Over the summer break Menendez March spent seven weeks in Mexico to care for his father who was recovering from surgery and his step-mother who had been battling breast cancer.
Before he returned for the resumption of Parliament he made two applications for an emergency spot in managed isolation.
One referred to the chief executive of Ministry of Business Innovation of Employment, Carolyn Tremain.
Both were declined and the politician managed to book a recently vacated spot.
At a select committee MBIE heads were grilled about the politician's case and whether he or his partner had received special treatment.
Tremain said Menendez March's application was one of just two cases escalated to her despite more than 2000 applications.
He applied for an emergency spot twice - the first time as a "critical public or health service" and the second as "required for national security" - because he needed to get back in time for Parliament resuming.
Accompanying Menendez March's application was a letter of support from his senior colleague, Jan Logie.
Tremain said because one of the applications was in the very rare "national security" category, officials raised it with her.
She asked Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins if any special circumstances needed considering, because of her obligations under the "no surprises" convention.
Hipkins referred her to Greens co-leader James Shaw, who told Tremain to treat Menendez March like everyone else.
"I can absolutely say there was no favouritism or anything in that process. It was very methodical," Tremain later told reporters.
Immigration head Greg Patchell was also asked by the select committee about the visa.
National's immigration spokeswoman Erica Stanford cited one of her constituents whose overseas partner's visa was declined.
Patchell said he didn't know details of Menendez March's case but said the bar was high for the relationship visa.
He later told reporters he would ask his staff to make sure they made the right decision.
Menendez March said he and his partner followed the rules.
Because Mexico is a visa-waiver country, its citizens who have New Zealand partners can apply for a six-month visa if they can prove they're in a "genuine and stable relationship".
Menendez March said the couple have been in a relationship for more than two years and lived together for a sustained period last year and gave evidence of that in their application. He also travelled back to Mexico numerous times in 2018 and 2019.
He was confident there'd been no special treatment.
The MP told the Herald he'd applied under the "national security" category because he was unsure which one best applied.
But National's Covid-19 response spokesman Chris Bishop said it was "very clear" Menendez March's case received special treatment because, of the more than 2000 applications, his was one of two that went to the head of MBIE.
"That's a double-standard I think most New Zealanders will find unacceptable."
Stanford said there needed to be "a lot more questions" to ensure Menendez March's partner's also didn't receive special treatment.
Shaw said the party was confident Menendez March hadn't broken the rules and said allegations of officials doing something wrong was a separate issue.
"Whether they did their job or not isn't a question for us or for Ricardo - it's a question for officials. If they think they didn't do their job, that's on them."
He called it hypocritical for MPs from National to accuse someone of undue influence after Simon Bridges fought for the Wiggles to get a place in MIQ.
