Up until November 2019 the culturally arranged marriage ceremony had to take place in New Zealand. Individuals who were already in a culturally arranged marriage where the marriage ceremony took place offshore were not eligible for a Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa. 

In November 2019, changes were made to allow individuals who had a culturally arranged marriage outside of New Zealand to be eligible for the visa.

Immigration New Zealand has also issued guidance to clarify that if an individual is travelling to New Zealand to join a partner — and who may therefore seek to remain in New Zealand longer term — they may still be considered a genuine visitor visa applicant. The individuals will still need to:

• meet health and character requirements,
• be genuine visitors to New Zealand
• comply with their visa conditions, and
• leave New Zealand at the end of their stay.

The changes provide 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. Partnership-based visas require a couple to be living together in a genuine and stable partnership before a visa can be granted.

Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa