Changing from Student to Work Visa - How about the dependents?

[Diduxo]

Dear Experts,
I am in a little bit confused about my family situation, and I would like to ask for your help. Please, can you clarify?
Early this year, I moved to NZ holding a Student Visa (Level 8), my husband got an open Work Visa, and my children got student visas. Some months ago, I changed my Visa to an Essential Skills Work Visa, and this month I applied to Residence under SMC. The question is: should my husband and kids apply for new visas based on my new work visa or wait until next year when the visas will expire? (my husband is not currently working, just looking for a job) According to Immigration's website (Visa Checking Service), the visas (husband and kids) are valid until next year. By the way, I changed my Visa from Student to Work around three months ago. Thanks in advance!

[JandM]

Your husband and children should have changed their visas when you changed yours. Their visas are linked to the visa number of your original visa, which has now ceased to exist, so any close investigation would show them as not having visas. In your place, I would contact INZ to explain what has happened because of this misunderstanding, and get matters regularized as soon as possible. It is much better for the people concerned to "confess" a problem, than to have INZ discover it, as, if they do, the worst case scenario is that it could be considered as deliberate fraud, which is a bar to future visas.

[Diduxo]

Thank you so much JandM! I will contact INZ tomorrow to regularize my family's situation.