Victims of Family Violence Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Victims of Family Violence Resident Visa
Stay	Indefinitely
Cost	NZD $0
Processing	80% within 4 months
Eligibility timing	Not stated in the source
Work rights	Any occupation or employer
Study	Permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel; first 2 years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Include dependent children, 24 or younger
Visa record	Conditions recorded in eVisa

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Purpose

This resident visa is for people who have experienced family violence in a partnership with a New Zealand citizen or resident. It allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand permanently.

Eligibility

You must:

• Have been in a partnership with a New Zealand citizen or resident that has ended.
• Be a victim of family violence by a family member or someone close to you who lived with you in a family relationship.
• Be unable to return to your home country.
• Provide evidence of the abuse.
• Meet health and character requirements.

Relationship and family violence

If Immigration New Zealand has not previously assessed your partnership, you may need to provide evidence of the relationship.

You must provide evidence that the abuser:

• Is a family member or someone close to you; and
• Lived with you at the same address.

Evidence may include:

• Confirmation from New Zealand Police.
• A statutory declaration from an authorised professional.
• Your statutory declaration.
• Other relevant evidence.

Unable to return home

You must show you cannot return to your home country because you:

• Would have no independent financial support from employment or other sources; or
• May be abused or excluded by your community.

Evidence may include your employment and education history, and information about treatment of separated, single or divorced people in your home community.

Dependent Children

You may include dependent children aged 24 or younger.

Children must be single and:

• Aged 17 or younger; or
• Aged 18–24 with no children of their own.

You must sign a declaration that included children are single. Identity documents are used to confirm their age.

Required Evidence

Identity

Provide:

• Two acceptable head-and-shoulders photos.
• Original or certified copy of your passport or certificate of identity.
• Original or certified copy of your full birth certificate.

If you submit a certified passport copy, Immigration New Zealand may request the original passport.

Health

You must be in good health and provide:

• A chest X-ray.
• A medical examination.

Character

Applicants and included family members aged 17 or older must provide police certificates from:

• Every country of citizenship; and
• Any country where they stayed 12 months or more during the last 10 years.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when applying for residence.

If a police certificate is unavailable from your home country, provide statutory declarations in English and your own language, if applicable. They must explain attempts to obtain the certificate, disclose relevant convictions, and be supported by other character information.

Rights

You can:

• Live in New Zealand indefinitely.
• Work in any occupation for any employer.
• Study in New Zealand.
• Travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you like while travel conditions remain valid.

Travel Conditions

Travel conditions expire 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident.

After travel conditions expire, apply for either:

• A variation of travel conditions; or
• A Permanent Resident Visa.

Important: If you are outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire, your visa will also expire.

Your visa must be in a valid passport when travelling. If your passport expires, transfer the visa to a new passport before travel.

Application and Cost

The visa cost is NZD $0.

Application process information is shown after you provide your nationality on passport and country details.