Requirements and Eligibility Criteria for the Parent Category Residence Visa in New Zealand

The parent category residence visa is an opportunity for families to reunite. This visa lets New Zealand residents or citizens to sponsor their parents, allowing them to move to New Zealand.

What To Know About the Parent Residence Visa

This residence visa allows visa holders to stay in Aotearoa indefinitely. Every year, 2500 applicants can become New Zealand residents using this pathway. Visa holders can live, work and study in New Zealand and can include their partners if their partners also meet the visa requirements. 

This visa has a two-stage application process. Applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest or EOI. The EOI will be entered with EOIs from other applicants and will be selected through a ballot process. If your Expression of Interest is selected and it meets the requirements, an official Invitation to Apply will be extended to you by Immigration New Zealand. 

The Eligibility Requirements for The Parent Residence Visa

You must meet the criteria if you want to be granted a parent residence visa. You can improve your chances of success by meeting all requirements, providing accurate documents, filling out your application properly and working with an experienced immigration consultant who can offer you personalised support. 

Remember that mistakes can delay your application process and even potentially cause your application to be declined. Work with your immigration consultant so you are fully informed about your opportunities and what you need to do.

Are you eligible for a parent category residence visa? Here are the criteria that you will need to meet. 

Submitting Your Expression of Interest and Receiving your Invitation

The first step in the process is to submit your Expression of Interest. Work with your immigration adviser so you can complete this step correctly and submit it to the right place. Your Expression of Interest should contain information about your identity, character, health, family, partner, sponsor, etc. 

After it is submitted, you just need to wait for it to be selected. EOIs will be selected every three months. If your EOI is not selected, it will remain on the ballot until it is selected or until it expires in two years. 

If your EOI is selected and meets all requirements, then an official Invitation to Apply will be extended to you from INZ. Only then can you submit your actual visa application. 

Your Relationship with Your Sponsoring Child

You must be the parent or legal guardian of your sponsoring child. In addition to parents, grandparents may also be eligible.

For your family, you may be able to bring your partner along if they also meet all eligibility criteria. You cannot have dependent children. If you have dependent children, you are not eligible for this visa category.

Your sponsoring child must:

• Be an adult. They must be 18 years old or older.
• Be a New Zealand citizen or resident. They must have been a New Zealand citizen or resident for the last three years. They must have spent 184 days or more in NZ in each of these three years.
• Live in New Zealand. Your sponsoring child must currently live in Aotearoa. 
• Meet the income threshold to support their parents. Your sponsor can use their own income and combine it with their partner’s income or the income of another adult sibling. You can have up to two joint sponsors for this visa. 
• Agree to sponsor you financially. Your sponsoring child must cover your living costs or agree to cover the costs of sending you home if necessary. 

Meeting The Health, Character, and Language Requirements

You must be able to prove that you are who you are, you are in good health, you have good character and that you meet the language requirements.

• Your identity. You need proof of your identity. Your identity can be proven with two acceptable photos of yourself or your passport or certificate of identity.
• Good health. You can use a chest x-ray and a medical examination to prove your health status.
• Good character. Good character can be proven with police certificates. 
• English language requirement. You must meet the English language requirement. You can prove this with an English language test result, evidence that you have an English-speaking background or through other means. 

Joining Your Child In New Zealand With the Parent Category Residence Visa

This visa pathway is a wonderful way for families to reunite and enjoy the wonders of New Zealand. If you are interested, we welcome you to contact us at Auckland South Immigration Consultants. We understand that the visa process can be complex, but we also know that it can be life changing.

Let us help. Call us on 0800168472 or get started by sending us a message online.

At Auckland South Immigration Consultants, we will do everything we can to ensure your success.