New Zealand Launches Parent Boost Visa for Extended Family Visits

Applications for New Zealand’s new Parent Boost Visitor Visa will commence on September 29, 2025. This initiative aims to allow parents of New Zealand citizens and residents to spend extended time with their families, offering a stay of up to five years. Eligible parents can leave and re-enter the country as often as they wish during this period. Additionally, a second five-year visa may be granted, allowing for a total potential stay of 10 years.

Immigration New Zealand has clarified that this visa does not provide a pathway to residency. Instead, its purpose is to foster family connections by enabling parents to spend significant time with their children. To qualify for the visa, several requirements must be met. Applicants must apply from outside New Zealand at both the time of application and when the visa is granted. They must also satisfy character and health requirements and be sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident.

To further establish eligibility, parents must demonstrate sufficient funds or income to support their stay, or they must meet sponsorship income requirements. Moreover, they are required to show genuine ties to their home country. Once an application is approved in principle, parents must provide evidence of 12 months of acceptable insurance coverage and sign a declaration confirming their understanding of the visa’s temporary nature.

Non-compliance with visa conditions could lead to cancellation or deportation, as stressed by Immigration New Zealand. Notably, applicants will not be eligible if they have dependent children. Parents must enter New Zealand within six months of the visa approval, and the five-year stay begins from the date of first arrival, not the approval date. Visa holders can leave and re-enter freely during the visa period, and parents and their partners are allowed to travel separately.

Between three and four years into their stay, visa holders must leave New Zealand to complete a compliance check. This involves obtaining a fresh medical certificate and showing proof that their insurance has been maintained without interruption. It is essential for all applicants to meet an acceptable health standard, as no medical waivers will be allowed. For the initial visa, medical certificates from the past 12 months may be reused, but for compliance checks and subsequent visas, certificates must be no older than three months.

Insurance coverage is mandatory and must be maintained throughout the stay. Following approval in principle, parents are required to purchase at least 12 months of insurance coverage upfront and provide evidence of this within three months. The insurance can be obtained from outside New Zealand, provided it meets official requirements. Minimum coverage must include:
– Emergency medical care: NZD $250,000 per year
– Cancer treatment: NZD $100,000 per year
– Repatriation: NZD $250,000
– Return of remains: NZD $50,000

Failure to maintain adequate insurance could result in visa cancellation, deportation, or ineligibility for future Parent Boost Visitor Visas or Parent Resident Visas.

Financial self-sufficiency is another critical requirement, which can be demonstrated through one of three pathways. The first option involves the sponsor’s income, where a single sponsor must earn at least the median wage to support one parent. Joint sponsors need a combined income of at least 1.5 times the median wage (approximately NZD $104,707.30). Each additional parent requires an income of 0.5 times the median wage (approximately NZD $34,902.40).

Alternatively, the parent can demonstrate ongoing income equivalent to the single rate of New Zealand Superannuation, which is approximately NZD $32,611.28 before tax for an individual, or NZD $49,552.88 for a couple. Lastly, parents may need to show available funds, with a single parent required to have at least NZD $160,000 in genuine assets, while couples must demonstrate at least NZD $250,000.

Sponsors must be adult children aged 18 or older who are New Zealand citizens or residents. Joint sponsorship is permitted and can involve various combinations, such as a child and their partner, or two siblings. Immigration New Zealand emphasizes the importance of sponsors in ensuring visa holders receive adequate support during their stay, thereby maintaining the sustainability of the program.

This new Parent Boost Visitor Visa reflects New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing family connections and facilitating meaningful time together, marking a significant development in the immigration landscape.