Can You Bring the Family: A Review of Current Immigration Trends in Family Immigration: New Zealand
1.0 Introduction
1.1 New Zealand has liberal policies relating to those who may be included as dependants in a primary application for residence. Over the last ten years, subsequent sponsorships for family members however, have become more restrictive, unless the applicants have the means to support themselves, or to make a sizeable investment. This is part of a shift away from humanitarian and family migration towards skilled and employment-based and investment-based immigration.
2.0 Dependants
2.1 A dependent partner must normally have lived with the principal applicant for 12 months or more. This includes de facto and same-sex partners. All children can be included as dependants up to the age of, and including the age of twenty-four (the application should be lodged before the dependent child’s twenty-fifth birthday). Between the ages of 18 and 24 (inclusive) however, the child must be “dependent” and evidence needs to be filed to support the fact that the person is either in education or is unemployed and is dependent on his or her parents. Where a child is in a de facto or marriage relationship or has a child of their own, they cannot be included.
3.0 Sponsorship of parents and other close family members
3.1 Siblings can no longer be sponsored for residence1 as was once permitted. Under the Skilled Migrant Category an extra ten points is allocated if there…
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