Partnership Visas For New Zealand: Legal Strategy, Evidence & Risk Assessment
As a Specialist Immigration Lawyer, I advise New Zealand citizens and residents (Australian citizens and permanent residents) who wish to sponsor their partner for a New Zealand visitor, work, or resident visa (partnership visa applications). I am available for direct instruction, providing high-level legal counsel without the overhead of a large firm.
Strategy Consultation at a Glance:
-
Professional Fee: NZD $250 (Inclusive Strategy Session)
-
Primary Focus: Evidence Audit & Risk ID against the legal test
-
Strategic Outcome: Documented Evidence Roadmap & Submission Strategy
-
Expert Oversight: Independent Review by a Specialist NZ Barrister
Is This the Right Service for You?
This is for you if:
-
You are a NZ citizen, NZ resident, Australian citizen, or Australian PR
-
Your partner is not yet a New Zealand resident
-
You want to:
-
Understand whether your relationship meets INZ’s legal test of “living together in a genuine and stable relationship”
-
Identify weaknesses in the application before applying
-
Respond to Request for Further Information (RFI), Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI) letter, or an interview request where issues have been identified
-
Avoid refusals, delays, or credibility damage
-
Simply check with a professional lawyer if you are on the right track - even if you are set on applying on your own.
-
-
You value legal strategy over guesswork
Strategy for Australian Citizens & Permanent Residents (PRs)
Under New Zealand law, Australian citizens and permanent residents are legally recognized as New Zealand residents for partnership-visa sponsorship purposes. While this grants you the right to sponsor, it does not lower the evidentiary threshold. The core legal test—proving you are living together in a genuine and stable relationship—remains rigorous.
​
Why Australian Sponsorships Face Unique Risks: Many Australian-based sponsors mistakenly assume their "resident status" makes the process a formality. In practice, this unique status introduces specific complexities that Immigration New Zealand (INZ) scrutinises:
-
The "Center of Gravity" Test: INZ evaluates whether your move to New Zealand is intended to be genuine and lasting, or merely a "visa-of-convenience".
-
Trans-Tasman Evidence Integration: Australian financial and residential documents are viewed through a specific lens. We audit your joint assets and living history to ensure they translate perfectly into NZ policy requirements.
-
The Sponsorship Limit Rule: Even as an Australian citizen, you are subject to the "two-partner limit" and the five-year stand-down period. We verify your eligibility before you invest in the application.
What the Consultation Provides: We move beyond the "checklist" to provide a Strategic Evidentiary Roadmap. We identify potential "character" or "residency" pitfalls unique to those moving from Australia and ensure your narrative is defensible from day one.
Why Genuine Relationships Face Scrutiny
Many partnership visa applications encounter difficulty not because the relationship is not genuine, but because Immigration New Zealand is not satisfied that the totality of the evidence shows the couple are living together in a genuine and stable relationship(which is the key legal test).
​
This assessment goes beyond a simple document checklist. Decision-makers look at consistency over time, credibility, and how different aspects of a relationship — such as living arrangements, financial interdependence, shared responsibilities, and public recognition — fit together as a coherent and believable whole.
​
My role in this consultation is to assess evidentiary sufficiency in context (what you currently have), identify where INZ scrutiny is likely to arise (what may be missing or raise questions), and advise on how the evidence should be structured, explained, and presented before Immigration New Zealand forms a view (how to put your case forward clearly and persuasively).
This approach reflects over a decade of practice and careful attention to how INZ applies the legal test of ‘living together in a genuine and stable relationship,’ so your case is structured, credible, and defensible
Counsel's Note:
In my experience as a specialist immigration lawyer, most delays or refusals are due to a lack of documents and also because the evidence is not presented as a coherent story. This $250 consultation is designed to structure your case strategically, so INZ clearly understands your relationship and partnership.
What You Receive for Your $250 Investment
-
Assessment of whether your relationship meets Immigration New Zealand’s “living together in a genuine and stable” test
-
Identification of risk factors (cohabitation gaps, financial separation, credibility issues, prior refusals)
-
Advice on which visa pathway is realistic (visitor, work, or residence)
-
Evidence strategy:
-
What INZ expects
-
What is missing
-
What needs to be strengthened
-
-
Clear advice on next steps, including whether professional representation is recommended
N.B. Many clients attend this consultation before deciding whether to proceed — even if they later self-apply.
The Four Pillars of a Defensible Partnership Case
Decision-makers assess how these pillars fit together, whether the evidence is credible, and if the couple are living together in a genuine and stable relationship. These pillars are not just theoretical — they are the criteria INZ uses, informed by real-world experience assessing hundreds of partnerships. I review how each pillar applies to your circumstances, ensuring your evidence tells a cohesive, credible story.
Why This Matters
Partnership visas are among the most scrutinised and refused categories in New Zealand immigration. INZ assesses credibility, consistency, and relationship dynamics very strictly.
Getting your strategy wrong can lead to:
-
Refusal
-
Interview missteps or damaging responses
-
Future credibility concerns
-
Limited appeal or reconsideration options
A structured, lawyer-led consultation ensures you understand what matters, why it matters, and how best to proceed, protecting your chance of success from the outset.
Book Your Consultation
Lawyer: Taymuraz Zaseev (Employed Barrister)
Mr Zaseev is a New Zealand immigration lawyer specialising in resident and relationship-based visas since 2017. First practising as a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA) and from 2020 as an employed barrister,
Mr Zaseev helps couples navigate the complexities of partnership visa applications with clear, practical advice. He regularly advise on partnership-based visa applications, including complex and high-risk cases.
Every consultation focuses on strategy, clarity, and understanding your circumstances, so you know exactly what matters to INZ and how best to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05