Yes, a foreign national can bring their family to New Zealand on a work visa, depending on their visa type. However, the partner has to opt for an individual visa to visit or reside in the country with their family. With a work visa, an applicant can typically support the following visa for the partner or dependent children:
- A work visa for your partner
- A visitor visa for your partner or children
- A student visa
New Zealand visas for Family
Fourteen types of family visas are available for those who want to visit family members in New Zealand:
- Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
- Parent Resident Visa
- Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
- Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
- Dependent Child Resident Visa
- Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
- Dependent Child Student Visa
- Child of a Student Visitor Visa
- Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa
- Marriage Visitor Visa
- Partner of a Student Work Visa
- Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa
- Partner of a Worker Work Visa
- Refugee Family Support Resident Visa
- Inter-country Adoption Resident Visa
- Adoption Pre-citizenship Visitor Visa
*Want to work in New Zealand? Talk to Y-Axis for complete guidance.
Visas through which you can support your partner
Accredited Employer Work Visa holders
An Accredited Employer Work visa is a temporary work issued for five years for workers for whom an accredited employer has granted a temporary work visa in New Zealand to fulfill the skill shortage.
This visa allows a foreign national to support a visa for the partner or dependent children. If you can help a visa depending on the type of visa they choose to support will depend on:
- Occupation must be from the Green List and meet the Green List requirements.
- It depends on the applicant’s earnings.
- The occupation must fulfill the requirements of the ANZSCO (The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) skill level.
An Accredited Employer Work Visa can support the following:
- A work visa for your partner
- A visit visa for children or partner
- A student visa for your children
With this visa, an applicant can support a work visa for the partner if
- An open work visa
- A conditional work visa
Essential Skills Work Visa holders
Essential Skills Work Visa (ESWV) holders are immigrants who have been offered a full-time job in New Zealand and can live and work there temporarily. This visa is for foreign professionals who can fill the skill-shortage streams in the country.
This visa allows a foreign national to support a visa for the partner or dependent children. If you can support a visa depending on the type of visa they choose to support will depend on:
- If the job is on the Green List and if they meet the requirements of the Green List
- Earn at least NZD 59.32 an hour
- If you earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year, then only this visa allows you to support a dependent child
An Essential Skills Work Visa holder can support the following:
- Support a visitor visa for your partner
- Work visa for your partner
- Student visa or visitor visa for your dependent children
*Want assistance for Overseas Immigration? Talk to Y-Axis, the world’s No. 1 overseas immigration consultancy for end-to-end support.