If you want to move to New Zealand to be with your parent, you may apply for residence under our Dependent Child Category.

You may not need a visa

You don’t need a visa if you’re:

• a New Zealand citizen or resident or hold a New Zealand Residence Permit
• an Australian citizen, or
• the holder of a current Australian permanent residence visa including a current Australian resident return visa. (If there are conditions on your residence visa/resident return visa, then you will need to apply for a visa to enter New Zealand.)

In some circumstances you may not be able to get a visa (see below).

See our examples below  to better understand whether you'll need a visa.

Can I be refused entry?

While we welcome people from overseas we need to protect the interests of New Zealand citizens and residents.

If an immigration officer believes you’re not genuine in your stated intentions, we will not issue you a visa.

In most situations we do not issue visas to people:

• under international sanction
• involved in criminal activities
• sentenced to, or who’ve served, certain prison terms
• deported from countries 
• involved with terrorist organisations or activity
• who have a deportation order in force against them. 

Want to see the wording of the Immigration Instructions?  Go directly to the Operational Manual. 

These conditions don’t apply to you? Then you may apply for a resident visa.  Learn more on resident visas.

Examples of eligibility

Not sure whether you’d be eligible for a visa?  These examples will give you an idea of the situations under Sections 15 and 16 of the Immigration Act  where, generally, you would not be granted a visa.

All applications are thoroughly assessed before a decision is made on whether a visa is granted. The guidelines given here concern character requirements for the granting of visas. All other requirements must also be met for a visa to be granted.