What is a Guardian Visa?
A Guardian Visa or 陪读签证 is a special multiple entry visitor visa category for the legal guardians of young foreign fee paying students. This visa category allows for one legal guardian per family to accompany the student visa holders of that family to New Zealand and to care for them on a day to day basis. Usually, the guardian visa will be for the same period as the student visa held by the student that the guardian will be accompanying.
For the purpose of this visa category, a ‘legal guardian’ is a person who has the legal right and responsibility to care for the student visa holder and is the person who actually provides the care for the student visa holder in their home country. This can include the student’s biological or adoptive parents, testamentary guardians, or court-appointed guardians. The holder of the student visa must also be either 17 years or younger, or enrolled in school years 1-13.
A guardian visa applicant must be of good health and good character, provide evidence of onward travel arrangements (or demonstrate sufficient funds for the purchase of onward travel tickets), and provide evidence of sufficient funds for maintenance and accommodation (at least NZ$1,000 per month or NZ$400 per month if accommodation has been prepaid).
Can I work or study while on a Guardian Visa?
Immigration New Zealand provides guardian visa holders with an option to carry out part-time study or part-time work between the hours of 9:30am and 2:30pm, from Monday to Friday. This is NOT an automatic right. A guardian visa holder must apply for a Variation of Conditions (this will include completing an application form, an application fee and also providing supporting evidence) before starting their new part-time job or study.
The immigration team at Sharp Tudhope understands that not all cases are straight forward, if you require assistance please feel free to contact our immigration team.