Reg: Spouse Visa

[dixapatel]

Hi can any one tell me that a student who is enrolling for level- 7 course. does his/her SPOUSE allowed to work? and what kind of visa he will get it will be a Spouse visa or Visitor Visa ?

Bcz i come to know that a studnet LEVEL-7 spouse will get only visitor visa and he will be not able to work?

Please any one having any idea about this then pls do reply me..

[JandM]

What is the qualification the spouse is going to study for, and how long will it last? This can make a difference to what the partner will be granted.

[dixapatel]

I am going to study business diploma course of Level - 7 and my education is i had completed Bachelor of Commerce then after diploma in nursing course and from last 3 and half yrs i was working as H.R in animation company. And the duration of the course which i m going to study is just 1 year course.

[JandM]

I've just been looking on the INZ website. http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...allaboutvisas/

Partners and children of students
If your partner or children want to come to New Zealand with you, they will need to apply for a visitor visa or, if they will also be studying, their own student visa.

I believe it USED TO BE true that some partners of students could get a work visa, but it seems to have changed now - I can't find any mention of it. Once your partner is in NZ, if he obtains a job offer, he might be eligible for a work visa in his own right, but that would depend on the job, and his qualifications, and he would of course have to obtain the visa before starting work.

[dixapatel]

Thank you sir for yr reply..... Sir i know this thing but, like i m in confusion that Level - 7 student spouse will get the visitor visa or the Dependent visa........... bcz when i had applied my agent told me that yr spouse can work up to 20 hours a week legally and now i come to know that my spouse will not be able to work bcz he will get the visitor visa........

One of my frd had informed me that a student who is study Level 5 and 6 their spouse will get the visitor visa and who are in to Level- 7 or more their spouse can work full time so just want to understand this thing....

[Millesverige]

I spoke to my CO yesterday and questioned this same question. I asked if my husband applies to study will I get a study visa or work visa. Her reply was if he chooses to study a course on the LTSSL, then the partner gets a work visa. So the course of study has to be on the LTSSL from what I've been told in order for the partner to get a work visa.

Now I have a different question. If my husband were to apply to a university now, how soon do they tend to reply and give an acceptance letter? Then once a student visa/work visa is issued, when are you allowed to move to NZ? Do they issue the visas based on the dates school begins or earlier so there would be time to move?

[JandM]

dixapatel, what Millesverige says explains some of the confusion.

But I think you need to be careful about trusting information from some sources. Sometimes there are friends who want to help, but they tell us things they think OUGHT to work, not information that has come from INZ. Or they say what happened to someone else, without mentioning it was all ten years ago, so the rules may have changed since then.

Millsverige, I expect you will get some help when people in NZ wake up. You could try PMing dilanium - she is one member whom I know is in NZ on a study visa and her husband has a work visa.

[Millesverige]

Thank you JandM - I will

[ralf-nz]

Now I have a different question. If my husband were to apply to a university now, how soon do they tend to reply and give an acceptance letter? Then once a student visa/work visa is issued, when are you allowed to move to NZ? Do they issue the visas based on the dates school begins or earlier so there would be time to move?

Based on our son's recent experience who was spending one semester earlier this year as an international student here.
Reply was very soon, 'formal' acceptance letter as such has not been issued at all during the process.
He had come to NZ just on a tourist visa before his student visa was issued. He was allowed to attend in lectures but he would not have been allowed to sit official exams during this time.
The date on the visa was the actual and 'true' date, i.e. around two months after the semester had started.

[Millesverige]

Thank you Ralf. You mean you got the visa two months after the course began? That seems to be an unreasonable time especially if you're paying internatinal fees and can't sit for exams until the visa comes through?

Do you know in regards to funds if we need to show we have the funds ahead of time for all 3-4 years in addition to 10000 dollars a month living expenses plus whatever expenses I would have to show on the visitor visa which I think is another 1200 a month? I can't think showing all the fees for the course is required for all 3-4 years? How do people manage that?