Bringing family if you have an Essential Skills Work Visa

Check if you can support a visa for your partner and dependent child if you have an Essential Skills Work Visa (ESWV).

Bringing family if you have a work visa

Family members you can support on an ESWV

If you have an Essential Skills Work Visa, you can support a visitor visa for your partner.

Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa

You may also be able to support a work visa for your partner, or a student or visitor visa for your dependent children if you meet the requirements.

Partner of a Worker Work Visa

Dependent Child Student Visa

Child of a Worker Visitor Visa

Supporting your partner's visitor visa

You can support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa for your partner.

Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa

Supporting your partner's work visa

We may approve a Partner of a Worker Work Visa if you earn at least NZD $26.85 an hour. This is based on 80% of the median wage.

If you supported a visa before 2 December 2024

We may have approved a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with work conditions if:

  • you earned less than NZD $59.32 an hour, or
  • your job was not on the Green list, or you did not meet the job's requirements.

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

Your partner must:

  • work for an accredited employer
  • be paid at least the wage threshold in place for their job, unless they are in a job covered by an uncapped sector agreement.

If you earn at least NZD $26.85 an hour, your partner can apply for a variation of conditions to remove the work conditions. Removing the work conditions means your partner can work for any employer.

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

Supporting dependent children

If you earn at least NZD $55,844 a year you can support a:

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

If you earn at least NZD$43,322.76 a year, you can support a Dependent Child Student Visa or a Child of Worker Visitor Visa if, on or before 9 March 2025:

  • your dependent child had been approved for a visa, or had applied for a visa based on their relationship to you, and
  • you had an ESWV or had applied for an ESWV that was later approved.

If you get a pay rise

If you get a pay rise and you now earn at least:

  • NZD $55,844 a year, your dependent children can apply for a visitor or student visa
  • NZD $26.85 an hour, your partner can apply for a Partner of a Worker Work Visa.