Partners of Workers
If you hold a work visa, in most cases you can bring your partner with you to New Zealand.
Currently, those earning double the median wage (NZD $59.32 per hour), or who are in a role on the green list and meet the applicable Green List requirement, can support a partner on an open work visa. An open work visa allows your partner to work in any occupation for any employer in New Zealand.
People earning below the median wage through exemptions can only support their partner to come to New Zealand on visitor visas.
Those who earn a median wage (NZD $29.66 per hour) can support partners for a work visa. These work visas will be granted with conditions that the partner-
• Can only work for an Accredited Employer.
• If working in a role not covered by a sector agreement, they must be paid at least the median wage in effect at the time they receive their visa, or when they receive a job offer, whichever is later.
• If working in a role covered by an uncapped sector agreement, they must be paid at least the relevant wage threshold in place.
• They will not be subject to a stand-down period.
There is the option if the partner can secure their own employment with an Accredited Employer that they can apply for an Accredited Employer Work Visa in their own right.
Those who have partners working in positions on the green list or earning twice the median wage can still support partners on visas without the above new conditions. See further information here.
Dependent Children
If you hold a work visa you can support your children either on a dependent visitor visa or dependent student visa.
Children below school age will be granted a dependent visitor visa and school age children will be granted a dependent student visa.
A dependent student visa allows for study at primary or secondary schools as a domestic student.
There is a minimum income threshold of NZ$43,322.76 gross per annum and must be met and maintained wholly by the salary or wages of a parent or parents holding an Essential Skills or Accredited Employer work visa.
There are restrictions on who is considered a dependent. This is different for a temporary application and a resident application:
Temporary visas
A child is dependent if they are:
- 19 and under
- not married
- do not have children of their own
- rely on you for financial support.
Resident visas
A child is dependent if they are:
- 24 and under
- not married
- do not have children of their own
- rely on you for financial support.
Some families may not be able to support a child on a temporary visa but can include them in the residence visa applications.
Parents/Grandparents
Parent/grandparent visitor visa
You can apply for this visa if you have children or grandchildren who are New Zealand citizens or residents. It allows you to travel in and out of New Zealand to visit your family.
This gives you additional time than you would usually get on a general visitor visa. You can have a maximum total stay of 18 months in three years. This is for up to six months at a time, but there is no length of time you need to leave for before you re-enter and activate a further six months.
Parent category
You can apply to live in New Zealand permanently if you have a child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident and they earn enough money and agree to sponsor you. *See current earning requirements below.
You must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) which goes into a ballot. All EOIs received on or after 12 October 2022 go into this ballot. There are random selections every three months. Immigration select enough to reach 500 visa approvals each year from this ballot. EOIs in the ballot expire after two years.
There are also a large number of old EOIs submitted between 2013 when the category was temporarily suspended and up to October 2022, when the category was reopened. There is a different selection process to these old EOI’s in the system as since reopening, the requirements have changed.
Parent retirement category (investor)
See more information about this category under our investor section.
*Parent Category – current earning requirements
Minimum income table: for one sponsor
This starts at 1.5 times the New Zealand median wage for one parent, and increases by half the median wage amount for each additional parent.
| 1 Parent | 2 Parents | 3 Parents | 4 Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZD $92,539.20 | NZD $123,385.60 | NZD $154,232 | NZD $185,078.40 |
Minimum income table: for two sponsors
This starts at two times the median wage for one parent, and increases by half the median wage amount for each additional parent.
| 1 Parent | 2 Parents | 3 Parents | 4 Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZD $123,385.60 | NZD $154,232 | NZD $185,078.40 | NZD $215,924.80 |
