Family visas to New Zealand

When you have a visitor visa

If you plan to simply visit your family in New Zealand for a while, you need to include your family members in your application when arriving on a visitor’s visa.

Read more about visitor visas on the INZ website.

When you have a student visa

In cases where you plan to study in language courses, but would like your partner and/or children to also come with you, things may not be so simple. A partner visa, in this case, is not considered and each family member will need to have separate applications and a separate case. There are chances for obtaining visas, especially for good reasons, for example, you really need to learn English, and you have a small child and you would like your family to be together. This is also not a guarantee and the decision is left to the discretion of the officer. For reliability, we recommend considering training options for all family members (language courses or general education schools). Selection of the most favourable language courses.

If you study for a student visa in a diploma program in any speciality, your family has the right to a partner visitor visas. A partner who is on a visitor’s visa has the right to any study for up to 12 weeks (to increase the period you need to apply for a student visa) Read more about this category of visas on the INZ website.

And in cases where you study at a graduate program of level 9 or higher in any speciality, or at a program of level 7 or 8, but already in the speciality from the lists of in-demand, your partner has the right to receive a work visa for the duration of your study. At the same time, a child of school age has the right to study in public schools for free, due to the fact that at least one of his parents has a work visa. The partner, while on a work visa, can study for up to 12 weeks, and if longer studies are necessary, you must apply for a change in the conditions of the visa and add the right to study. Description of this type of visa on the INZ website.

See current special offers on degree programs on our website.

When you have a work visa

If you have already received a work visa, whether it is a Post Study Work Visa issued after training in professional programs in New Zealand, or a visa obtained with the support of your employer, your partner also has the right to an open work visa.

Accordingly, school-age children can attend public schools for free.

Read more about this visa on the INZ website.

When you have a residency or citizenship

Partners of residents or citizens of New Zealand are eligible to receive residency, subject to a number of conditions, such as IELTS 5.0, from the year of living together in the form of a stable family and some other conditions. Read more on the INZ website.

Also, partners of residents and citizens of New Zealand have the right to a work visa if they can prove the stability of their relationship. Read more on the INZ website.

Or a partner can rely on a visitor visa in order to come to visit. Read more about this category on the INZ website.

Evidence of a relationship

To count on obtaining partner visas, you need to provide evidence of the seriousness of the relationship. For example, a single marriage certificate will not be enough. Here is an example of those documents that may be useful to you for business, and the more they will be, the better:

  • Marriage Certificate
  • Birth certificates of children
  • Shared accounts in banks
  • Joint ownership of housing or vehicles
  • If there is no shared housing, then letters to the address of one partner, but to the name of another, proving cohabitation
  • If there is no joint transport, the power of attorney of one partner for the vehicles of another
  • Joint tickets somewhere for some dates in your names
  • Any other documents on both of your names.
  • Letters from relatives and friends in free form, confirming your relationship
  • Photos of different years
  • A good cover letter about the history of relationships

If the relationship is at a distance for some time, then even the history of calls to each other or letters will do.

Any other evidence of your relationship that comes to your mind.

Very often, our students come with their families and are safely settled in place, thanks to the existing visa system. You can read reviews of our students on our website.

For any questions about tuition and immigration in New Zealand, contact Kiwi Education staff.

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