Domestic Staff of Seconded Senior Executives Work Visa

At a glance

Senior executives on secondment to New Zealand may bring their domestic staff if the staff member has been an integral part of the executive's lifestyle before the move [WI5]. The domestic staff member must be single and over 18, or if married, both partners must be employed by the same executive, with no dependent children [WI5]. The visa is tied to the employer's secondment; the domestic staff must leave New Zealand when the employment ends or the secondment finishes, and family members cannot join [WI5].

How to apply

Applicants must lodge a work visa application with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) following the standard lodgement process for work visas. The application must demonstrate that all the criteria under WI5 are met. INZ will assess the application for bona fides, and ensure the applicant meets health and character requirements (as referred to in WI5, referencing W2.10.1) [WI5].

Evidence requirements

Immigration officers should sight the following [WI5.1]:

1. a job guarantee, including written confirmation from the employer that the applicant will be employed and paid in accordance with New Zealand employment law; and
2. a guarantee of accommodation and repatriation from the employer; and
3. written acknowledgment from the employer confirming that:
   • the domestic employee's entry to New Zealand is approved only to accompany the family while they are temporarily resident here; and
   • if the employer applies for residence in New Zealand, both parties accept and understand that any approval of the application would not include their domestic staff.

Eligibility criteria

• The applicant must be employed as domestic staff by a senior executive of a company or international organisation who is on secondment to New Zealand [WI5].
• The applicant must have been an integral part of that executive's lifestyle before coming to New Zealand [WI5].
• The applicant must be:
  • single and over 18 years of age; or
  • if married, the couple must have no children or other dependants, and both partners must be offered employment with the same seconded executive [WI5].
• The domestic staff member must leave New Zealand on the earlier of:
  • termination of their employment, or
  • completion of the employer's period of secondment [WI5].
• Exceptions to the departure requirement are only possible if the applicant qualifies to remain under other immigration instructions [WI5].
• Family members (including spouses, civil union partners, de facto partners, or children) are not eligible for visas to join the domestic staff member in New Zealand [WI5].
• Applicants must also meet lodgement, bona fide, and health and character requirements as outlined in the applicable generic work visa instructions (WI5 refers to W2.10.1) [WI5].

Interpretation & edge cases

• Integral part of lifestyle: The requirement that the domestic staff member was "an integral part of their lifestyle" before New Zealand indicates a long-standing personal relationship, not merely a recent employment arrangement. Evidence such as duration of employment and the nature of duties within the household would be relevant [WI5].
• Single: The instruction does not define "single", but it likely means unmarried, not in a civil union, and not living in a de facto relationship. Applicants who are in any form of partnership would need to qualify under the married couple provision [WI5].
• Married couple with no dependants: Both partners must be employed by the same seconded executive, and neither can have dependent children. If either partner has a child from a previous relationship who is a dependant, the condition is not met [WI5].
• Departure condition: The domestic staff member has no continuing right to stay beyond the termination of employment or the end of the secondment. An application for another visa based on different instructions is the only lawful way to remain [WI5].
• No family joining: The prohibition extends to any family member; the domestic staff member cannot sponsor a partner or dependent children for a visa based on their own domestic-staff visa. This is an absolute bar [WI5].

Citations

• WI5 — Domestic staff of seconded senior executives
• WI5.1 — Evidential requirements for domestic staff of seconded senior executives