Culturally Arranged Marriages FAQ

Yes. Where someone has entered into a culturally arranged marriage, they must submit an application for a CAM visitor visa within three months of the wedding. Applicants with expired CAM visas are unlikely to meet this requirement with any subsequent CAM visitor visa applications that they submit. In these circumstances, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) would need to make an Exception to Instructions (ETI) to grant a visa. While INZ takes a facilitative approach when visa holders are unable to travel due to the current border restrictions, the bar for granting an ETI is extremely high. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis with consideration given to the specific situation of each case.
Applicants with expired CAM visitor visas that have not yet married (as they intend to marry within three months of arrival in New Zealand) can apply for another CAM visitor visa, and would not require an ETI.

Partners and spouses of NZ citizens are exempt from the suspension of the processing of offshore temporary visas that came into force in August 2020.
You can apply for a CAM visitor visa. Similar to the answer to question 2, you would need to demonstrate that your circumstances warrant an ETI, and provide evidences that show you were unable to apply within the three months of your wedding day.

As above, you would need to explain and provide evidences of the reason why you were unable to apply for a CAM visa within the three-month period for an ETI to be granted. The bar for granting an ETI is extremely high.

Please refer to the INZ website for information on the processing time of CAM visas. Based on current priorities, it is taking approximately 4-5 months to allocate and process. For a status update on a specific application, the client would need to contact the Immigration Contact Centre (ICC).

Please refer to the INZ website for timeframes. Based on current priorities, it is taking approximately 4-5 months to allocate and process.

No. You cannot get a refund if your application has been completed. This is because the fee you pay covers the costs of assessing your application.

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