Bringing family if you have an AEWV

Check if you can support a visa for your partner and dependent child if you have an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).

If you have an Accredited Employer Work Visa, you may be able to support:

  • a work visa for your partner
  • a visitor visa for your partner or your children
  • a student visa for your children.

The type of visa you can support for your partner and dependent child will depend on:

  • how much you earn
  • the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) skill level of your occupation
  • if your job is on the list of approved transport jobs for the Transport Work to Residence Visa
  • if your job is on the list of approved care workforce jobs for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
  • if your job is on the Green List and if you meet the job's Green List requirements
  • if you supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024.

ANZSCO groups jobs into occupations and grades them according to skill level. ANZSCO skill levels range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most skilled and 5 being less skilled.

What is ANZSCO and how to find your skill level

Visas you can support

Tip

If more than 1 scenario applies to you and your job, use the 1 that is most favourable.

For example, if you work in an ANZSCO level 5 job that is on the Green List and you meet the Green List requirements, check 'If your job is on the Green List'.

If you earn at least NZD$47.41 an hour

If you earn at least NZD$47.41 an hour (1.5 times the median wage), you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

If your job is ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3

If you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour (80% of the median wage), you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn less than NZD$25.29 an hour, you can only support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year, you can support:

  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

If your job is on the list of approved transport jobs for the Transport Work to Residence Visa

Check if you can support visas for your family while you gain work experience on an AEWV to be eligible for a Transport Work to Residence Visa.

Transport Work to Residence Visa

Visas you can support

If you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour, you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn less than NZD$25.29 an hour, you can only support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year, you can support:

  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

You must also meet the job's requirements for your visa, including any income requirements. You are not required to have completed 2 years of work experience in New Zealand to support a visa for your family.

Transport Work to Residence jobs and work requirements

If your job was removed from the list of approved transport jobs

You can support a visa for your family, if your job:

To meet our 'acceptable employment' requirements, your job must:

  • pay at least NZD$31.61 an hour
  • be with an accredited employer
  • be full-time (at least 30 hours each week)
  • be permanent, or a fixed-term job that will last at least 12 months from when you make your application, and
  • be a genuine job or job offer, for example you did not pay the employer to get the job offer.

If your job is on the list of approved care workforce jobs for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa

Check if you can support visas for your family while you gain work experience on an AEWV to be eligible for a Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa.

If you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour, you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn less than NZD$25.29 an hour, you can only support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year, you can support:

  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

You must meet the job's requirements, including any income requirements. You are not required to have 2 years of work experience in New Zealand to support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa jobs and work requirements

If your job is on the Green List

If your job is on the Green List and you meet the job's requirements, you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.

Green list roles

Example

Yousuf holds an AEWV as a Slaughterer (ANZSCO skill level 4). He meets the Green List requirements for the Halal Slaughterer role and earns NZD$31.61 an hour. He can support his partner to apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa.

If you supported a visa for your family between 26 June 2024 and 1 December 2024

You can continue to support a visa for your partner or dependent child.

If your partner or child needs to apply for a new visa, you must meet 1 of the current requirements to support a new visa.

If your partner was granted a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions

We may have approved a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions before 2 December 2024. A work visa with conditions means your partner, as the visa holder, needs to meet a set of employment rules or terms.

They must:

  • work for an accredited employer
  • be paid at least the wage threshold in place for their job, unless they are in a job covered by an uncapped sector agreement.

Your partner can apply to remove the work conditions from their visa if you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour.

Changing the conditions of a work visa or applying for a Job Change

Note

If your partner has a Partner of a Worker Work Visa application in progress on or after 2 December 2024, their application will be assessed based on the current requirements.

If you supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024

You can continue to support a visa for your partner or dependent child.

If your partner or dependent child needs to apply for a new visa

You can support a new application for your partner or dependent child. The type of visa you can support depends on how much you earn. It does not depend on the ANZSCO skill level of your job.

If you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour (80% of the median wage), you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn less than NZD$25.29 an hour, you can support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

If you earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year, you can support:

  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.
Example

Siobhan has an AEWV as a Transport Conductor (ANZSCO skill level 5). She earns NZD$35 an hour and supported a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with conditions for her partner in March 2024. She can continue to support her partner's visa. Her partner can apply to remove the work conditions from their Partner of a Worker Work Visa.

Lou had an Essential Skills Work Visa as a Cook (ANZSCO skill level 4) and earns NZD$29.66 an hour. He has supported visas for his partner and child since August 2022. Lou applies for an AEWV on 10 December 2024. Because Lou earns more than NZD$25.29 an hour, he can continue to support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa for his partner and a Dependent Child Student Visa for his child. His partner is eligible for an open work visa.

If your partner was granted a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions

We may have approved a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions before 26 June 2024. A work visa with conditions means your partner, as the visa holder, needs to meet a set of employment rules or terms.

They must:

  • work for an accredited employer
  • be paid at least the wage threshold in place for their job, unless they are in a job covered by an uncapped sector agreement.

Your partner can apply to remove the work conditions from their visa if you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour.

Changing the conditions of a work visa or applying for a Job Change

If you have an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 job

If you have an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 job, you must meet 1 of these requirements to support a visa for your partner or dependent children:

  • you earn at least NZD$47.41 an hour
  • you have a job on the Green List and meet the job's Green List requirements
  • you have a job on the list of approved transport jobs for the Work to Residence Visa and you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour
  • you have a job on the list of approved jobs for the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa and you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour
  • you earn at least NZD$25.29 an hour and you supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024.

If you do not meet 1 of these requirements, you cannot support a visa for your partner or children. They may be able to apply for a visa in their own right.

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