Join or bring family to New Zealand
Immigration NZ has a range of visas to help partners, dependent children and parents of New Zealand citizens, residents and visa holders join family here. It’s also important to us that you have the tools you need to help settle into New Zealand life as best as you can.
All visa options to bring or join family
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
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.
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.
Partner of a Student Work Visa
If your partner holds a Student visa, and they support your application, you may be able to come to New Zealand to work for the same length of time allowed by your partner’s visa. To be eligible your partner must be studying towards a level 7 or 8 qualification on our Long Term Skill Shortage List, or a level 9 or 10 qualification.
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.
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
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.
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.
Partner of Military Work Visa
If your partner has a Military Visa, 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 an NZ Scholarship Student Work Visa
This visa allows you to work in New Zealand while your partner is here on an MFAT-funded NZ Scholarship.
Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident, you can apply to become a New Zealand resident. Your partner must support your application.
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 and Grandparent Visitor Visa
Parents and grandparents can visit family in New Zealand multiple times on the same visa, for up to 18 months in a 3-year period.
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.
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
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.
Child of a Worker Visitor Visa
If you have a work visa or you’re applying for one, you can apply for your children who are 19 and under to come to New Zealand as visitors. Your children can stay in New Zealand for the same length of time as your 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.
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.
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.
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.
Adoption Pre-citizenship Visitor Visa
Children adopted from other countries can visit New Zealand, before their New Zealand citizenship is confirmed.
Adoption Visitor Visa
You want to bring children to New Zealand to adopt and you’re a New Zealand citizen or resident.
Samoan Quota Resident Visa
Each year Immigration NZ invite Samoan citizens to register for a ballot that, if drawn, may result in an invitation to apply for New Zealand residence.
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.
Intercountry Adoption Resident Visa
If you’re a New Zealand citizen or resident, you can apply for a child you’ve legally adopted from overseas to move to New Zealand to live with you. If your adopted child is granted residence, they can stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
Refugee Family Support Resident Visa
If you have a family member who was granted New Zealand residence because they were a refugee or protected person, they may be able to sponsor your