Pathway · Partner
Partner of a New Zealander
Visa via a genuine and stable relationship with an NZ citizen or resident.
- Professional fees
- $2k–$4.5k
- NZD, GST incl., 2026 typical band
- INZ application fee
- $2,710
- Includes Immigration Risk Levy. Separate from adviser fees.
- Processing time
- 8–24 weeks
- After file is filed; INZ official median, not the marketing number
What this pathway actually is
Probably the highest paperwork-to-fee ratio of any visa. INZ assesses two things: that the relationship is genuine, and that it has been stable and ongoing for at least 12 months at the time of application. Joint bank statements, tenancy agreements, photographs across time, witness statements, family-event evidence — the documentary case is the case. Advisers who specialise in this category are mostly running document-discipline, not legal argument.
Good fit for
- Partners of NZ citizens or residence-holders
- Couples with 12+ months of demonstrable cohabitation
- Couples with shared finances and shared address evidence
Not the right pathway if
- Couples below 12 months — apply for a Visitor Visa first while accumulating evidence
- Long-distance couples without joint cohabitation history
- Arranged-marriage cases without joint-life evidence (separate, more documented pathway)
Field notes
The hardest part is proving the unprovable — that you live as a couple. A good adviser builds the evidence-pack methodically over weeks before the application leaves their desk.
Where applications go wrong
- Insufficient evidence of cohabitation
- Recent break in the relationship history
- Witness statements that contradict the timeline
IAA-licensed advisers who handle Partner
2 advisers list Partner as a primary specialism on the directory.
Auckland
Albany Immigration House
Anushka Patel
Indian-subcontinent diaspora practice — South Auckland and the Shore.
IAA #201700134 · Mid-band · from $1.9k NZD
Wellington
Harbour Immigration
Sarah O'Connell
Partner-visa specialist — the documentary work, methodically.
IAA #201400067 · Mid-band · from $2.2k NZD