There are four options for people living outside New Zealand with family connections in New Zealand. 
 

Partner

• Your partner is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and you are in a genuine and stable relationship (meaning it is exclusive, and you intend to stay together), having lived together for at least 12 months 
• You are both 18 years or older

To apply for entry to New Zealand as a partner, complete the form for partners supporting partnership-based temporary entry applications.

Note, under New Zealand law, same-sex couples are free to live together. Same-sex or different-sex couples may formalise the relationship under the provisions of the Civil Union Act 2004. Different-sex couples may marry (but bigamous and polygamous marriages are illegal.) De facto (common law) couples qualify for residence in the same manner as married or civil union couples, through satisfying Immigration New Zealand that their relationship is genuine and stable, and having lived together for at least 12 months.

Parent 

• You have an adult child 17 years or older who is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and has lived in New Zealand (as a resident/or citizen) for more than three years
• You have an equal number or greater number of your adult children living in New Zealand than in any other country
• Your adult child can support you (accommodation and board) for at least the first two years of your residence in New Zealand

To come to New Zealand under the parent category, you will need to apply for residence by completing the Application for Residence form.

Sibling and Adult Child

• You are at least 17 years old
• You have a parent, brother or sister living in New Zealand
• You have no other siblings or parents living in the same country in which you habitually, lawfully reside, AND you have an acceptable offer of employment in New Zealand

To come to New Zealand under the sibling or adult child category, you will need to apply for residence by completing the Application for Residence form.

Dependent Child

• You are the dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or resident
• You are 16 years or younger, single and financially dependent on an adult

To bring a dependent child to live in New Zealand, you can either apply for a visitor visa for the child for the period you will be here, up to two years, or apply for residence in New Zealand for the child by completing the Application for Residence form.

OR

• You are aged between 17 and 24, single, have no children of your own, and are financially dependent on an adult