New Zealand dependent visa
New Zealand does not issue one single "dependent visa." Instead it runs a family of partnership and dependent-child visas, each tied to what your sponsor in New Zealand holds. If your spouse or partner is on an eligible work visa you apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa; if they are studying an eligible higher-level course you apply for a Partner of a Student Work Visa; a child of a working or studying parent applies for a Dependent Child Student Visa; and if your partner is a New Zealand resident or citizen the route becomes the Partner of a New Zealander Resident (or Work) Visa. For Indian applicants the honest position is that there is no shortcut: your visa is anchored to your sponsor's status, and the final decision rests entirely with Immigration New Zealand.
The mechanics are consistent across the categories. Your sponsor must hold an eligible visa and formally support you -- for the temporary work and student partner routes by completing Immigration New Zealand's partnership support form (INZ 1146), and for the residence routes its residence version (INZ 1178) -- and prove their own visa. Every family member -- each partner and each child -- files a separate application in their own name, with its own documents, fee and health and character checks. Indians apply to Immigration New Zealand (most applications are lodged online) and give biometrics -- fingerprints and a photograph -- at a VFS Global New Zealand Visa Application Centre in New Delhi, Mumbai or Chandigarh.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Your sponsor in New Zealand holds an eligible visa -- a work visa, a student visa for a qualifying higher-level course, or New Zealand residence or citizenship. Visas of six months or less, and seasonal, fishing-crew and working-holiday visas, cannot support a partner.
- ✓You are the sponsor's spouse, civil-union partner or de facto partner, in a genuine and stable relationship; for the residence routes you have usually lived together for at least 12 months.
- ✓Dependent children must be single and financially dependent -- aged 19 or younger for a Dependent Child Student Visa, or up to 24 for the resident dependent-child route -- with dependency presumed up to age 17 and evidenced from age 18.
- ✓You meet Immigration New Zealand's health and character standards, providing a medical and chest X-ray and police clearance certificates where required.
- ✓You can show sufficient funds for living expenses -- for example, at least NZD 4,200 is expected from the partner of a student.
- ✓Each family member applies in their own right, and the sponsor completes the relevant support form (INZ 1146 for temporary partner visas) and provides proof of their own current visa.
Visa options for New Zealand
Partner of a Worker Work Visa
For the spouse or partner of someone on an eligible New Zealand work visa. It lets you work in almost any legal job for any employer and study for up to three months, and is valid for the same period as your partner's work visa. Fees start from NZD 1,630.
Partner of a Student Work Visa
For the partner of a student in an eligible higher-level course -- a level 9 or 10 qualification, or a level 7 or 8 qualification on the Green List or eligible for a Post Study Work Visa. It gives open work rights for as long as the student's visa is valid. Fees start from NZD 1,630.
Dependent Child Student Visa
For a child aged 19 or younger whose parent holds an eligible work or student visa. It lets the child attend primary or secondary school -- usually as a domestic student, so no international tuition -- for the length of the parent's visa. Fees start from NZD 750.
Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
For the partner of a New Zealand resident or citizen. After living together in a genuine and stable relationship for 12 months or more, it grants the right to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, with permanent residence possible after two years.
Dependent Child Resident Visa
For a dependent child (aged 24 or younger, single and financially dependent) of a New Zealand citizen or resident, granting the child residence to live in New Zealand with their parent.
Documents typically required
- ✓Valid Indian passport, valid for at least 3 months beyond your intended departure from New Zealand
- ✓Acceptable passport photograph(s) -- one for an online application, two for a paper application
- ✓Your sponsor's completed partnership support form (INZ 1146 for a temporary partner visa) plus evidence of their current New Zealand work, student or resident visa
- ✓Evidence of a genuine and stable relationship -- marriage or civil-union certificate, joint bank accounts, shared tenancy or lease, photographs and correspondence
- ✓For children: full birth certificate naming both parents, and custody or consent documents where one parent is not travelling
- ✓Proof of sufficient funds for living expenses (bank statements) -- for example at least NZD 4,200 for the partner of a student, or roughly NZD 17,000 a year (NZD 1,417 a month) to maintain a dependent child
- ✓Medical examination and chest X-ray certificates where required by Immigration New Zealand
- ✓Police clearance certificate(s) where required
- ✓Biometrics -- fingerprints and a photograph -- captured at a VFS Global New Zealand Visa Application Centre
- ✓Completed visa application and payment of the application fee
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
Indian applicants apply to Immigration New Zealand directly, and most family and partnership applications are lodged online through the INZ website. Biometrics -- fingerprints and a photograph -- and, where requested, your passport for a visa label, are handled at a VFS Global New Zealand Visa Application Centre; in India these operate in New Delhi (Connaught Place), Mumbai (Bandra Kurla Complex) and Chandigarh (Elante). Book your appointment through VFS Global; a VAC service fee is payable to the centre in addition to Immigration New Zealand's own application fee. Remember that each family member -- every partner and every child -- must file a separate application with its own documents and fee.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No. The decision rests solely with the relevant immigration authority, and no one can honestly guarantee a visa. What we can promise is a frank reading of your case and the strongest, best-documented application we can build around it. Over the last 2-3 years, the applications we have handled have carried a 97% success rate.
Can I work in New Zealand on a partner visa?
Yes, if you hold a Partner of a Worker Work Visa or a Partner of a Student Work Visa -- both give open work rights, letting you take almost any legal job for any employer for the length of your partner's visa. A partner who instead holds a visitor visa (used when the sponsor's visa cannot support a work visa) cannot work, and a Dependent Child Student Visa is for study, not employment.
Can my children go to school in New Zealand?
Yes. A child aged 19 or younger whose parent holds an eligible work or student visa can hold a Dependent Child Student Visa and attend primary or secondary school -- usually treated as a domestic student, which typically means no international tuition fees -- for as long as the parent's visa is valid. Tertiary or university study is not covered and requires a separate Fee Paying Student Visa.
Is there a minimum income or funds requirement?
There is no single national threshold, but you must show you can support yourself. Immigration New Zealand expects the partner of a student to have at least NZD 4,200 for living expenses, and a dependent-child application must show maintenance funds -- INZ references NZD 17,000 for a full year or NZD 1,417 for each month the child will be in New Zealand. Some underlying work visas also set wage levels for the sponsor. Accommodation is weighed as part of showing you can be maintained in New Zealand rather than as a separate fixed test.