Parent category residence.
For parents who want to make New Zealand their home with support from an eligible adult child. Understand how sponsorship, income and the Expression of Interest process fit together.
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How does the parent category work?
The Parent Resident Visa is a family residence option for parents with an eligible adult child in New Zealand. It can allow you to live here indefinitely, but having a child in New Zealand does not automatically qualify you.
The category has separate requirements for you, your sponsor and the selection process. An eligible partner may be included, but you cannot apply under this category if you have dependent children.
Who can sponsor you?
Your sponsoring child must be at least 18 and meet the New Zealand citizenship or residence requirements. They must generally have held that status for at least three years and spent at least 184 days in New Zealand in each of the three years before your application.
Joint sponsorship may be available through your child and their partner, or through two eligible adult children. The relationship between the sponsors and the parents included in the application needs to fit the rules.
Before starting, establish who will sponsor each parent and whether either sponsor already has responsibilities for other parents. These details affect the income assessment.
How are Expressions of Interest selected?
You first submit an Expression of Interest, often called an EOI. This records your interest in applying; it is not a residence application or an approval.
The selection system changed on 5 October 2026. Approximately 90% of EOIs selected are taken in date order, with approximately 10% selected randomly. Selections are held four times a year.
The annual allocation is 2,500 people, rather than 2,500 EOIs. A couple included in one application uses two places. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee selection or a particular waiting time.
Under the revised system, EOIs can remain in the pool if applicants confirm their continued interest when required. Keep your contact details current and respond within the specified confirmation period.
What does sponsorship involve after approval?
Parent Category sponsorship is a ten-year commitment. It includes responsibilities for accommodation, maintenance and specified health, welfare and repatriation costs.
Discuss those responsibilities as a family before committing. Prepare a shared record of the proposed sponsors, their income periods, the parents included and the documents still needed. This makes it easier to identify a gap before an invitation arrives.
A Parent Resident Visa and a Permanent Resident Visa are different. Parent Category applicants generally become eligible to apply for permanent residence after the ten-year sponsorship period, subject to meeting the relevant requirements.
How does the sponsor income work?
Sponsors must meet the required income in at least two of the three years before your Expression of Interest is selected. A new salary alone may not establish eligibility: the assessment looks at the relevant income history.
For one sponsor, the threshold starts at 1.5 times the applicable median annual income for one parent. It increases by 0.5 times that income for each additional parent. For two sponsors, the starting threshold is twice the applicable median income for one parent, with the same increase for additional parents.
Joint sponsors must use the same qualifying income periods. The applicable historical thresholds and any existing parent sponsorships also need to be checked.
What happens after selection?
If invited, you submit a full residence application and supporting evidence. Selection does not remove the need to establish eligibility.
Applicants must meet health and character requirements. English requirements also apply, with an option to pre-purchase English language tuition where the rules allow. Family relationships and any included partnership must be documented.
Notes on this guide…
This guide explains the category in general terms. Immigration instructions can change; eligibility depends on the rules and circumstances applicable to your application.
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