Immigration New Zealand has updated its guidelines on the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa following government intervention, allowing people who have entered arranged marriages overseas to apply for a partnership-based visitor visa.
What Changed
INZ issued Amendment Circular 2019-11 to update processing guidelines. People who had a culturally arranged marriage outside New Zealand can now apply for the visitor visa to join their partner. INZ also updated internal guidelines on assessing genuine intent for people travelling to join a partner they have not lived with.
Impact on Previous Applicants
If your visa was previously declined under the old guidelines, INZ developed a process to review affected applications and will contact impacted applicants via email.
Background
The earlier policy change had required couples to have lived together for at least 12 months before a partnership-based visa could be granted — making it nearly impossible for people in culturally arranged marriages. The government directed INZ back to the “status quo.”
Contact ProVisas if you have been affected by this policy change, or WhatsApp us.
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