New Zealand has officially updated its student visa policy for 2025 to make it easy for family members of international students to accompany them on their academic journey. Regardless of your educational goals—a PhD, Master’s degree, or a skill-shortage-linked diploma—this policy modification opens opportunities for your family’s future as well as for your own education.
This means that you can now sponsor visiting visas for your partner and kids if you have a student visa to New Zealand. In some cases, you can even support work visas for your partner and student visas for your dependent children.
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This is significant, particularly for international students who are trying to manage their family and academic goals. Such benefits were previously not available in all study programs. However, New Zealand is formally adopting the family-first strategy for qualified student visa holders beginning in 2025.
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Who Can You Bring with You on a Family Visa?
Here is what you can now apply for, depending on the level or kind of qualification you’re seeking:
| # | Category | Eligible Dependent Types |
|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Standard Family Visa Support | – Partner of a Student Visitor Visa – Child of a Student Visitor Visa – Student financial aid |
| 2️⃣ | If You’re Studying an Eligible Program | – Partner of a Student Work Visa – Dependent Child Student Visa |
Which Study Programs Qualify?
You may be able to support a work visa for your partner and student visas for your dependent children, depending on what qualification you are studying.
You may be able to support a Partner of a Student Work Visa for your partner if you are studying a:
- level 9 or 10 qualification (Master’s or Doctoral degrees)
- level 7 or 8 qualification specified for a job on our Green List — listed either as a requirement or a registration qualification
- level 7 or 8 qualification specified on our Qualifications eligible for a Post Study Work Visa list, or
- level 7 or 8 qualification on the long-term skill shortage list — if your study started on or before 7 September 2022.
You may be able to support student visas for your dependent children if you are studying:
- a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- under a New Zealand Governmentapproved exchange student scheme
- under a New Zealand scholarship administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Note that you can find your qualification level on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework.
Who You Can Support While Studying in New Zealand (by Study Type)
| Study Type / Condition | Who You Can Support | Eligible Visa Types |
|---|---|---|
| Level 9 or 10 Qualification (Master’s or PhD) | Partner | Work Visa |
| Dependent Children (if PhD) | Student Visa | |
| PhD at a New Zealand University | Partner Dependent Children | Work Visa Student Visa |
| Green List Qualification (Level 7 or 8) | Partner | Work Visa (if the qualification is listed as required or for registration) |
| Post Study Work Visa Qualification (Level 7) | Partner | Work Visa |
| Long-Term Skill Shortage List (Study started on/before 7 Sep 2022) | Partner | Work Visa |
| Approved Student Exchange Scheme | Dependent Children | Student Visa |
| MFAT-Funded NZ Scholarship (excluding short-term/ELTO) | Partner Dependent Children | Work Visa Student Visa |
When your partner can support student visas for your children
If you can support a work visa for your partner but not student visas for your dependent children, your partner may be able to support your children’s student visas instead.
Example
You are studying a level 8 qualification that is specified on the Green List. You can support a work visa for your partner but not student visas for your dependent children.
To get student visas for your children:
- You get a student visa.
- Your partner gets a Partner of a Student Work Visa.
- Your children can apply for Dependent Child Student Visas — as dependent children of your partner who has a work visa.
Special Reminders for Guardians and Parents
- You can apply for a Guardian of a Student Visitor Visa if your child is currently enrolled in school in New Zealand.
- Keep track of the dates for renewal because all family member visas typically expire along with your student visa!
Evidence of a Relationship
In order to apply for a child or partner visa, you must provide official documentation of:
- De facto partnership or marriage
- Your children’s dependency status
You must inform immigration authorities if your relationship ends while you are there because your family’s visa requirements may alter.
New Zealand’s innovative approach to inclusive international education is reflected in this 2025 update, which acknowledges that family assistance helps students succeed. It increases the nation’s appeal to international students who want to pursue both family stability and academic success.
