case which will make the best case forward to INZ
We will apply for waivers for health and character issues, if necessary
We take all steps to avoid any unnecessary delays in your visa processing which more often results in a faster reply by INZ
We will prepare the filling and submission of your application as well as manage the entire process and correspondence with INZ.
We will update you about the status of your application throughout the entire time

To book our services, please follow this LINK. Alternatively you can mail us to advice@visaadvisers.co.nz or Call us to 022 023 3681

What is the cost of a partnership-based visa in New Zealand?
The Immigration charges from $211 NZD for a partnership-based temporary visa application and $495 NZD if work rights are needed. The immigration fee comes at $1,480 NZD if it is a partnership-based resident visa application.
*Note that the above fees do not apply to citizens from certain fee-waiver countries, and are subject to change by the Government.
Can I work in New Zealand on a partner visa?
Yes on the condition that you have been granted a partnership-based temporary visa with work rights.

Apply with us!

How can Visa Advisers help?

We are experienced with facilitating employer accreditation applications with INZ. We can also provide support staff to assist you with the required documentation (if required)