A partnership work visa lets you live and work in New Zealand because of your relationship with someone who has a right to be here. There are three versions, and the one you need depends on your partner's visa:
| Your partner has… | Visa you apply for | Cost | Processing (80% within) | Length of your visa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A work visa | Partner of a Worker Work Visa | From NZ$1,630 | 6 weeks | Same as your partner's work visa |
| A student visa | Partner of a Student Work Visa | From NZ$1,630 | 5 weeks | Same as your partner's student visa |
| NZ citizenship or residence | Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa | From NZ$1,630 | 6.5 weeks | Up to 3 years |
This page focuses on the first two, where your partner is on a temporary visa. If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident, see our partnership visa guide, which covers the work visa and the route to residence.
Costs are a NZ$570 application fee plus a NZ$1,060 immigration levy. Processing times are INZ's published figures as at October 2026 and change often.
What the Visa Lets You Do
All three partnership work visas are open work visas. You can:
- work for any employer, in any legal job, anywhere in New Zealand
- be a sole trader or own a business, as long as you don't employ other people, directly or indirectly
- study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period
- travel in and out of New Zealand while your visa is valid
You do not need a job offer to apply. You still need any occupational registration your job requires, for example as a nurse, teacher or electrician.
Partner of a Worker Work Visa
Which work visas can support you
Most New Zealand work visas can support a partner, but not these:
- any visa of 6 months or less, unless it's a Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa
- Working Holiday Visa
- Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Limited Visa
- Supplementary Seasonal Employment Work Visa
- Fishing Crew Work Visa
- Domestic Staff of a Diplomat Work Visa
- Skilled Migrant Category Job Search Visa
- an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) or Essential Skills Work Visa for a lower-skilled job that doesn't meet the pay rules below
You can apply at the same time as your partner applies for their own work visa. INZ will only grant yours once theirs is approved.
Pay rules if your partner has an AEWV
This is where most applications succeed or fail. The rule depends on your partner's ANZSCO skill level:
| Your partner's AEWV job | Your partner must earn at least |
|---|---|
| ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3 | NZ$28 an hour (80% of the median wage) |
| Level 4 or 5, in the care workforce or transport sector agreement | NZ$28 an hour or the sector agreement wage for the Care Workforce or Transport Work to Residence Visa, whichever is higher, and meet that visa's other job requirements (but not its 24 months' experience) |
| Level 4 or 5, any other job | NZ$52.50 an hour (150% of the median wage), or NZ$35 an hour in a Green List job that meets the Green List requirements |
| Level 4 or 5, and already supporting your Partner of a Worker visa on 26 June 2024 | NZ$26.85 an hour |
These figures are based on the median wage of NZ$35.00 an hour that has applied since 9 March 2026. They usually change each year, so check them again before you apply.
Check your partner's skill level first. Some jobs that ANZSCO lists at level 4 count as level 3 for an AEWV, including cook, scaffolder, and (with 3 years' experience or a level 4 qualification) aged or disabled carer and forklift driver. INZ also recognises 134 National Occupation List occupations at levels 1–3. A job that moves from level 4 to level 3 brings the pay rule down from NZ$52.50 to NZ$28 an hour.
Your partner's skill level is the one set in their employer's job check. Your partner can't claim a higher level on their own.
Your partner's character
Your partner must meet INZ's good character requirements for supporting partners, and may be asked for police certificates. A supporting partner with convictions for sexual offences or family violence will not meet them, though INZ will consider whether a character waiver could apply.
Children
You can't include dependent children in a Partner of a Worker application. They apply for their own visas based on their relationship to your partner. See dependent child visas.
If your visa has conditions
If you already hold a Partner of a Worker Work Visa with job conditions, you can apply to change to an open work visa once your partner meets the support requirements above.
Partner of a Student Work Visa
Which study counts
Your partner must hold or be applying for a New Zealand student visa, and be studying towards one of these:
- a level 9 or 10 qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF), such as a master's degree or PhD
- a level 7 or 8 qualification listed as a requirement or registration qualification for a Green List role (Appendix 13 of INZ's Operational Manual)
- a level 7 or 8 qualification on INZ's list of qualifications eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa
- a level 7 or 8 qualification on the Long Term Skill Shortage List, only if their study started on or before 7 September 2022
A bachelor's degree (level 7) in a subject that isn't on one of those lists will not support a partner work visa.
Money
You need at least NZ$4,200 for your living costs, in addition to the money your partner needs for their student visa.
Children
You can't include children in the application, but once you have your work visa you can support their visas to join you.
Who Can Apply
For both visas, you and your partner must:
- both be at least 18
- be living together in a genuine and stable relationship when you apply
- have enough money for your stay, or an acceptable sponsor
- be in good health and of good character
- have genuine reasons for coming to New Zealand
There's no minimum relationship length for these temporary visas. What matters is that you can show you're living together in a genuine, stable relationship. Partner of a New Zealander residence has a 12-month living-together requirement, which is a different visa.
Evidence of Your Relationship
All evidence must be from after you both turned 18. INZ looks for proof of:
- how long you have been together and how long you have lived together
- shared finances and responsibilities, such as a joint account, shared bills or a lease in both names
- time spent together, such as photos, messages, emails and social media conversations
- other people recognising you as a couple
Your partner must also complete the Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146).
For a detailed list of what works as evidence and the mistakes that cause declines, see bringing your partner to NZ.
Health and Character
- Chest X-ray: needed if you're staying more than 6 months and are from, or have spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in, a country without a low incidence of TB.
- Medical examination: not normally needed for stays under 12 months. INZ may still ask for one.
- Police certificates: needed if you're 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or more. They must be under 6 months old when you apply, from every country you're a citizen of and any country you've lived in for more than 5 years since turning 17.
Medical and X-ray results must be less than 3 months old when INZ receives them.
How to Apply
- Confirm your partner can support you. Check their visa type and, for an AEWV, their skill level and hourly pay against the table above.
- Gather evidence. Collect relationship evidence, the completed INZ 1146 form, your passport, a photo and proof of funds. Book a medical or police certificates if you need them.
- Apply online and pay the fee and levy, from NZ$1,630.
- Wait for a decision. If you're already in New Zealand and your current visa expires while you wait, you'll normally get an interim visa.
Common Reasons Applications Are Declined
- Your partner's pay is below the threshold for their skill level. This is the most common reason for AEWV-based applications. An hourly rate that's even a few cents short fails.
- The wrong skill level is assumed. A job is assessed at the level in the job check, not the level the family expects.
- The study doesn't qualify. For example, a level 7 qualification that isn't on the Green List or the Post-Study Work list.
- Not living together. Being in a relationship isn't enough. You must be living together when you apply.
- Thin evidence. One or two documents rarely prove a stable relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a partner work visa if my partner is on a Working Holiday Visa?
No. Working Holiday Visas cannot support a partner. You'd need your own visa, for example your own Working Holiday Visa if your country has a scheme.
My partner's AEWV is level 4 and pays NZ$30 an hour. Can they support me?
Not under the general rule, which needs NZ$52.50 an hour for level 4 or 5 jobs. They may qualify if the job is a Green List role paying at least NZ$35 an hour, if it's covered by the care or transport sector agreements, or if the occupation is recognised at level 3 for the AEWV. Check this before applying.
Will my visa end if my partner's visa ends?
Your visa normally runs for the same length as your partner's visa. If their visa ends early or your relationship ends, your basis for staying changes, so get advice quickly.
Can this visa lead to residence?
Not directly. The Partner of a Worker and Partner of a Student work visas are temporary. If your partner gains residence, you may be included in their residence application or apply as the partner of a New Zealand resident. Many people also gain residence in their own right through their work.
Partner visa rules turn on details like your partner's exact hourly rate, skill level and qualification. Get matched with a licensed immigration adviser to check your situation before you pay the fee.