Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa

At a glance

The Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa allows the partner of a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder to work temporarily in New Zealand. [WF2] It sits within the Family stream of work visas and is available where the couple is living together in a genuine and stable relationship, the New Zealand partner intends to be in New Zealand during the visa period, and the New Zealand partner meets the partnership, character, and eligibility requirements imposed by immigration instructions. [WF2] The visa may be granted for up to 36 months depending on the length of the partnership and allows work in any occupation for any employer, including self‑employment (with restrictions on employing others). [WF2.1]

An immigration officer must also be satisfied that the New Zealand partner would be eligible to support a partnership‑based residence class visa application within 12 months of the work visa being granted. [WF2.5]

How to apply

Applicants must lodge a completed work visa application form with the prescribed fee and supporting documents. The application must demonstrate that:

• the applicant is the partner (as defined in immigration instructions) of a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder;
• the couple is living together in a genuine and stable relationship;
• the New Zealand partner intends to be in New Zealand for the same period the applicant requests;
• the New Zealand partner satisfies the minimum partnership recognition requirements, character requirements for partnership‑based temporary entry applications, and residence family category eligibility criteria, including that the officer is satisfied the partner will be eligible to support a residence class visa application within 12 months of the grant. [WF2.5]

Additionally, immigration officers must sight evidence of the following: [WF2.10]

• the supporting partner’s New Zealand citizenship or New Zealand residence status;
• the applicant’s relationship with their New Zealand partner;
• that the applicant and their New Zealand partner are living together in a genuine and stable partnership at the time of application;
• the Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146) completed by the New Zealand partner; and
• that the applicant and their New Zealand partner intend to live in New Zealand for the same period of time.

Because this visa is a type of work visa, the generic work visa requirements (lodgement, bona fides, health, character, funds, etc.) also apply unless specifically waived. Applicants should refer to the generic work visa instructions for those baseline expectations.

Eligibility criteria

An immigration officer may grant a Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa only when all of the following conditions are met: [WF2]

Relationship requirement

• The applicant is the partner of a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder.
• The couple is living together in a genuine and stable relationship. [WF2]

New Zealand partner obligations

• The New Zealand partner must intend to be in New Zealand for the same period of time applied for by the applicant. [WF2]
• The New Zealand partner must comply with the minimum requirements for recognition of partnerships. [WF2]
• The New Zealand partner must meet the character requirements for partners supporting partnership‑based temporary entry applications. [WF2]
• The New Zealand partner must be an eligible partner under the residence family category instructions. [WF2] The immigration officer must also consider whether the partner would be eligible to support a residence class visa application under Partnership Category within 12 months of the grant; if not, the work visa may be declined. [WF2.5]

If any of these conditions is not satisfied, the work visa must be declined. The assessment of the relationship’s genuineness and stability, the partnership recognition standards, the character screening, and the eligibility under the residence family category will be made in accordance with the relevant immigration instructions. [WF2]

Visa duration and conditions

The duration of a visa granted under the Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa instructions depends on how long the couple has lived together in the partnership, but may not exceed 36 months in total from either the date the first partnership visa was granted onshore, or the first date of arrival in New Zealand if the visa was granted offshore. [WF2.1]

• If the couple has lived together in the partnership for 12 months or more when the application is assessed, the work visa may be granted for the length of the couple’s intended stay up to a maximum of 36 months. [WF2.1]
• If the partnership has existed for less than 12 months at the time of assessment, the first visa must not exceed 12 months’ duration. Further visas may be granted, up to the overall 36‑month cap, if during the validity of the first visa an application for a residence class visa under the Partnership Category is made and the applicant wishes to remain pending decision, or if an immigration officer is satisfied the couple is still living together in a genuine and stable partnership. [WF2.1]
• A transitional provision applies to applications made before 1 October 2024 that remain undecided on that date: the applicant may be granted a visa for up to 36 months if the couple has lived together for 12 months or more, even though the instructions in force at the time of application previously capped the duration at 24 months. [WF2.1]

Any work visa granted under these instructions may be endorsed with open conditions allowing the holder to undertake any work in any occupation for any employer in any location. [WF2.1] Self‑employment is permitted, but the visa holder must not employ others, whether directly or indirectly through a business they operate as an owner. [WF2.1]

Interpretation & edge cases

• Relationship breakdowns – If the relationship ends before the visa is granted, the applicant no longer meets the core requirement of being in a genuine and stable relationship with a qualifying New Zealand partner, and the application will be declined.
• Temporary separation – The couple must be living together at the time of application. Brief separations for work, study, or family reasons may not necessarily break the “living together” requirement if the overall relationship remains genuine and stable, but this is assessed case‑by‑case under the partnership recognition criteria.
• New Zealand partner’s travel – The New Zealand partner must intend to be in New Zealand for the entire visa period requested. If the partner plans extended overseas travel during the visa duration, the officer may not be satisfied that the intention requirement is met.
• Interaction with generic instructions – While WF2 sets the core qualifying criteria, the generic work visa instructions (e.g. W2.10.1 funds, health, character) apply concurrently. A failure under those generic requirements will also lead to decline, even if the WF2 criteria are satisfied.
• No separate partnership‑based work visa outside Family stream – This is the only temporary work visa specifically for partners of New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders. It is not interchangeable with work visas granted under other streams.
• Forward residence eligibility test – The immigration officer must assess whether the New Zealand partner would be eligible to support a partnership‑based residence application within 12 months of the work visa grant. If the partner would be barred from sponsoring (e.g. due to a sponsorship prohibition, character issues, or previous sponsorship obligations), the work visa application may be declined even if all other WF2 criteria are met. [WF2.5]
• Work visa for deferred non‑principal applicant partners – If an immigration officer has deferred a final decision on a non‑principal applicant partner included in a residence application because the partnership with the principal applicant is genuine and stable but less than the 12 months required (see R2.1.15.5), the partner may apply for a work visa to continue living with the principal applicant. Provided the principal applicant is granted a residence class visa, a work visa may be granted for a period sufficient to enable the 12‑month qualifying period to be met and any further assessment of the residence application to be completed. [WF2.20]

Citations

• WF2 — Partners of New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders
• WF2.1 — Duration and conditions of visa for partners of New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders
• WF2.5 — New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder partner must also be 'an eligible partner' under residence instructions
• WF2.10 — Evidential requirements for partners of New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders
• WF2.20 — Non-principal applicant partners included in residence applications under Government Residence instructions whose grant of residence has been deferred