Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa

• 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you use a paper application form.
• your passport or certificate of identity.

Acceptable photos

If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your passport when you apply. We will let you know if you need to send your passport after you have applied.

Providing your passport for online applications

If you submit a paper application, provide your original passport or a certified copy.  We can usually process your application faster if you provide your original passport.

We may ask you to have a chest x-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

• 6 months you do not normally need a chest x-ray. 
• 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest x-ray or medical examination.

Acceptable standard of health criteria for visa approvals

Please only provide medical certificates if requested

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Good character for temporary visas

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

Providing police certificates

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us Police Certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we consider all the information:

• you provide to support your application
• we have about your personal circumstances, and
• you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Your partner must provide one of the following:

• a New Zealand passport
• a New Zealand birth certificate
• a certificate of New Zealand citizenship
• a New Zealand residence class visa.

If your partner is a New Zealand resident because of their citizenship or residence status in Australia, they may provide their Australian passport, permanent residence or resident return visa.

You must provide evidence that you and your partner are living together in a genuine and stable relationship.

Your evidence should show:

• how long you’ve been together
• how long you’ve been living together
• if you’re 16 or 17, that your parent or guardian supports your partnership
• you spend time together, eg photos together, emails and social media conversations between you
• you share finances and other responsibilities.

Partnership

You must provide evidence for 1 of the following:

• a salary that supports  you for the length of your stay
• that your employer can support you for the length of your stay
• that you have enough funds to support you for the length of your stay
• a Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry completed by an acceptable sponsor.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Evidence can include:

• cash
• New Zealand bank accounts showing the current balance
• travellers' cheques
• bank drafts
• recognised credit cards with sufficient credit available
• for group visas, certification from a reputable travel agency.

If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

Funds for maternity services

To be eligible to support a partnership based resident visa application, your partner must not:

• have supported a successful resident visa application for more than one previous partner
• have supported a successful resident visa application for a previous partner within the last 5 years
• have included a previous partner in their own successful residence application, within the last 5 years
• have themselves been included as a partner in a successful residence application, within the last 5 years
• be liable for deportation, or have their deportation liability suspended.

Your partner must complete a ‘Partnership support form for Residence/temporary entry’ as evidence of their support’.

Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146) PDF 412KB

Your partner must meet our good character requirements or be granted a character waiver. We may ask your partner to provide a police certificate from any country they have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years. This applies whether the time was spent in one or more visits.

Your partner will not meet our character requirements if they have any convictions for domestic violence or sexual offences. If your partner does not meet our character requirements, we will consider whether they are eligible for a character waiver.

Who needs to provide police certificates

Your partner's character

We’ll ask you about your plans when you complete your ‘Partnership-Based Temporary Visa Application’.

Partnership-Based Temporary Visa Application (INZ 1198) PDF 332KB