A Parent Resident visa is a special visa that allows parents of New Zealand citizens or residents to live in New Zealand permanently. It’s meant to help parents join their adult children who are already settled in New Zealand. To qualify for this visa, parents need to meet certain criteria like having a child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, and meeting health and character requirements.
When applying for the visa, parents must demonstrate their relationship with their child, and also meet specific financial requirements, such as proving that their child can provide financial support and take care of them.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for an NZ Parent Resident Visa?
To apply for the NZ Parent and Resident category, you must fulfill the listed eligibility requirements:
- You must complete the form ‘Parent Category Expression of Interest’.
- You must be invited by Immigration New Zealand to apply for NZ Parent and Resident visa.
- You must be of good health.
- You must have a good character.
- You must be able to speak the English language.
- Your sponsor must be your child who is an NZ resident or citizen and lives in New Zealand.
- Your sponsor/s must have sufficient financial resources to sponsor you.
- You must be the parent or legal guardian of the child who is sponsoring you.
Who Else Can Apply for a Parent Resident Visa NZ?
The parents of children who are living in New Zealand, can apply for a Parent Resident Visa, as well as the grandparents, and legal guardians. The legal guardians will be considered as parents under the Parent category if:
- both parents of the adult child died before the child turned 18, and
- the legal guardian had custody of the adult child and the right to control the adult child’s
upbringing before the child turned 18.
An adult child’s grandparent and their partner will be considered parents under the Parent Category if both parents of the child are dead. Only one grandparent and their partner can apply for a Parent Resident visa.
Who Can Sponsor Me for a Parent Category Visa NZ?
To apply for an NZ Parent Resident visa, you must be sponsored by your child in New Zealand. Your sponsor for the Parent Resident category can be:
- Your adult child who is an NZ resident or citizen
- Your adult child and their partner together that must have been living together for a minimum of one year, or
- Your adult child and another adult child of a parent included in the application
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for a Sponsor of a Parent Resident Visa?
The adult child who will sponsor you to travel to New Zealand under the Parent Resident category must:
- be over the age of 18
- have been a New Zealand resident or citizen for at least three years before applying for residence
- be a regular resident in New Zealand that has spent a minimum of 184 days or more in each of the three years preceding the application, and
- ensure maintenance for you during the initial ten years of your residence in New Zealand. This includes finding appropriate accommodation, covering your health expenses, and arranging for deportation or repatriation if required. The income used for this purpose can be solely from your sponsor or sponsors, or they can combine their income with their partner’s or another sibling’s. The required income amount is determined by the New Zealand median income and increases by half the median wage for joint sponsors and for each additional parent.
- pay Inland Revenue tax statements as evidence of their income
What Are the Required Documents for an NZ Parent Resident Visa?
To apply successfully for a Parent Category visa NZ, you must prepare the following documents:
- Parent Category Expression of Interest Form
- Parent Category Residence Application
- Evidence of your identity
- Evidence of good health
- Police certificate
- Evidence you can speak English
- Evidence of your relationship with your partner
- Sponsorship Form for Residence
- Your child’s immigration status
- Evidence your child lives in New Zealand
- Evidence of your relationship with your child
Parent Category Expression of Interest Form
You must complete the Parent Category Expression of Interest Form. You will need to complete it truthfully by providing information about your:
- Character
- Family relationship
- Health
- Financial state
- Sponsorship
- English speaking ability
If your EOI meets the requirements, it will enter a ballot that will be selected every three months.
Parent Category Residence Application
If your EOI application is successful, you will be invited to apply for the Parent Residence Category. You must complete the Parent Category Residence Application. You must fill out every section of the form correctly.
Evidence of Your Identity
As evidence of your identity, you must provide:
- Two photos of your head and shoulders. The photos must meet the requirements of a New Zealand visa photo.
- Your passport or certificate of identity. Either the original or a certified copy.
- Your original or a certified copy of your full birth certificate. Your birth certificate must state your full name, date, and place of birth, and the full names of your parents.
Evidence of Good Health
Since you will stay for more than one year in New Zealand, you must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination to prove that you are not dangerous to New Zealand’s public health. You must provide evidence that you have completed the necessary examinations.
Police Certificate
You must provide a police certificate to prove that you are of good character. The certificate you provide must be from your home country and any other country where you stayed for more than one year. The police certificate must not be older than six months.
Evidence You Can Speak English
To apply for an NZ Parent Resident visa, you must submit documents to prove that you can speak English. You must provide one of the following:
- An acceptable English language test result. To see which test results are acceptable to apply for a Parent Resident visa, check here.
- A document that you have an English-speaking background.
- A document that you speak English for other reasons.
If you can’t speak English, you can pay Immigration New Zealand for English language lessons before you are approved for an NZ Parent Resident visa.
Evidence of Your Relationship with Your Partner
You must provide evidence of your partnership with the partner you are including in your Parent Resident visa. To prove that you are in a relationship, you must include the following documents:
- Certificates of your marriage or civil union
- Birth certificate of your children
- A joint rental agreement or home loan
- Joint bank accounts
- Proof you own assets jointly
- Joint credit cards or hire purchase agreements
- Joint utilities accounts (power or phone bills)
- Cards, letters, emails, and social media conversations
- Photos together, or
- Mail addressed to both of you
Your partner must also meet the eligibility requirements, just like you. If your partner can’t speak English, you can pay Immigration New Zealand English for language lessons before you are approved for an NZ Parent Resident visa.
Sponsorship Form for Residence
Your sponsor, your adult child that is a resident/citizen of New Zealand, must complete the sponsorship form ‘Sponsorship Form for Residence’. After they complete the sponsorship form, you must include it in your application together with the other documents.
Proof of Your Child’s Immigration Status
To prove that your sponsor is a citizen or resident of New Zealand, you can provide the listed documents:
- New Zealand passport
- New Zealand birth certificate
- New Zealand certificate of citizenship
- New Zealand Resident visa, or
- Australian passport
Evidence Your Child Lives in New Zealand
As proof that your child lives in New Zealand, you can provide the following documents:
- letters or bills addressed to them
- employment records
- records of benefit payments from Work and Income
- tax records from Inland Revenue
- mortgage or rental agreements
- documents showing their belongings have been moved to New Zealand
- any other documents that prove they live in New Zealand
Evidence of Your Relationship with Your Child
You must provide evidence that your sponsor is your child by providing:
- birth certificate
- adoption papers
- any other valid document that proves your relationship
If you are the grandparent or guardian of your sponsor, you must have certificates of their parent’s death.
- legal documents that state you are the child’s guardian
- documents showing the child lived with you after their parents died
- medical and school records showing you acted as a parent after your sponsoring child’s parents died
How to Apply for a Parent Resident Visa?
To apply for an NZ Parent Resident visa, you must first apply for an Expression of Interest.
How to Apply for an Expression of Interest?
Follow the process below to apply for an Expression of Interest form:
- You must complete the Expression of Interest form. You must complete the Parent Category Expression of Interest Form. You must provide all the required information in English by using capital letters.
- You must pay the EOI fee. You must pay NZD $550 for the EOI. You must complete section R of the form, providing your credit card details. You must pay by post using your Visa, MasterCard, or debit card.
- You must submit your application to INZ. You must send your application form and the correct fee to the postal address on the official website of Parent Resident Visa.
After your EOI is processed, Immigration New Zealand will invite you to apply for a Parent Resident NZ visa if your EOI application is successful. You have four months to apply after you receive your invitation.
How to Apply for a Paper Parent Resident Visa ?
To apply for an NZ Parent Resident visa, you must:
- Complete the application form Parent Category Residence. You must complete the form with the correct information. Make sure you attach the photos and fill out all the required fields. You must write your name on the back of photos before you attach them to the designated place.
- Get your sponsor/s to complete the sponsorship form. Your sponsor or sponsors must complete the sponsorship form so that you include it in your application.
- Pay the Parent Resident visa fee. You must pay the NZD $3,610 fee. You must complete section J of the form, providing your credit card details. You must pay by post using your Visa, MasterCard, or debit card.
- Submit the required documents. You must prepare all the documents needed to apply for a Parent Resident NZ visa. You must send your application forms, documents, application fee, and levy to the postal address available on the official website of Parent Resident Visa.
- Wait for a response. Once your visa application gets processed, you will receive a decision on your application. If your application is approved in principle, you may need to submit your passport.
What Are the Fees for a Parent Resident Visa?
You must pay the EOI fee first and then the Parent Resident visa fee if you receive an invitation to apply. You must pay the following fees to apply for a Parent Resident NZ visa:
| Expression of Interest | NZD $550 |
| Parent Resident Visa | NZD $3,610 |
What Is the Processing Time for a Parent Resident Visa?
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) submitted before 12 October 2022 will be considered for processing on 14 November 2022. The selection process for EOIs submitted after 12 October 2022 will begin in August 2023. Immigration New Zealand currently does not provide specific time frames for processing EOIs. They will provide time frames when they become available.
What Is the Parent Visa NZ Expression of Interest Selection Process?
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are divided into two pools:
- the Queued Pool contains EOIs accepted by INZ on 11 October 2022 or before
- the Ballot Pool contains EOIs accepted by INZ on 12 October 2022 or after
The EOIs for a Parent Resident NZ visa are selected as follows:
- The EOIs in the Queued Pool are selected based on the order they were received. The ones that have been in the Queued Pool the longest will be selected first.
- EOIs in the Ballot Pool are selected randomly, not in order.
What Are the Conditions of a Parent Resident Visa?
Once your Parent Resident NZ visa application is accepted, you must meet the following conditions:
- You must apply for entry permission at the New Zealand border by completing the arrival card you are given on your way.
- You can enter and leave New Zealand as often as you want for ten years.
- You can work any job you like for any employer in New Zealand.
- You can study in New Zealand.
- Your visa must be in a valid passport.
- Your sponsor must take care of you financially.
How Long Can I Stay with a Parent Resident Visa in New Zealand?
The Parent Resident Visa NZ allows you to stay indefinitely in New Zealand. You can enter and leave New Zealand as often as you want for ten years.
Can I Work on a Parents Resident Visa NZ?
You can work on a Parent Resident Visa in New Zealand. You can work for any employer in New Zealand.
Can I Study on an NZ Parents Resident Visa?
The Parent Resident NZ Visa allows you to study in New Zealand.
Can I Bring My Family on a Parents Resident Visa NZ?
The Parent Resident NZ Visa allows you to bring your partner to New Zealand. However, you can’t bring your dependent children with this visa. The partner you can bring is your:
- spouse
- civil union partner, or
- de facto partner
How Many Parent Resident Visas NZ Are Granted in a Year?
2500 NZ Parent Resident Visas are granted each year. If 2500 Parent Resident visas have already been granted when you apply, you won’t be granted one.