If you have a partner or other family member who wants to live with you in New Zealand and be your dependent, you will need to apply for a dependent visa. This article will go through the main things you need to know about this visa and how to go about getting one for your family.

The term Dependent Visa refers to those visas that are granted to family members of a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of NZ. The Department of Immigration provides several types of dependent visa for dependents who accompany their New Zealand citizen or resident spouse, partner, parent or child. We will base our discussion today on – Dependent Visa For Newzealand. But, other resources which you can find on our website include some frequently asked questions such as: new zealand spouse visa processing time and new zealand family visa category

Dependent Visa For Newzealand

Many new immigrants coming to NZ want to bring their family members. However, not everyone is entitled to do so. The dependent visa category is one of the most exclusive categories in the work visa that allows selected family members to join their partner while they are working and living in New Zealand. Dependent visas are processed through Immigration New Zealand with the application rounds held quarterly in different countries where New Zealand has a high volume of applicants.

Parent Retirement Resident Visa

Parents, who have an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, can apply to live in New Zealand permanently. To apply, you’ll need an annual income of NZ $60,000 plus NZ $1 million to invest for 4 years, and another NZ $500,000 to live on.Child of a Student Visitor Visa

Child of a Student Visitor Visa

If you have a student visa, your dependent children can come to New Zealand as visitors. They can stay here for the same length of time as your visa allows.Guardian of a Student Visitor Visa

Guardian of a Student Visitor Visa

Parents and legal guardians can visit New Zealand to live with and care for their children who are studying in New Zealand.Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder, you can come to New Zealand as a visitor. Depending on how long you’ve been together, you may be able to stay here for up to 2 years.Dependent Child Resident Visa

Dependent Child Resident Visa

If you’re a New Zealand citizen or resident and you live here, you can apply for your dependent children to move to New Zealand to live with you. If your children are granted residence, they can live in New Zealand permanently.Samoan Quota Resident Visa

Samoan Quota Resident Visa

Each year we invite Samoan citizens to register for a ballot that, if drawn, may result in an invitation to apply for New Zealand residence.Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa

Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa

If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident, you may be able to come with them to New Zealand and work while you’re here.Pacific Access Category Resident Visa

Pacific Access Category Resident Visa

Each year we invite people from Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Tonga to register for a ballot that, if drawn, allows you to apply to live in New Zealand.Partner of a Worker Work Visa

Partner of a Worker Work Visa

If your partner has a work visa that’s for more than 6 months, and they support your application, you may be able to come to New Zealand to work for the same length of time as your partner’s visa.Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa

Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa

If your partner has an appropriate work visa, you may be able to come to New Zealand as a visitor. If you’re granted a visitor visa, you’ll be able to stay for the same length of time as your partner.Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa

Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa

If you have recently married a New Zealand citizen in a traditional arranged marriage, or want to marry in New Zealand, you can get a 3 month visitor visa to begin living with your partner.Parent Resident Visa

Parent Resident Visa

If you have an adult New Zealand citizen or resident child who earns enough and agrees to sponsor you, you may be able to live in New Zealand permanently. You need to send us an expression of interest explaining how you meet the requirements and be sponsored by your child, or your child and their partner, and we may invite you to apply for residence.Partner of a Student Visitor Visa

Partner of a Student Visitor Visa

If your partner has a student visa, you can come to New Zealand as a visitor. You can stay here for the same length of time as your partner. You can study for up to 3 months with this visa, but you can’t work.Dependent Child Student Visa

Dependent Child Student Visa

The dependent children of certain kinds of work and student visa holders can apply for a student visa to allow them to go to a primary or secondary school in New Zealand.Partner of Military Visitor Visa

Partner of Military Visitor Visa

If your partner holds a Military Visa, you can come to New Zealand as a visitor. You can stay here for the same length of time as your partner. You can study for up to 3 months with this visa but you can’t work.Child of Military Visitor Visa

Child of Military Visitor Visa

If you have a Military Visa or you’re eligible for one, your dependent children can come to New Zealand as visitors. They can stay here for the same length of time as your visa allows you to stay.Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa

If you’re a New Zealand citizen or resident any of your dependent children who aren’t New Zealand citizens or residents can join you in New Zealand as visitors.

Family Category Visa NZ

Residence pathways based on family

You may be eligible if you have an eligible sponsor who is your partner, child or parents.

Overview

If you are a partner, dependent child, or a parent of a New Zealand resident or citizen, then you may be able to apply for family category visa NZ. Parents in particular are regarded as low priority for Immigration New Zealand, and it could take several years for Immigration New Zealand to process the application.

Let’s take a look at each of the sub categories, i.e. partnership, parent, dependent child.

Family (Partnership) Category

If you have a “genuine and stable relationship” with a New Zealand resident or citizen, then you may be able to apply for residence under this category. You will need to have lived together for at least 12 months, and your relationship with your sponsoring partner must be genuine and stable.

Regardless of whether you have been living together for several years, or have children from the relationship, Immigration New Zealand will still want to see documents that will back up your claim, so ensure that you keep a record of relevant paperwork.

Under Family (Partnership), you will need to satisfy each of the following requirements:

• meet general requirements; and
• meet relationship requirements; and
• meet sponsor requirements.

Let’s take a look at each in turn.

Family (Partnership) — general requirements

General requirements include paying correct application fee, using prescribed Immigration New Zealand form, meeting health/character requirements, and being a ‘bona fide’ (genuine) applicant.

Family (Partnership) — relationship requirements

You must have been living together with your sponsoring partner for at least 12 months in a partnership that is genuine and stable. It is not a requirement that you be married to the sponsoring partner. The term ‘partnership’ includes legal marriages, civil unions and de facto relationships.

Family (Partnership) — sponsoring partner requirements

While applying for family category visa: Your sponsoring partner must satisfy the following requirements:

• must not have acted as a partner in more than one previous successful residence class visa application (whether as principal applicant or as partner); and
• must not have acted as a partner in a successful application for a residence class visa (whether as principal applicant or as partner) in the five years immediately preceding the date the current application is made; and
• the New Zealand partner cannot, in the seven years prior to the date the application is made, have been the perpetrator of an incident of domestic violence which has resulted in the grant of a resident visa to a person under the category for victims of domestic violence; and
• must meet general character requirement.

Family (Parent) Category

You may be eligible to apply for residence under this category if you have a child who is an “acceptable sponsor”. You will need to apply under either ‘ Tier 1‘ or ‘ Tier 2‘. Tier 1 allows you to progress relatively more quickly than Tier 2. Immigration New Zealand has indicated in the past that applications lodged under Tier 2 could take up to seven years until an immigration officer is allocated to the application.

Under Family (Parent), you will need to satisfy each of the following requirements:

• meet general requirements; and
• meet English language requirements; and
• meet sponsor requirements; and
• meet additional requirements.

Let’s take a look at each in turn.

Family (Parent) — general requirements

General requirements include paying correct application fee, using prescribed Immigration New Zealand form, meeting health/character requirements, and being a ‘bona fide’ (genuine) applicant. There is no age limit with this category, but you must not have any dependent children.

Family (Parent) — English language requirements

You and your partner will need to provide evidence to show that you have English proficiency equivalent to an IELTS exam score of at least 4.0. Alternatively, you and your partner have the option of pre-purchasing ESOL training if they are unable to meet the English language requirement.

Family (Parent) — sponsoring child requirements

You must be sponsored by an adult child who is ordinarily resident in New Zealand, and is a New Zealand citizen and/or the holder of New Zealand residence visa for at least three years.

In addition, if you are applying under Tier 2, your sponsor will not be an acceptable sponsor if he/she is receiving New Zealand Government benefit from Work and Income.

Family (Parent) — additional requirements

Different additional requirements apply depending on whether you are applying under Tier 1 or Tier 2. Please see below.

Tier 1 — additional requirements

If you are applying under Tier 1, you must meet any one of the following requirements:

• sponsor’s income; or
• your guaranteed lifetime minimum income; or
• your settlement funds.

Sponsor’s income: your sponsor or their partner must earn a minimum of NZ$65,000 per year, or the sponsor and their partner jointly must earn a minimum of NZ$90,000 per year.

Your guaranteed lifetime minimum income: If you are the only applicant, you must have a guaranteed lifetime minimum income of NZ$27,584 per year (about US$22,000). If your partner is also included, you and your partner must jointly have a guaranteed lifetime minimum income of NZ$40,523 per year (about US$32,000).

Your settlement funds: You must transfer a minimum of NZ$500,000 (about US$390,000) to New Zealand. The funds should have been earned or acquired legally, and originate from your own bank account using normal banking system.

Tier 2 — additional requirements

If you are applying under Tier 2, you must meet both of the following requirements:

• sponsor’s income; and
• location of your other adult children.

Sponsor’s income: your sponsor or their partner must earn a minimum of NZ$33,675 per year. Your sponsor must not be receiving New Zealand government benefit from Work and Income.

Location of your other adult children: all of your adult children must live lawfully and permanently outside the country in which the applicant or applicants live lawfully and permanently. This means no adult children must remain in your country of origin, and have already gained citizenship or residence status in another country at the time of the application.

Family (Dependent Child) Category

If your parent(s) is a New Zealand citizen or a resident visa holder, and if you are not over the age of 24, then you may be able to apply for residence under this category. Generally, residence visa applications under family category are regarded as low-priority for Immigration New Zealand and therefore the processing time of your application might take up to one year.

Under Family (Dependent Child), you will need to satisfy each of the following requirements:

• meet general requirements; and
• meet age requirements; and
• meet marital status requirements; and
• meet financial dependency requirements; and
• meet sponsor requirements.

Let’s take a look at each in turn.

Family (Dependent Child) — general requirements

General requirements include paying correct application fee, using prescribed Immigration New Zealand form, meeting health/character requirements, and being a ‘bona fide’ (genuine) applicant.

Family (Dependent Child) — age requirements

You must not be older than 24 years old at the time of application lodgement.

Family (Dependent Child) — marital status requirements

You must be single regardless of age.

If aged between 18 and 24, you must have no children of your own. There is no requirement as to having your own children if you are aged 17 or younger.

Family (Dependent Child) — financial dependency requirements

This requirement only applies if you are aged between 21 to 24. In this case you must be totally or substantially reliant on an adult (whether your parent or not) for financial support, whether you live with them or not.

Family (Dependent Child) — sponsor requirements

Your sponsoring parent(s) must be lawfully permanently in New Zealand.

Get advice

Many issues that you were not aware of could surface when you lodge a Family residence application, so it will be worth getting proper advice and guidance from the beginning.