Dependent Visa New Zealand Student: Partner Work Rights & Children's Schooling

Whether you can bring your partner to New Zealand and have them work while you study — and whether your children can access free schooling — depends almost entirely on what level of program you're enrolled in and whether it's Green List aligned. The rules changed significantly between 2023 and 2026. Here's the current picture.

Who Can Support a Partner's Work Visa?

Not every international student in New Zealand can support a partner's work visa. INZ tightened the rules to target open work rights at families where the principal student is pursuing genuinely high-value academic programs.

You can support your partner for a Partner of a Student Work Visa if:

You're enrolled in a Level 9 or Level 10 program — a Master's degree or a PhD. This is the most straightforward category. The program doesn't need to be Green List aligned; the level alone qualifies.

You're enrolled in a Level 7 or Level 8 program that is explicitly Green List aligned — specifically, a Bachelor's degree or a Postgraduate Diploma where the qualification is listed in Appendix 13 of the INZ Operational Manual as qualifying for a Green List occupation. Examples include Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Software Engineering, and Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching.

If you're enrolled in a Level 7 or 8 program that is not Green List aligned — a standard Bachelor of Business, an arts degree, a general IT diploma — your partner cannot get a work visa. They may only apply for a Visitor Visa, which strictly prohibits employment.

What the Partner of a Student Work Visa Provides

The Partner of a Student Work Visa is an open work visa. "Open" means:

• No specific employer required
• No geographic restriction
• No minimum wage threshold (beyond standard statutory minimum wage)
• From April 2026, holders can also operate as a sole trader or own and run a business

This is significant for families. A partner who secures full-time professional employment in New Zealand can contribute substantially to household income, offsetting tuition and living costs. At New Zealand's median wage, a full-time employed partner generates enough to cover the NZD 20,000 living cost threshold and then some.

The visa was further updated in April 2026 to allow open work visa holders — including Partner of a Student Work Visa holders — to undertake self-employment and business ownership, not just salaried employment.

What It Costs

The Partner of a Student Work Visa application fee increased substantially in October 2024, rising from NZD 860 to NZD 1,630. This is a significant upfront cost.

The applicant must also demonstrate access to at least NZD 4,200 to cover initial living expenses upon arrival.

Dependent Children: Domestic or International Student Status?

This is the detail that most significantly affects family finances. Whether your children are classified as domestic or international students for school enrollment — and whether you pay New Zealand domestic or international tuition rates for their schooling — depends on the partner's visa status.

If the partner has been granted a Partner of a Student Work Visa, any dependent school-aged children brought to New Zealand are classified as domestic students. Domestic classification means access to New Zealand state schools at no charge for primary and secondary education.

If the principal student's program doesn't qualify for partner work rights, dependent children are classified as international students. International school fees for primary and secondary students in New Zealand range from NZD 12,000 to NZD 20,000 per year. For families with two or three school-aged children, this cost can exceed the student's own tuition fees.

The practical implication: for a family with children, the choice of program level and Green List alignment isn't just about the student's visa — it affects whether the family pays zero or potentially NZD 40,000+ per year in children's school fees.

The Children's Student Visa

Dependent children who come to New Zealand while the partner doesn't hold work rights apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa. This is the visa that triggers international schooling fees.

Children of New Zealand citizens and residents are domestic students automatically. Children of work visa holders (including the Partner of a Student Work Visa) are domestic students. Children accompanying a student who doesn't have a working partner pay international rates.

The Application Process

The partner applies for the Partner of a Student Work Visa after the principal student's student visa is granted. The principal student must have commenced (or be about to commence) their studies.

Documentation required for the partner's application typically includes:

• Evidence of the relationship (proof of living together, shared finances, joint activities)
• The principal student's enrollment evidence and visa details
• Evidence of NZD 4,200 in funds
• The application fee (NZD 1,630)

The relationship must be genuine and stable — INZ assesses this. New partnerships or those with limited documentation of cohabitation or shared life face greater scrutiny.

Strategic Planning for Families

If you're planning to study in New Zealand as part of a family migration, program choice is the most important decision you'll make.

A Level 9 Master's in any field unlocks partner work rights and domestic schooling for children. A Level 7 Bachelor's in a Green List field does the same.

A Level 7 Bachelor's in a non-Green List field means your partner cannot work, and your children pay international school fees. For most families, that changes the financial calculus of the entire New Zealand plan.

The New Zealand Student Visa + Post-Study Work Guide at /nz/student-post-study/ includes the full partner work rights eligibility matrix alongside the Green List qualification requirements, so families can make the program selection decision with complete information before accepting an offer.

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