Bringing family if you have a student visa
All students can support visitor visas for their partners and children. Some can also support a work visa for their partners, or student visas for their children.
Visas your family can apply for
If you hold a student visa, you can support a visitor visa for your partner and children. You may also be able to support a work visa for your partner, or student visas for your dependent children.
Visitor visa
With a visitor visa your partner and child can:
- visit you while you are studying in New Zealand, and
- stay for the same length of time as your student visa.
Partner of a Student Visitor Visa
Child of a Student Visitor Visa
Work visa
With a work visa your partner can:
- work in any occupation and for any employer in New Zealand
- stay for the same length of time as your student visa
Partner of a Student Work Visa
Student visa
If your dependent children get student visas, they can study at any primary or secondary school in New Zealand as domestic students.
Who can support visas for family
If you are studying a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at a New Zealand university or as an MFAT-funded NZ Scholarship student (excluding Short-term Training Scholarships and English Language Training for Officials Scholarships) you can support:
- visitor visas for your partner and dependent children
- a work visa for your partner
- student visas for your dependent children.
If you are studying:
- a level 9 or 10 qualification, or
- a level 7 or 8 qualification that is on our Green List, or Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa List.
You can support:
- visitor visas for your partner and dependent children, and
- a work visa for your partner.
Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa
Although you may be eligible for a Post Study Work Visa after completing a degree level 7 qualification in New Zealand (and support a work visa for your partner when you hold the Post Study Work Visa), you can’t support a work visa for your partner while you are studying, unless the degree level 7 qualification is on our Green List or Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa list.
If your study started on or before 7 September 2022, and you are studying a level 7 or 8 qualification that is on the Long Term Skill Shortage List, your partner may still be able to get a work visa even if you do not meet the above requirements.
If you are studying under a New Zealand Government approved student exchange scheme you can support:
- visitor visas for your partner and dependent children
- student visas for your dependent children.
If you are studying for any other qualification you can support visitor visas for your partner and children.
When your partner can support student visas for your children
In some circumstances you may be able to support a work visa for your partner, but not a student visa for your dependent children. However, if your partner applies for a work visa as the partner of a student, then they may support student visas for your children.
For example, if you are studying a level 8 qualification that is included on the Long Term Skill Shortage List, you can support a work visa for your partner, but not student visas for your dependent children. This means:
- you apply for a student visa
- your partner applies for a work visa, as the partner of a student
- your children apply for student visas as dependent children of your partner (who has a work visa).