The Government on 23rd September 2021 announced that they have taken steps to ensure that a consistent procedure is in place to process visa applications for culturally arranged marriages.
As per the previous immigration instructions the culturally arranged marriage ceremony had to take place in New Zealand to be eligible for the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visas. If the culturally arranged marriage ceremony took place offshore, such applicants were not eligible for a Culturally Arranged Marriage visitor visa.
In November 2019, the Minister of Immigration made changes to the culturally arranged marriage visitor visa which allow individuals who had a culturally arranged marriage outside of New Zealand to be eligible for the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visas.
The new changes in September 2021 are made in order to allow individuals who have met and undergone a traditional cultural ceremony, but who have not lived together with an opportunity to come to New Zealand to live together so that they may later satisfy immigration partnership visa requirements.
To find out more about how to make an application under Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa category and the eligibility criteria, please get in touch with us.
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