Process to become a sponsor
If an individual or organisation wants to sponsor you, they must meet our criteria for an acceptable sponsor and provide evidence by completing a sponsorship form.
What your sponsor must do
Your sponsor must provide information to us that shows they meet the sponsorship criteria. They can do this either online or using a paper form, depending on what type of visa you are applying for.
Criteria to sponsor a visa applicant
Applying for a Visitor Visa or AEWV online
You and your sponsor must follow this process if:
- you are applying for a Visitor Visa online, and your sponsor will be financially supporting you during your stay, or
- you are applying for an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), and your sponsor will be paying for your maternity costs.
I need someone to sponsor my visa application
If you need someone to sponsor your visa application, you will be asked in the ‘Supporting documents’ page of your application to enter your sponsor’s:
- full name
- email address
- sharing ID.
Before you can submit your application, you need to contact your sponsor directly and ask for this information.
To find their sharing ID, your sponsor needs to log in to Immigration Online using a RealMe account. If they do not have a RealMe account, they need to create one.
How to create a RealMe account
You can help your sponsor find their sharing ID by directing them to this page.
When you receive your sponsor’s sharing ID, enter it in the ‘Supporting documents’ page of your application form. You can then complete and submit your application.
After you have submitted your application, we will email your sponsor and ask them to log in to Immigration Online and complete an online sponsorship form. We will use the information in this form to decide if your sponsor can meet their responsibilities for you while you are in New Zealand.
I have been asked to sponsor someone’s visa application
If you want to sponsor someone’s visa application, you need to do 2 things before we assess the application.
- Provide your full name, email address, and sharing ID to the visa applicant. You need to do this before the visa applicant submits their application.
- Complete an online sponsorship form. You can do this after the visa applicant has submitted their application.
Finding your sharing ID
The visa applicant will contact you directly while they are completing their application. They will ask you for your sharing ID. They might also ask you for your full name and email address. They need these pieces of information to complete their application.
To find your sharing ID, you need to log in to Immigration Online using a RealMe account. If you do not have a RealMe account, you need to create one.
How to create a RealMe account
After you have created a RealMe account, you need to:
- log in to Immigration Online
- find your sharing ID on the My dashboard tab
- provide your sharing ID to the visa applicant.
You cannot use Immigration Online to send your sharing ID to a visa applicant. You must copy the sharing ID and provide it to the visa applicant directly – for example, in an email.
Completing the online sponsorship form
After the visa applicant submits their application, we will email you and ask you to log in to Immigration Online and complete an online sponsorship form. We will use the information in this form to decide if you can meet your responsibilities as a sponsor.
If you don’t receive an email immediately, don’t worry. We are preparing the application and will email you when the sponsorship form is ready for you to complete.
Overview of sponsorship process
Ask for your sponsor's sharing ID
Ask for your sponsor's sharing ID.
Sponsor finds their sharing ID
Your sponsor logs in to Immigration Online using RealMe and finds their sharing ID. If they do not have a RealMe account, they create one. They send you their sharing ID in an email or a text message.
Complete your online application
Enter your sponsor’s sharing ID in the ‘Supporting documents’ page of your application form and complete the form.
We email your sponsor and ask them to complete a sponsorship form
After you submit your application, we email your sponsor and ask them to complete an online sponsorship form. Your sponsor logs in to Immigration Online and completes the form. After they submit the form, we assess your application and make a decision.
If you are sponsoring someone to apply for their visa and also applying for the visa on their behalf, you can enter your own sharing ID at Step 3. You do not need to create a second account.
Other visas or applying on paper
Your sponsor needs to complete the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) if you are:
- applying for a Group Visitor Visa
- applying for a partnership-based Visitor Visa
- applying for another type of visa, or
- applying for a visa on paper.
If you are applying online you need to scan and upload the sponsorship form on the 'upload documents' page of the online portal. If you are applying on paper you need to include the sponsorship form with your application when you post it to us.
Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB
Sponsorship Form for Residence (INZ 1024) PDF 631KB
If your sponsor gets someone to complete the form on their behalf, they will need to complete a Sponsor and Supporting Partner Declaration form.
Sponsor or Supporting Partner Declaration Form (INZ 1256) PDF 244KB