New Age and Evidence Requirements for Partnership-Based Visas — Effective 25 September 2026

Immigration New Zealand has introduced a new minimum age requirement for partnership-based visas. If you are applying for a partnership visa, or supporting a partner’s application, both of you must now be aged 18 or over.

What is changing

From 25 September 2026, both the visa applicant and the New Zealand-based partner supporting the application must be 18 or over at the time the application is made.

Immigration New Zealand will only recognise partnership evidence from the point at which both partners were 18 or over. Evidence of the relationship from before either partner turned 18 will not count toward meeting the requirements.

For residence applications that require 12 months of living together, that 12-month period can only start counting once both partners have turned 18. In practice, this means an applicant cannot meet the residence cohabitation requirement until close to age 19.

Which visas are affected

The change applies to nine partnership-based visa categories:

• Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa
• Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
• Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa
• Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa
• Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa
• Partner of a Worker Work Visa
• Partner of a Student Visitor Visa
• Partner of a Student Work Visa
• Partner of an NZ Scholarship Student Work Visa

Partner sponsorships that sit under other visa streams — Skilled, Business, International, Humanitarian and Family — are not affected. General visitor visas are also unaffected.

When it takes effect

The new requirements apply to applications submitted on or after 25 September 2026. If your application was submitted before that date, or your visa has already been granted, these changes do not apply to you.

What this means for you

If you are considering a partnership-based visa application and either partner is under 18, you will need to wait until both of you meet the age requirement before applying, and before the relevant evidence period can begin.

If you have already submitted an application, or already hold a visa in one of the categories above, this change does not affect you.

Given how specific these requirements are — particularly how the age threshold interacts with the 12-month cohabitation requirement for residence applications — we recommend a formal assessment of your circumstances before applying, or before relying on this update to plan an application.