INZ updated its guidelines on the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa. People in arranged marriages overseas can now apply to join their partner.
Written by the ProVisas Editorial Team. ProVisas is a licensed New Zealand immigration advisory firm (IAA Licence 201301110).
Immigration New Zealand 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.
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.
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.
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, which by definition often involve couples who marry before living together. The government directed INZ back to the prior approach, recognising the cultural context.
If you’ve entered a culturally arranged marriage overseas and want to join your partner in NZ, the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa is the current pathway. The “12 months living together” requirement that briefly applied does not apply; confirm the current evidentiary requirements for partnership-based visas and INZ guidance before lodging.
You and your partner must both be 18 or older when you apply for the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa, and the evidence of your relationship must date from after you both turned 18 (immigration.govt.nz). INZ introduced the rule on 25 September 2026 across nine partnership-based visas; our guide to the new age rules explains what it means for couples who married young.
Last reviewed . Information may have changed since this article was reviewed. For your specific case, talk to a licensed immigration adviser.
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