Partner of a Student Work Visa

Visa details

This visa allows you to work in New Zealand if you have a partner who is studying an eligible level 7 or 8 qualification or any level 9 or 10 qualification.

Length of stay
Same duration as

Your partner’s student visa

Cost
From
NZD $700
Processing time
90% within
64 weekdays
With this visa you can
  • Join your partner.
  • Work in New Zealand.
  • Study for up to 3 months.
Things to note
  • You don’t need to have a New Zealand job offer to apply.
  • You can't include dependent children in your visa application, but they can apply for visas based on their relationship to you.
    Dependent children
    Bringing family if you have a student visa
  • Your partner must be studying a level 7 or 8 qualification that is on our Green List, Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa List, or Long Term Skill Shortage List. They can also be studying any level 9 or 10 qualification.

What you need to apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

View All Evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

  • 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.

Tips

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

If you are a citizen of China and you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

Supplementary form for Chinese citizens (INZ 1027) PDF 338KB

If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

Supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220) PDF 240KB

Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

Also provide your:

  • Hukou (household registration book)
  • Chinese identity card.

Health

You must be in good health

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

Tips

You may need to have a chest x-ray and/or a medical examination.

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

You must provide a chest x-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you've provided one to us previously, if:

  • you have spent 6 consecutive months in China since the last x-ray certificate was issued, and
  • you are now coming to NZ for more than 6 months.

Character

You must be of good character

You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

If you're aged 17 and over and will stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months, you must provide police certificates from:

  • your country(s) of citizenship
  • any country(s) you've spent more than 5 years in since turning 17.

You don't need to provide new police certificates if you provided them to us with an earlier visa application and the certificates were issued in the previous 24 months.

If you're the partner of a PhD student, you don't need to provide police certificates if you provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and the certificates were issued in the previous 36 months.

Good character
Police certificates

Tips

If you provide a police certificate that is not in English, you must provide an English translation.

This includes police certificates that record no convictions.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa

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 relationship with your partner

You and your partner must be living together in a genuine and stable relationship

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

Tips

To be eligible for this visa, you have to be living together when you apply.

Your partner’s character

Your partner must be of good character

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

Tips

For you to be granted a visa on the basis of your partnership, your partner must meet our good character requirements or be granted a character waiver.

Your partner won't meet our good character requirements if, in the last 7 years, they have been convicted of any offence:

  • involving domestic violence
  • of a sexual nature.

Your partner’s visa

Your partner must hold a Student Visa

We’ll check our records for evidence your Partner holds a valid Student visa and is studying towards either:

  • a level 7 or 8 qualification on the Green List
  • a level 7 qualification on the Qualifications Eligible for a Post Study Work Visa List, or
  • a level 9 or 10 qualification.

Bringing family if you have a student visa

If your partner’s study started on or before 7 September 2022, and they are studying a level 7 or 8 qualification that is on the Long Term Skill Shortage List, you may still be able to get a work visa even if your partner does not meet the above requirements.

Funds

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand

You must have at least NZ $4,200 for your stay. Evidence can include:

  • bank statements
  • credit card statements
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques.

Process and costs

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

Notes

We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

Notes

We cannot display any receiving centre or payment method information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Entry permission

You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing a paper arrival card or a digital traveller declaration. If you are completing a paper arrival card you will be given this on the way to New Zealand.

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

Notes

You can be refused entry permission if:

  • you do not meet our character requirements
  • your circumstances have changed since you were granted a visa
  • you refuse to let us take your photo or to provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if asked for them
  • you are unable to provide evidence of any onward travel or funds required by the conditions of your visa.

If you are refused entry to New Zealand

Before you travel to New Zealand

Travel

After you arrive, you can travel in and out of New Zealand as many times as you like before your visa expires.

Funds

You must have enough money to live on while in New Zealand.

Notes

We may ask to see evidence of your funds when you arrive in New Zealand.

Work

You can work in any employment you like, as long as:

  • the work you do is legal
  • you do not provide commercial sexual services
  • you do not invest or operate in a business that provides commercial sexual services
  • you have any occupational registration that is needed to do that work in New Zealand.

Occupational registration

Study

You can study for up to 3 months.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.