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The Government is expected to announce the future of New Zealand’s Parent Resident Visa programme by the end of next month, bringing hope to thousands of migrant families waiting to reunite with their parents.
A review of the Parent Category Resident Visa was due to be completed earlier this year. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford’s office has now confirmed that an announcement is expected before the end of August.
The biggest focus of the review is likely to be the current ballot system, which randomly selects applicants who can apply for one of the 2,500 parent resident visas available each year.
According to Immigration New Zealand (INZ), around 12,000 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) were submitted over the past two years, with about half of those applications coming from couples.
Calls to End the ‘Lucky Draw’
Many families believe the current ballot system is unfair because it relies on luck rather than waiting time. They want the Government to replace it with a queue-based system, where applications are processed in the order they are received.
There are also growing calls to review the financial requirements for sponsors. Currently, New Zealand citizens or residents who wish to sponsor one parent must earn at least $109,200 a year. Sponsoring two parents requires a combined annual income of at least $145,600.
The Parent Resident Visa reopened in 2022 under new rules, with an application fee of $5,810.
Duplicate Applications Cost Families Hundreds
Government briefing papers reveal that some families submitted more than one Expression of Interest in an attempt to improve their chances in the ballot.
However, once duplicate applications were identified, they were removed from the system, and applicants lost the $550 EOI fee.
Immigration New Zealand told Minister Stanford that 18 duplicate EOIs were found before the February 2025 ballot. Officials said applicants had been instructed to cancel any existing EOI before submitting a new one.
Across seven previous ballot rounds, 54 duplicate applications were declined without refunds.
Families Continue to Wait
Sophie Liu, who organised a petition signed by more than 11,400 people, has been waiting four years for her mother’s application to be selected.
She said the review has taken much longer than expected.
“From late February, when the Government received its initial advice, to the expected announcement at the end of August, it’s another six months of waiting. Families like ours are desperately hoping for a positive outcome,” she said.
Liu believes replacing the ballot with a queue system would solve many of the current problems.
“If applications were processed in order, people wouldn’t feel pressured to submit multiple EOIs or pay extra fees. The system would be fairer, more transparent, and much easier for families to understand.”
Parent Boost Visa Yet to Gain Popularity
The Government introduced the five-year Parent Boost Visitor Visa last year as an alternative for families unable to secure parent residency.
The visa allows parents of New Zealand citizens and residents to stay in New Zealand for five years and can be renewed for another five years. However, applicants must meet health requirements, maintain medical insurance, and leave New Zealand after three years for another health assessment.
Despite expectations of between 2,000 and 10,000 applications a year, uptake has been much lower.
Since the visa opened in September last year, Immigration New Zealand has made 1,132 decisions, approving 873 applications by the end of June.
One of the biggest barriers appears to be the cost of health insurance, which increases significantly with age. Annual premiums can reach around $6,000 for people aged 60-69, $9,600 for those aged 70-79, and as much as $14,000 for applicants aged 80 and over.
Because of these high costs, many families continue to rely on the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, which allows parents to spend up to 18 months over three years in New Zealand, with each visit limited to six months.
As thousands of families continue to wait for a decision, many are hoping the Government’s upcoming announcement will make it easier, fairer, and more predictable for parents to reunite permanently with their loved ones in New Zealand.