Immigration answer
Can I bring my partner or children if I have a New Zealand work visa?
A New Zealand work visa does not automatically create the same options for every partner or child. INZ says family support depends on the work visa type and, for AEWV holders, can depend on the job and how much the worker earns.
Answer
This guide explains why partner and child options need to be checked separately, because partner work or visitor visas, child visitor visas and dependent child student visas each have their own settings.
The work visa type comes first
INZ frames family support around the visa held by the person in New Zealand. Some work visa holders may be able to support partner or dependent child applications. Others may not, or may need to meet extra conditions before they can support family applications.
AEWV family support has extra settings
For an AEWV holder, INZ says support for partner and dependent child visas can depend on the job and how much the worker earns. That makes role, pay, skill and source-date checks important before relying on a simple yes/no summary.
Partners and children are different applications
A partner may be looking at a visitor or work visa. A dependent child may be looking at a visitor or student visa. Those are related family questions, but the evidence and visa conditions are not identical.
Partnership evidence can still matter
If a partner visa is involved, the relationship evidence question remains separate from the worker visa question. Living together, relationship history and shared-life evidence should be checked against the relevant partner visa page as well as the family-support page.
What to check next
- Check the exact work visa type before looking at partner or child options.
- Review partner and dependent-child routes separately instead of treating family as one application.
- If the worker cannot support a family application, the family member may need to check whether they have their own separate visa option.
Sources for this answer
Public information is explained in plain English, with links back to the official or public sources used for this answer.
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