Partner of a Worker Work Visa

This visa allows you to work in New Zealand while your partner is here on a work visa.

Length of stay
Same duration as

Your partner’s work visa

Cost
From
NZD $1630
Processing time
80% within
6 weeks
With this visa you can
  • Join your partner.
  • Work in New Zealand.
  • Study for up to 3 months.
Things to note
  • On 2 December 2024, the Partner of a Worker Work Visa changed so more people can get an 'open work visa'. An open work visa lets you work for any employer.
  • Some work visa holders are not eligible to support applications for this visa.
    Bringing family if you have a work visa
  • You do not need to have a New Zealand job offer to apply.
  • You cannot include dependent children in your visa application.
    Dependent children
Note

Due to a large number of applications, processing times for this visa are longer than expected. We advise travellers not to book non-refundable travel until their visa has been approved.

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
Tip

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

  • 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.

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

Provide medical certificates if requested

Tips

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
  • you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

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 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.

We check our records for evidence your partner has an appropriate work visa.

If your partner holds an Essential Skills Work Visa (ESWV), they must be paid at least NZD$25.29 an hour (80% of the median wage).

If your partner holds an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), they may be able to support your application depending on how much they earn and their job.

Check the requirements an AEWV holder needs to meet to support an application:

Bringing family if you have an AEWV

You will not be eligible for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa, if your partner’s work visa was granted:

  • for 6 months or less (unless your partner holds a Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa)
  • for a working holiday
  • to work for a Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE)
  • for the opportunity to look for work as a skilled migrant.

There are some other work visas that will not allow your partner to support your application.

Bringing family if you have a work visa

You don’t need to provide any evidence unless we ask you to. If we do ask for evidence, it can include:

  • bank statements
  • credit card statements
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques
  • a ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry’ completed by an acceptable sponsor.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

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

Tips

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

If you do not need to provide evidence, we will record it on your visa label.

You must have onward travel evidence to prove to us you will, or can, leave New Zealand.

Evidence can be any one of these:

  • your travel ticket
  • a bank or credit card statement showing you have enough money to pay for onward travel
  • confirmation from a travel agency that you have booked and paid for travel, or another form of
  • proof you have arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
Tips

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

If you do not need to provide evidence, we will record it on your visa label.

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.

Enter country details

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.

Enter country details

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 New Zealand traveller declaration (NZTD).

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

Study

You can study for up to 3 months.

Work

  • The work you do must be legal.
  • You must not provide commercial sexual services.
  • You must not run or invest in a business that provides commercial sexual services.
  • You must have occupational registration if it is needed to work in New Zealand.

Occupational registration

If your partner supported your application before 2 December 2024

You may have a work visa with work conditions, if your partner supported your application before 2 December 2024.

A work visa with work conditions means:

  • you can only work for an accredited employer
    Check if an employer is accredited
  • you cannot be self-employed
  • you cannot work for less than NZD$29.66 an hour (the February 2023 median wage) in roles covered by a capped sector agreement
  • if you are working in a job:
    • not covered by an uncapped sector agreement, you must be paid at least NZD$29.66 an hour, or the wage threshold in effect at the time you get your visa or job offer, whichever is later
    • covered by an uncapped sector agreement, you must be paid at least the wage threshold in place.

If your partner earns at least NZD$25.29 an hour (80% of the median wage), you can apply to remove the work conditions on your visa.

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

Travel

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

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand or a sponsor.

Notes

We may ask for evidence when you arrive in New Zealand.

If you do not need to provide evidence, we will record it on your visa label.

Onward travel

You must have made arrangements to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.

You must have onward travel evidence to prove to us you will, or can, leave New Zealand.

Evidence can be any one of these:

  • your travel ticket
  • a bank or credit card statement showing you have enough money to pay for onward travel
  • confirmation from a travel agency that you have booked and paid for travel, or another form of
  • proof you have arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
Notes

We may ask for evidence when you arrive in New Zealand.

If you do not need to provide evidence, we will record it on your visa label.

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.