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Bringing family if you have an AEWV

If you have an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) you must earn above a certain amount to support a visa for your partner or dependent child.

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

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

If you supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024, your job does not need to meet the ANZSCO skill level requirements. Go to the section 'If you supported your family to apply for a visa before 26 June 2024' for information about the types of visas you can support.

Supporting a work visa for your partner

If you can support a work visa for your partner, it will either be:

An open work visa means your partner can work for any employer with no pay requirements.

A work visa with conditions means your partner, as the visa holder, must meet a set of employment rules or terms.

For the full list of employment rules and terms, go to the 'Work' section under Conditions:
Partner of a Worker Work Visa

Visas you can support

Tip

If more than one scenario applies to you and your job, use the one 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 'Your job is on the Green List'.

Your job is on the Green List

If your role is on the Green List and you meet the role requirements, you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with open work conditions
  • 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) and he meets the Green List requirements for the Halal Slaughterer role. He can support his partner to apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa. His partner's visa will have open work conditions.

You earn at least NZD$59.32 an hour

If you earn at least twice the February 2023 median wage (currently NZD$29.66 an hour), you can support:

  • a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with open work conditions
  • a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
  • a Dependent Child Student Visa
  • a Child of Worker Visitor Visa.
Example

Charlotte has an AEWV as a Shot Firer (ANZSCO skill level 4) and earns NZD$61.60 an hour. Because she earns at least twice the February 2023 median wage, she can support her partner to apply for a Partner of Worker Work Visa. Their visa will have open work conditions.

Your job is on the transport sector agreement

If your job is on the transport sector agreement and you meet the role requirements you may be able to support a visa for your family.

Transport Work to Residence work requirements and roles

If you earn less than NZD$29.66 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.

If you earn at least NZD$29.66 an hour, you can also support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions.

Your job is on the care workforce sector agreement

You may be able to support a visa for your family if your role is on the care workforce sector agreement list. You must meet the role's requirements, including any income requirements.

Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa work requirements and roles

ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3

If you earn less than NZD$29.66 an hour, you can support:

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

If you earn at least NZD$29.66 an hour you can support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions.

ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5

If you earn at least NZD$28.25 an hour, you can support:

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

If you earn less than NZD$28.25 an hour, you cannot support a visa for your family.

If you earn at least NZD$29.66 an hour you can also support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with conditions.

Your job is ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3

You earn between NZD$29.66 an hour and NZD$59.31 an hour

You can support:

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

You earn less than NZD$29.66 an hour

You may be able to support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

To support a visa for your dependent child, you must earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year. You can support:

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

Your role is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5

Most people with an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 role will not be eligible to support a visa for their partner or dependent children.

If you have an ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5 role, to support a visa for your family you must meet one of the following requirements:

  • earn at least NZD$47.41 an hour
  • work in a role that is on the Green List and meet the role's requirements
  • work in a role that is on the transport or care workforce sector agreement and meet the role's requirements for residence, or
  • have already supported a visa for your family before 26 June 2024.

We use the occupation listed on your visa to determine your skill level. If your job has changed or you qualify for a higher skill level, you will need to apply for a Job Change before you can support a visa for partner or child.

For example, if you are a Cook (skill level 4) and become a Chef (skill level 2), you must be granted a Job Change to change the occupation on your visa.

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

Example

Riz has an AEWV and works as a Scaffolder (ANZSCO skill level 4). He earns NZD$36.60 an hour. He did not support a visa for his partner before 26 June 2024. Because he works in an ANZSCO skill level 4 job and earns less than NZD$47.41 an hour, he cannot support a visa for his partner or child.

You earn at least NZD$47.41 an hour

If you earn at least 1.5 times the median wage (currently NZD$31.61 an hour), you can support:

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

This rate is the wage rate requirement for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa.
Wage rate requirements for visas

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

You can continue to support a visa for your partner or dependent child if they applied for their visa before 26 June 2024.

This includes if:

You must earn at least:

If you earn less than NZD$29.66 an hour, you can support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa.

You could support a work visa with open conditions if you earned at least NZD$59.32 an hour or your job was on the Green List and you met the role's requirements.

Examples

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.

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 1 July 2024. He can continue to support a Partner of a Worker Work Visa for his partner and a Dependent Child Student Visa for his child.

Simon was granted a Post Study Work Visa (PSWV) on 27 July 2021. Since 2021, he has been supporting:

Simon works as an Grader Operator (ANZSCO skill level 4) earning NZD$32.33 an hour. His PSWV is ending so he applies for and is granted an AEWV on 4 July 2024. Simon can continue to support visas for his partner and child. His partner's new work visa will have conditions because Simon does not earn at least NZD$59.32 an hour or work in a job on the Green List.

If your income changes or your job is added to the Green List

You may be able to support a visa for your partner or dependent child if:

Your partner can apply to change their work conditions to an open work visa if:

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

Pay rise or Green List evidence your partner needs for their application

Pay rise evidence your partner needs for their application are your:

Green List evidence must show that you meet the Green List requirements. These are set out for each role in the Green List.

Green List roles

Example

Lotta was granted an AEWV as a personal care worker (ANZSCO skill level 4) on 1 June 2024. She had not previously supported a visa for her partner and child. She earns NZD$26.16 an hour and she cannot support a visa for her family.

On 15 August 2024, Lotta gets a pay rise and now earns NZD$28.25 an hour. She can support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa for her husband and a Child of a Worker Visitor Visa for her daughter.

If Lotta gets another pay rise and starts to earn more than NZD$29.66 an hour, her husband can apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa. His visa will have work conditions.