Evidence for a Partnership Visa

Immigration New Zealand requires evidence across four main categories to assess partnership visa applications. Each category serves a specific purpose in demonstrating the authenticity and stability of your relationship.

The four key areas are: evidence of a genuine and stable relationship, evidence of living together, financial evidence, and social evidence. You don't need to provide evidence in every possible subcategory, but you should aim to cover each main area comprehensively.

The strength of your evidence package depends on how well it tells the complete story of your relationship. Immigration officers are looking for consistency across different types of evidence and clear indicators that your partnership is genuine rather than entered into primarily for immigration purposes.

Core relationship evidence includes your marriage certificate if married, or a statutory declaration about your de facto relationship if unmarried. For de facto couples, you'll need evidence that you've been living together in a genuine relationship for at least 12 months.

Communication records can demonstrate ongoing emotional connection, including emails, text messages, social media interactions, and call logs. Choose examples that show regular contact and emotional intimacy, particularly if you've spent time apart due to visa restrictions or work commitments.

Photos together at different times and locations help establish the timeline and authenticity of your relationship. Include images from significant events, holidays, with family and friends, and everyday moments that show you sharing a life together. Ensure photos are dated and consider providing brief explanations of the context.

Evidence of cohabitation is crucial for demonstrating that you share a genuine domestic life. This includes joint tenancy agreements, mortgage documents showing both names, or utility bills addressed to both partners at the same address.

If you can't provide joint documentation, individual documents showing the same address for both partners can be acceptable. This might include bank statements, employment letters, medical records, or government correspondence that establishes you both live at the same address.

For couples who maintain separate residences for practical reasons, you'll need to explain your living arrangements and provide evidence of the time you spend together. This might include travel records, accommodation bookings, or statements from family and friends about your living situation.

Financial evidence demonstrates your commitment to sharing a life together and supporting each other. Joint bank accounts, shared credit cards, or joint loans provide strong evidence of financial interdependence.

If you don't have joint accounts, you can provide evidence of financial support between partners, shared expenses, or joint purchases. This might include money transfers, shared bills, joint insurance policies, or evidence of one partner supporting the other financially.

Property ownership, whether joint or individual, can be relevant evidence. Include mortgage documents, property purchase agreements, or evidence of contributions to property purchases or improvements. Even rental agreements or evidence of shared household expenses can demonstrate financial partnership.

Wills naming each other as beneficiaries, joint insurance policies, or superannuation beneficiary nominations also show long-term financial commitment and planning together.

Social evidence shows that your relationship is recognised and accepted by your family, friends, and community. This includes statutory declarations from people who know you as a couple, describing how long they've known you and observations about your relationship.

Invitations to events addressed to both of you, wedding invitations, birthday cards, or Christmas cards sent to you as a couple demonstrate social recognition of your partnership. Include evidence of joint social activities, shared friendships, or participation in community events together.

Evidence of meeting each other's families, attending family events together, or being included in family communications can be particularly valuable. This might include photos from family gatherings, travel records showing visits to family, or correspondence from family members.

Professional recognition of your relationship, such as being listed as next of kin on medical or employment records, or being included on each other's insurance policies, also provides credible third-party evidence.

Organisation and presentation of your evidence is crucial for a successful application. Create a clear index or contents page that explains what evidence you're providing and how it relates to Immigration New Zealand's requirements.

Arrange evidence chronologically where possible to show the development and progression of your relationship over time. This helps immigration officers understand your relationship timeline and see evidence of stability and commitment.

Provide brief explanations or context for evidence that might not be immediately clear. For example, explain the significance of particular photos, the context of trips you've taken together, or the reasons for any gaps in documentation.

Ensure all documents are clear, legible copies and that any foreign language documents are accompanied by certified translations. Poor quality copies or missing translations can delay your application or create doubt about the authenticity of your evidence.

One of the most common mistakes is providing too much irrelevant evidence rather than focusing on quality, relevant documentation. Immigration officers prefer a well-organised, targeted evidence package over hundreds of pages of routine documents.

Many couples fail to provide sufficient explanation or context for their evidence, leaving immigration officers to guess at the significance of particular documents or photos. Always explain why specific evidence is relevant and what it demonstrates about your relationship.

Another frequent error is failing to address obvious gaps or inconsistencies in the evidence. If there are periods where you lived apart, had limited contact, or lack certain types of evidence, acknowledge this and provide explanations rather than hoping it won't be noticed.

Providing evidence that contradicts other parts of your application can be particularly damaging. Ensure consistency across all documents, forms, and evidence, and double-check dates, addresses, and other details for accuracy.

Long-distance relationships require additional evidence to demonstrate genuine commitment despite physical separation. This might include detailed communication records, travel records showing visits, evidence of future plans to live together, and explanations of the circumstances requiring separation.

Second marriages or relationships may face additional scrutiny, particularly if previous relationships were also with New Zealand residents or citizens. Be prepared to provide evidence distinguishing your current relationship from previous ones and demonstrating genuine commitment.

Couples with significant age differences, cultural differences, or other factors that might raise questions should provide additional context and evidence addressing potential concerns. This might include explanations of how you met, evidence of shared interests and values, or statements from family and friends.

Same-sex couples should ensure their evidence clearly demonstrates the nature of their relationship, as some types of evidence might be less obvious to immigration officers unfamiliar with LGBTQ+ relationships and communities.

Consider seeking legal advice if you're unsure about what evidence to include, how to present it effectively, or if your situation involves complex circumstances that might affect your application.

Professional help is particularly valuable if you've had previous visa refusals, have gaps in your evidence, or face special circumstances that require careful explanation. An experienced immigration lawyer can review your evidence package and identify potential weaknesses before submission.

If Immigration New Zealand requests additional evidence or raises concerns about your application, immediate legal advice is crucial. The response timeframes are strict, and the way you address their concerns can determine the outcome of your application.

Legal assistance can also be valuable for couples who are struggling to gather sufficient evidence due to their circumstances, such as recent relationships, long-distance partnerships, or cultural factors that affect the types of evidence available.