My boyfriend is a citizen of China. If I marry him in New Zealand now, how long will it take me to immigrate there? Must live together for more than a year?

You can come right away. Come here on a tourist or work visa. It's simple. He can vouch for you.

New Zealand recognizes cohabitation, so it doesn't matter whether you get married or not. The important thing is that you come and live with him for more than a year. This is the prerequisite for applying for cohabitation immigration. I have a colleague who has been married for many years when he came to New Zealand, and his children are all 3 years old. They still have to live together in New Zealand 1 year before they can apply. There are no exceptions.

It makes no difference where you get married, because you don't need to provide a marriage certificate to apply for cohabiting immigrants. What you need to provide is proof that you have lived together for more than one year.

If you get married in New Zealand and want to prove the validity of the marriage in China in the future, you must go to the China Embassy in New Zealand to prove the marriage. In this way, the marriage certificate you got in New Zealand will be recognized by China. Of course, if it is not needed in China, there is absolutely no need to make this proof. I have been married in New Zealand for 4 years, and my domestic ID card still says unmarried.