Couples preparing a partnership-based visa application need to consider more than just whether they have enough evidence to show their relationship is genuine.
From 25 September 2026, new age and evidence requirements apply to specified partnership-based visa categories. Both the applicant and the supporting partner must be at least 18 years old when the application is made, and Immigration New Zealand will generally consider partnership evidence only from the time both partners were 18 or older.
This can be particularly important for couples who began their relationship or started living together when one or both partners were under 18.
How does this affect partnership-based residence?
For a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, the couple must have been living together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months.
Under the new requirements, only the period of living together after both partners have turned 18 can count towards this 12-month requirement.
This means that even if a couple began living together earlier, the period before both partners were 18 cannot be relied on to meet the required 12 months of living together for this visa category.
What about temporary partnership visas?
Temporary partnership-based visas do not generally have the same 12-month minimum living-together requirement.
However, applicants still need to provide sufficient evidence showing that they are living together in a genuine and stable relationship, and the relevant partnership evidence must be from after both partners turned 18.
Therefore, simply turning 18 does not necessarily mean that a partnership visa application is immediately ready to lodge. The couple still needs sufficient acceptable evidence to demonstrate their relationship and living arrangements.
Which visas are affected?
The changes apply to dedicated partnership-based categories, including:
- Partner of a New Zealander visas
- Partner of a Worker visas
- Partner of a Student visas
- Partner of an NZ Scholarship Student Work Visa
- Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa
They do not apply to every immigration application where a partner is included, such as some Skilled, Business, International, Humanitarian or other non-partnership-based residence categories.
Resident visa applications submitted before 25 September 2026, and visas already granted, are also not affected by these changes.
What should couples check before applying?
Before submitting a partnership-based visa application, it is important to check the exact visa category and its requirements.
Pay particular attention to:
Your ages and relationship timeline – Confirm when both partners turned 18 and identify what relationship and living-together evidence is available from that point onwards.
Evidence of living together – Provide documents that demonstrate a shared home over the relevant period. This may include tenancy agreements, utility bills, bank correspondence or other official documents showing the same residential address.
Your shared life together – Evidence may also show how you share finances, household responsibilities and other aspects of your life, as well as how your relationship is recognised by family and friends.
Photographs and messages can support an application, but on their own they do not establish that a couple has been living together.
Periods spent apart – If there have been periods when you were not living together, clearly explain when and why the separation occurred and how the relationship continued during that period.
Eligibility of the supporting partner – The supporting partner must also meet the requirements that apply to the particular visa being sought.
Get the timing right
Partnership applications are highly evidence-based. A strong application should present a clear and consistent timeline showing how the relationship developed, when the couple began living together, and how the evidence supports the requirements of the particular visa category.
The new age requirements make the timing of that evidence even more important.
If you are unsure whether your relationship evidence meets the requirements, or when you may be eligible to apply, talk to a Licensed Immigration Adviser at Migrate Wise before lodging your application.
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