Family Reunion

Residence under the Family Reunion Category can be granted at any age. There is no English language requirement. The following categories apply:

• Partnership (for spouses and de facto partners, including same sex de facto partners). Residence cannot be granted until the partnership is of 12 months duration. 
• Last remaining brother or sister (a job offer sufficient to support the family is required)
• Parent policy. There is no quota but there must be equal number of children (not including dependent children) who are living in New Zealand that live in any other one country including the home country, or all of the children live outside of the home country in which the parents live (in which case you only need one sponsoring child in New Zealand)
• Child (adult or dependent)

There are special rules that apply to families that have children in refugee camps when counting the number of children to sponsor a parent, or in calculating whether someone remains in the home country.

A spouse can be sponsored by an Australian citizen but there are special residential requirements.

There are special problems that arise where children have not been identified on previous residence applications by other members of the family or where the children have been adopted culturally. Applicants must always discuss with their legal professionals the situation concerning all members of their household. New Zealand has a generous approach, for example, to the recognition of children who have been informally adopted at a young age into a family. It is unwise not to discuss the full circumstances of your family with your legal professional.