Straight to Residence: When must you include family members with temporary visas?

If your partner or dependent child holds, or has applied for, a New Zealand work, student or visitor visa based on their relationship to you, Immigration New Zealand requires you to include them in your Straight to Residence application. This includes temporary applications still awaiting a decision.

Check what each temporary visa is based on

A work visa can be based on a partnership or on the visa holder's own eligibility. Check the application copy, visa decision and any correspondence to establish which basis applies. For pending applications, keep the reference number and date of submission. Record each family member separately.

Prepare the evidence person by person

Eligible partners and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included. Check the dependency rules separately from the age limit. Gather proof of identity and relationship for each person, together with any required health and character evidence. Partners and dependent children aged 16 or over must meet the applicable English requirements or pay for English language lessons under INZ's rules. Follow INZ's instructions for documents that need certified English translations.

Suppose your partner is waiting for a relationship-based work visa and your child already has a student visa. List both and check the basis for the child's visa separately. If you have already lodged your residence application and discover an omission, keep a copy of what you submitted and the temporary visa reference numbers, then contact INZ to confirm how to proceed.

For the principal applicant's role and employment evidence, see the Green List Tier 1 job offer guide.

Policy checked on 6 November 2026. See the partner and dependent children section of Immigration New Zealand's Straight to Residence Visa guidance.