Culturally Arranged Marriage (CAM) Visitor Visa

April 29, 2022

Previously, individuals in a Culturally Arranged Marriage (CAM) with a New Zealand (NZ) citizen or resident were only eligible for a Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa if the marriage was scheduled to take place in New Zealand.

Now, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) even grants a Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa to individuals who had an arranged marriage three months before lodging the visa application, regardless of where the wedding ceremony took place.

This visa category benefits those applicants looking to stay in NZ longer-term with their spouses but doesn’t yet meet the living together requirements to be issued a partnership-based visa by INZ.

What is a culturally arranged marriage?

According to INZ, a culturally arranged marriage follows a recognized cultural tradition wherein the facilitation of the initial selection of the persons to be married is done by people who are not parties to the marriage i.e. the initial selection is not done by those getting married. Also, one partner has to be a New Zealand citizen or resident.

What is a Culturally Arranged Marriage (CAM) Visitor Visa?

This visa category allows the offshore applicant to travel to New Zealand for a culturally arranged marriage with a New Zealand citizen/resident OR have a culturally arranged marriage with a New Zealand citizen/resident overseas offshore, i.e. outside New Zealand.

In short, with the CAM visa, the applicant can –

• Come to New Zealand to get married.
• Come to New Zealand after getting married overseas.
• Apply for an NZ partnership-based visa once lived together with the partner in New Zealand and meet the partnership requirements.

Challenges faced in getting a CAM visa

Getting a CAM visa for NZ is not easy, though it may seem so. INZ is very particular about the relevant immigration instructions being met. One of the main requirements is to provide documentary evidence to show that the initial selection was not made by people who are getting/got married.

Let us explain.

The initial selection for a prospective partner in a culturally arranged marriage can be made in many ways:

• Through matrimonial advertisements in newspapers, social media, etc. and matrimonial websites
• With the help of a person acting as a go-between like a matchmaker Eg. parents, relatives, friends etc.

However, there are many challenges faced when providing evidence related to this. For example:

• The matrimonial website profiles are often created by the boy/ girl themselves and not by the parents as they are not very IT-literate. The profiles may then be handled by the respective parents or siblings of the boy/girl-to-be married or by the couple for various reasons.
• More often than not, the initial communication regarding the selection between the concerned parties (e.g. Matchmaker & parents or both sets of parents) is done face to face, over the phone, and nowadays through WhatsApp and messenger calls. There may be limited documentary evidence to support this claim.

In the above circumstances, it is difficult but not impossible to show how the initial communication was initiated and by whom. Therefore, you just need the right guidance to know what evidence is acceptable by INZ.

Besides this, other immigration instructions also need to be met to get a CAM visa.

While INZ has a low approval rate for CAM visitor visas (Less than 50 % CAM VV Applications approved), we at Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd have a very high approval rate (Almost 100% CAM VV Applications approved). We are the experts in processing NZ CAM visa applications and always provide the right guidance for a successful outcome.

Please remember: CAM visa applications are time-bound. So, make sure you apply for this visa on time. 

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at [email protected]  or call on +64 09 3790219.