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Special Cases
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Dependent Child Policy
Immigration New Zealand typically strives to keep dependent children with their parents and works quickly to reunite them if separated.
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There are no quotas for these cases, and they are usually prioritized. However, unexpected difficulties can occur, especially for children from separated parents, those involved in complicated adoptions, or children not declared in earlier visa applications.
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Older children face additional hurdles, including health and character requirements.
What is a Dependent Child?
Dependent children are those with one or more parents who are New Zealand citizens or residents usually living in New Zealand.
Applicants can be the biological or adopted (including cultural adoptions) child of the New Zealand parent. Older children must demonstrate they are entirely or substantially reliant on one or more parents for financial support. Minimum requirements include:
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Not being married or in a partnership
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Relying on their parents for financial support
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Having no children of their own
Useful Information
The NZIHS immigration advisers and experts take away the stress and worry of navigating the complex world of New Zealand Visitor visas, policies, and immigration.
Dependent Child Approval
The child must meet the specific and stringent definition of "financially dependent," and any claim must be supported with substantial evidence, which can often be challenging to provide.
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It is not uncommon for children considered part of a "family" to have been adopted, either through formal, documented processes or less formally through customary or cultural adoption. Frequently, children enter a family following the breakdown of a previous relationship, which must be properly documented. Additionally, there can be unexpected difficulties in producing birth and identity documentation for children.
Addressing Potential Issues
Other potential issues may involve the child's identity or the circumstances of their separation from their parents. These concerns can sometimes prompt a review of the accuracy of claims made in a previous visa application by the parents or other relatives.
When children have been placed in the care of individuals other than their biological parents, questions may arise regarding whether these caregivers are temporary or have assumed a "permanent" role.
Understanding the Impact of The Hague Convention
New Zealand is a signatory to "The Hague Convention," an international agreement that aims to prevent parents (or others) from crossing borders with children while denying others their parental rights. This convention requires consent from absent parents who may have been uninvolved in the child's life for years.
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Although the Dependent Child policy appears straightforward, many cases encounter unexpected challenges in this inherently sensitive and emotional area.