New Zealand Spouse and Dependant Visa for Indians: Joining Family

Which visa you need depends on the visa your partner or parent holds in New Zealand. This guide maps each situation, the income and study thresholds that decide eligibility, the costs and the timelines. Facts are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15; INZ's own site was unavailable on 15-16 October 2026, so INZ details were read from archived captures of its official pages and should be re-checked on immigration.govt.nz. For the wider picture, see our New Zealand visa guide for Indians.

Which visa lets you join your family in New Zealand?

A Partner Work Visa lets you live and work in New Zealand for the same duration as your partner's visa. You do not need a job offer.

Who qualifies as the partner of a worker?

Both of you must be at least 18 and living together in a genuine and stable relationship, with evidence from after you both turned 18. Your partner in New Zealand completes form INZ 1146 to support you. The supporting partner's job decides the rest:

Some visas cannot support a partner at all: visas of 6 months or less (except Migrant Exploitation Protection), Working Holiday, Recognised Seasonal Employer Limited, Supplementary Seasonal Employment and Fishing Crew work visas.

Can you join a partner who is studying in New Zealand?

Yes, if the course is at the right level. The student partner must be studying a level 9-10 qualification, or a level 7-8 qualification that is on the Green List or the Post-Study Work Visa eligible list. You need at least NZD 4,200 for your stay. Students on other courses cannot support a partner work visa, and the Fee Paying Student Visa itself cannot include a partner or children.

What does it cost and how long does it take?

The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD 100 does not apply to separate applications made as the partner or dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or visa holder or applicant. INZ headline timeframes cover all applicants, not only Indians.

You can apply at the same time as your partner, but your visa is granted only after your partner's visa is approved. Good health and character apply: police certificates if you are 17 or older and will spend 24 months or longer in New Zealand, and a chest X-ray for stays over 6 months, since India is not a low-TB country.

How do dependent children join a parent?

Children cannot be added to a partner work visa, an AEWV or a Fee Paying Student Visa. Each child applies for their own visitor or student visa. For a visitor application, INZ's India checklist asks for evidence of relationship such as the child's birth certificate showing the parents' names, and a consent letter from a non-travelling parent. Parents applying as visitors can include dependent children, using form INZ 1205 where required.

Since 1 October 2026, visitor and selected transit visa applications must be made online through Immigration Online. VFS Global's centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai handle passports only when INZ asks for them.

What if your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident?

The partnership visas for partners of New Zealand citizens and residents are not covered in our verified dataset, so we do not quote fees or rules for them here. Check the current requirements directly on immigration.govt.nz. If your partner is still applying for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category or Straight to Residence, you and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included in that application.

Before you apply

• Collect relationship evidence dated after both of you turned 18: joint addresses, shared finances, photos and the marriage certificate.
• Confirm your partner's hourly pay against the threshold for their job level before paying the fee.
• Do not pay anyone for a job offer for your partner. INZ declines applications where money was offered for a job offer and warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia.
• Use a photo that meets INZ's online rules: JPG of 512 KB to 3.14 MB, 3:4 portrait, face covering 70-80% of the image.

If a family member is visiting first, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Can my spouse work in New Zealand on a Partner of a Worker Work Visa?

Yes. The visa lets the partner live and work in New Zealand for the same duration as the supporting partner's visa, and no job offer is needed.

Does a partner work visa holder need a job offer to apply?

No. Eligibility rests on the relationship and on the supporting partner's visa, pay level or course level, not on a job offer for the applying partner.

Can my wife visit me in New Zealand on a visitor visa instead?

A visiting spouse can apply for a Visitor Visa from India for NZD 441, with INZ's headline timeframe of 80% within 2 weeks. She must show funds of at least NZD 1,000 a month (NZD 400 if accommodation is prepaid) or a sponsor, and a way to leave New Zealand.

Are Indian working holiday visas available for spouses?

No. As at October 2026, India is not on INZ's working holiday list. The NZ-India Free Trade Agreement commits New Zealand to a scheme for up to 1,000 Indians a year, but INZ had not published criteria or an opening date.