2013-Feb 01: Who may be included in a visitor visa application

Visa Pak 97 - Clarification for staff on who may be included in a visitor visa application even if they are travelling for different purposes.

Visa Paks

1 February 2013

Who may be included in a visitor visa application

Generic temporary entry class instruction E4.1 ‘Who may be included in an application’ states that each principal applicant must lodge a separate application. For the visitor visa applicant, E4.1 (b) (i) states that the partner of a principal applicant, and dependent children less than 20 years old, may be included in an application for a visitor visa if intending to travel to and be in New Zealand together. This advice is to assist officers in interpreting this instruction where the principal applicant and secondary applicants are planning to travel together but for different purposes.

It is confirmed that partners and dependent children less than 20 years old (Secondary Applicants ((SAs)) may be included in the Principal Applicant (PA) visitor visa application (one application and one fee). This applies even when the SAs and the PA have different purposes for their visit.

Summary

  • A visitor visa application for a PA and SAs should be treated as a single application even if they are travelling for different purposes/applying under different visitor categories. Please note that both the PA and SAs will have to travel to and be in New Zealand together E4.1(b)(i).
  • All applicants must still meet the requirements of the instructions they are applying under, including bona fides. While there will be some situations where there are clear reasons for the family to be travelling together for different purposes (for example a business visitor accompanied by family who will holiday in New Zealand), bona fides should be carefully considered in more unusual situations and combinations of purposes.
  • If there is a need to grant labels with different conditions to secondary applicants or approve some applicants and decline others, an AMS work around will be required since AMS does not allow this normally. You will have to raise separate applications and waive fees for the secondary applicants (associated application). Make sure the applications are linked and notes are clear.