Understanding New Zealand’s Parent Resident Visa: A Pathway for Families to Reunite

News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/22nd July 2024

The Parent Resident Visa in New Zealand offers a unique opportunity for residents and citizens to sponsor their parents for permanent residency, thereby supporting skilled migration and family reunification. This visa allows parents to live permanently in New Zealand with their child, provided the child earns a sufficient income and agrees to be their sponsor.

The process for obtaining a Parent Resident Visa begins with submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI). If selected and meeting the necessary requirements, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) issues an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Only those who receive an ITA are eligible to apply for residence, and this must be done within four months. The cost of applying for this visa starts at NZD $3180.

INZ can approve up to 2,000 visas annually for individuals who submitted EOIs before October 10, 2022, when the selection process was restarted. These EOIs are processed in a queue, with the oldest submissions being selected first. For EOIs submitted on or after October 10, 2022, a maximum of 500 visas per year can be granted. These EOIs are placed in a ballot and selected randomly, with an expiration of two years from the date of submission.

Once all EOIs submitted before October 10, 2022, have been processed, the full annual quota of 2,500 visas will be available to those in the ballot.

For those who submitted an EOI before October 12, 2022, there is an option to withdraw or update their submission. The Parent Resident Visa program restarted on October 12, 2022, with updated requirements for sponsors. Sponsors must now earn 1.5 times the New Zealand median wage, with an additional half the median wage required for each joint sponsor or additional parent. Additionally, two adult children can now jointly sponsor a parent, rather than just an adult child and their partner. Other visa requirements remain unchanged.

When an EOI is selected, it is assessed against these new requirements. EOIs submitted since October 12, 2022, are placed into a ballot, with selections occurring every three months in February, May, August, and November, typically on the second Tuesday of the month. To be included in a selection, the EOI must be submitted by the last day of the preceding month. For instance, to be part of the August selection, the EOI must be submitted by July 31.

INZ selects enough EOIs to meet the annual quota of 500 visa approvals. Once selected, EOIs undergo a checking process, usually taking around two weeks. Applicants will then be either invited to apply for residence or informed if their EOI is declined. EOIs are eligible for selection from the ballot pool if submitted before the month of the draw.

It is also important to note that grandparents and legal guardians may apply for residence under this category, provided they do not have any dependent children. Additionally, parents and grandparents can apply for a Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, which is a three-year visa with multiple-entry travel conditions.

The Parent Resident Visa not only fosters family reunification but also aligns with New Zealand’s broader immigration goals by supporting skilled migration. The process, though complex, offers a structured pathway for parents wishing to join their families in New Zealand, ensuring that only those who meet the stringent requirements are granted residency.