Changes to be made to visa process for couples with arranged marriages, amid concerns in Indian community

Officials changed the rules in May, but the Immigration Minister says his department got it wrong.

The Government has finally announced changes to the partnership visa scheme after backlash around arranged marriages. 

The new process will allow people who have an arranged marriage to apply for a culturally arranged visitor's visa.

"The visitor's visa will have strict assessment criteria attached to it to ensure only legitimate arranged marriages are approved and to stop so called mail order brides and other potential rorts," a statement said. 

The partner can then begin the process to apply for a partnership visa while living with their spouse in New Zealand. 

Members of the Indian community expressed concern about changes to immigration procedures that made it hard for couples in arranged marriages to receive partnership visas as they needed to live together for 12 months.

The Prime Minister was asked about the NZ First MP’s comments towards Indians while attending the East Asia Summit.

Prime Minister said the changes should not have been made and revealed she wants to see a return to the status quo.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway denied NZ First were holding up the announcement on changes, despite NZ First MP Shane Jones  telling RNZ if they don’t like it, they can "catch the next flight home".

Mr Lees-Galloway said there were issues and inconsistencies with the previous process. 

"The Government is now ensuring that people in a culturally arranged marriage can visit their spouses here subject to usual risk management processes.

"Once they are here, the visitor period will help demonstrate the genuine and stable nature of their relationship in order to get a partnership visa."

He said the new process "ensures better risk management".

"An immigration officer must be satisfied that the marriage ceremony genuinely occurred and followed an identified cultural tradition and there is a genuine intent to live together."

Mr Lees-Galloway called it a minor tweak, essentially returning to what Immigration NZ had in place prior.

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