The government of New Zealand has announced that dependents of a work visa holder or New Zealand citizen/resident will be able to apply for rights allowing them to work part time, provided they hold an eligible visitor visa and have applied for residence under an eligible category.
To be eligible to apply for part-time work rights, migrants must be an applicant on an already-lodged application for one of the following residence visas:
- Dependent Child Resident Visa
- Skilled Migrant Category Visa (either new or previous visa criteria)
- any of the Skilled Migrant Category sub-categories (Straight to Residence Visa, Work to Residence Visa, Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa, Transport Sector Work to Residence Visa).
Migrants must also:
- hold an eligible visitor visa and be a dependent child of a work visa holder or a New Zealand citizen/resident, and
- be aged 17 and have completed high school, or aged 18 to 24 years old (inclusive).
They will be entitled to work up to 20 hours per week during the school year, and up to 40 hours per week over the summer holiday period. This aligns with work rights available to Year 12 and 13 students on a Dependent Child Student Visa.
This change will be implemented at the end of October, and the government will provide more details about how and when people can apply in late August.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.