Visa
Can your spouse work and your children study free in NZ while you study? Partner of a Student Work/Visitor visas, child visas, eligibility, evidence and funds.
Many Nepali students planning a master's in New Zealand are married, and some have children. Can your partner come and work? Can your child go to school? The answer depends mainly on what you will study. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) links your family's visa options to your own qualification level. This guide explains how to bring your partner to New Zealand as a student from Nepal, which visas your children can get, and the evidence and money INZ asks for. Figures come from immigration.govt.nz as checked in November 2026. Fees, funds and eligibility rules change, so confirm them on the official site before you apply. If you have not planned your own visa yet, start with our New Zealand student visa from Nepal guide.
INZ describes four main family visas for student visa holders:
Partner of a Student Work Visa: your partner can live and work in New Zealand, if your study is at an eligible level.
Partner of a Student Visitor Visa: your partner can live with you but cannot work for a New Zealand employer. Available whatever you study.
Dependent Child Student Visa: your child attends primary or secondary school and may be treated as a domestic student (no school tuition fees).
Child of a Student Visitor Visa: your child joins you as a visitor and can attend school for up to 3 months in a calendar year.
Family visas usually expire at the same time as your student visa.
According to INZ, you can support a Partner of a Student Work Visa if you are studying:
a level 9 or 10 qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF), meaning a master's or doctoral degree
a level 7 or 8 qualification specified for a Green List role (Appendix 13 of the INZ Operational Manual)
a level 7 or 8 qualification on INZ's list of qualifications eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa, or
a level 7 or 8 qualification on the Long Term Skill Shortage List, only if your study started on or before 7 September 2022.
A master's degree is the clearest route. A bachelor's, graduate diploma or postgraduate diploma (levels 7 and 8) only qualifies if that exact qualification is on an INZ list, so check before you pay a deposit. Our universities in New Zealand guide helps you compare master's options.
INZ says the visa holder can do any legal work for any employer anywhere in New Zealand (with occupational registration where needed), study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period, and travel in and out while the visa is valid. No job offer is needed, and the visa normally matches the length of your student visa. Your own work limits as a student still apply; see our part-time work in New Zealand guide.
you are both at least 18 and living together in a genuine and stable relationship when you apply
your partner has at least NZD 4,200 for their stay
your partner meets health and character rules and has genuine intentions
you complete the Form for Partners Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146).
Your partner can apply with your student visa but is only granted after your visa is approved. INZ lists the cost "from NZD 1,630", with 80% processed within 5 weeks.
If your course does not meet the work-visa rules, your partner can still come on a Partner of a Student Visitor Visa. INZ says:
any student visa holder can support it
your partner cannot work for a New Zealand employer, though they may be able to work remotely for an employer or client outside New Zealand
funds of NZD 1,000 per month (NZD 400 if accommodation is prepaid), or an acceptable sponsor, plus a return ticket or money for one
dependent children aged 19 or younger can be included in the same application.
INZ lists the cost "from NZD 341", with 80% processed within 7 weeks. Our cost of studying in New Zealand guide shows the student-side costs to add.
A Dependent Child Student Visa lets your child study at a primary or secondary school, and INZ says the child "may be treated as a domestic student", so you do not pay international school fees.
As a student, you can support this visa directly only if you are enrolled in a PhD at a New Zealand university, studying under a New Zealand Government-approved exchange scheme, or holding an MFAT-funded New Zealand scholarship such as Manaaki.
A master's student cannot support it directly, but INZ gives an example of the route that works for many families:
You get your student visa.
Your partner gets a Partner of a Student Work Visa.
Your children apply for Dependent Child Student Visas as dependants of your partner, who now holds a work visa.
INZ's Operational Manual (U8.20) says dependent children of eligible work visa holders are regarded as domestic students for primary and secondary school tuition fees for the period of the parent's work visa. Children cannot be included in the partner work visa application; they apply after it is granted.
Your child must be 19 or younger, financially dependent (17 or under, or 18 to 19 with no children of their own), and enrolling at school, not tertiary study. You need birth certificates and, for children 15 or younger, proof you can legally take them out of Nepal (custody papers or the other parent's consent if separated). Children under 5 may get a visitor visa instead.
INZ asks for NZD 17,000 for a full year, or NZD 1,417 per month, or proof living costs are paid. This may be waived if the work visa parent earns enough (for example, a recent pay slip). You must also agree to pay health costs and show the child can leave New Zealand. INZ lists the cost "from NZD 750", with 80% processed within 7.5 weeks.
If your course does not support a partner work visa, children can usually come on a Child of a Student Visitor Visa or be included in your partner's visitor visa. It allows school for up to 3 months in a calendar year, needs NZD 1,000 per child per month (NZD 400 if accommodation is prepaid) or a sponsor, and does not allow work. Longer schooling needs a student visa, usually at international fees, so get a written fee quote from the school first.
INZ wants evidence that you live together in a genuine and stable relationship, dated from after you both turned 18. Useful documents for Nepali couples include:
marriage registration and relationship certificates from your ward office
proof of a shared address, such as a joint rental agreement or household documents
joint bank statements, shared bills or other shared responsibilities
photos together over time, messages, and letters from people who know you as a couple.
If you have lived apart for work, explain why. Documents not in English need translations that meet INZ rules.
Each family member staying over 6 months usually needs a chest X-ray (children under 11 usually do not), and stays of 12 months or more usually need a medical examination, with results under 3 months old. Anyone aged 17 or over staying 24 months or more needs police certificates issued within 6 months. Passports must be valid for 3 months after your planned departure.
Add your own tuition and student funds (INZ sets NZD 20,000 per year for most students), the partner and child funds above, and visa fees, medicals, flights and insurance for everyone. A family needs private rental housing, so read our student accommodation in New Zealand guide. Some scholarships cover family costs; see our scholarships in New Zealand guide.
After graduation, a post-study work visa brings its own partner and child options; read our New Zealand post-study work visa guide. Check your English score against course rules with our IELTS and PTE requirements for New Zealand guide.
Usually yes. A master's degree is NZQCF level 9, so your partner can apply for a Partner of a Student Work Visa if you live together in a genuine and stable relationship and they meet the other requirements.
Only if that qualification is on the Green List appendix or INZ's Post-Study Work Visa qualifications list (or the Long Term Skill Shortage List for study started on or before 7 September 2022). Otherwise your partner can usually come as a visitor without New Zealand work rights.
A child on a Dependent Child Student Visa as the dependant of an eligible work visa holder, PhD student or MFAT scholar is generally treated as a domestic student for school tuition. State-integrated schools may still charge attendance dues, so confirm with the school.
As of November 2026, INZ lists NZD 4,200 for a partner on a work visa, NZD 1,000 per month for a partner on a visitor visa, and NZD 17,000 per year per child on a Dependent Child Student Visa, on top of your own student funds. Check current amounts before you apply.
Everest Global Education has guided Nepali students since 2016. For family applications, we help you check whether your qualification supports a partner work visa, plan the order of applications for you, your partner and your children, and prepare consistent relationship and funds evidence. All advice is checked against current Immigration New Zealand guidance. We counsel from our offices in Nepal and Australia and do not guarantee admission or visa outcomes.
Kathmandu: Putalisadak, Opposite of MIT College
Pokhara: Pushpa Ratna Bhawan, Siddharthachowk-4, Pokhara 33700
Beni: New Road, Beni Bazar, Myagdi
Dhangadhi: Boradadi Road, Dhangadhi 10900
Janakpur: Girija Path, Murli Chowk, Janakpur
Perth (Australia): 102 James St, Northbridge WA 6003, Australia
Sydney (Australia): Level 1/483 Princes Highway, Rockdale NSW 2216, Australia
Share your course choice, family details and target intake, and we will help you work out the right visas and the order to apply.
Submit an enquiry at https://everestglobaledu.com/enquiry and our team will contact you by phone or email.
Everest Global Education
Phone: +61 8 6157 0080
Email: info@everestglobaledu.com
Website: https://everestglobaledu.com/
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