Partners and children of New Zealand citizens and residents applying for temporary visas will be able to lodge new applications through Immigration New Zealand's enhanced Immigration Online system from 16 November 2026, the agency says.
After that date, INZ says the enhanced system will be its preferred way of receiving these applications.
Which visas are moving
INZ lists four visas in this change:
- Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
- Child of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
- Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa
- Child of a New Zealander Student Visa
Residence applications for family of New Zealanders are not changing for now, INZ says.
Families of temporary visa holders moved in June
A similar group of visas made the move earlier. On 1 June 2026, INZ moved applications for families of temporary visa holders, such as the Partner of a Worker Work Visa, Partner of a Student Work Visa and Dependent Child Student Visa, to the enhanced system.
INZ said at the time that applications already lodged through the old system would still be processed and did not need to be resubmitted. It also said applications made in the enhanced system would be prioritised for assessment during the transition.
Rule changes on the same date
INZ says several changes to the instructions for family of New Zealanders will also take effect from 16 November. They include:
- letting children eligible for domestic student status apply for a Child of a New Zealander Student Visa
- extending the maximum visitor visa for children of New Zealand citizens or residents from 9 to 12 months
- clarifying how long partnership visas last for couples who have lived together for less than 12 months
- clarifying health instructions on medical certificates
- allowing some residence applications to be deferred where court proceedings could affect a supporting partner's eligibility.
What about paper forms
INZ says it is looking at changes to paper applications and to applications through its old Immigration Online system, and will confirm details later. Separately, some visitor and transit visa applications must be made online from 1 October 2026.
What you need to apply online
For most visas, applicants need a RealMe account before they can start the online form. INZ says documents must be uploaded in English, or with an English translation, and fees can be paid by Mastercard, Visa or UnionPay.
Passport information pages must be uploaded as a PDF under 10MB, including the machine-readable code at the bottom of the page. If partners or dependent children are included, their passport pages are needed too.
INZ says the new form will let applicants upload a scan of their passport so the details fill in automatically.
When family of temporary visa holders moved in June, INZ said drafts in the old system could be finished there or started again in the new one. It has not yet said the same for the 16 November move, and says it will update its announcement closer to the date.
Sources
- Immigration New Zealand, "Family of New Zealanders temporary visa applications moving to enhanced Immigration Online": https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/family-of-new-zealanders-temporary-visa-applications-moving-to-enhanced-immigration-online/
- Immigration New Zealand, "Family of temporary visa holder applications now on enhanced Immigration Online" (1 Jun 2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/family-of-temporary-visa-holder-applications-now-on-enhanced-immigration-online/
- Immigration New Zealand, "How to apply for a visa online": https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/applying-online/how-to-apply-for-a-visa-online/
- Immigration New Zealand, "Providing your passport for an online application": https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/applying-online/providing-your-passport-for-an-online-application/
