The first step to apply for residence under the Parent Category is to complete a Parent Category Expression of Interest Form (INZ 1202) PDF. You will need to submit this form with the fee of NZ$420 to:

Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 276118
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland
New Zealand

This Expression of Interest (EOI) form cannot be completed online. We also recommend that you read the Parent Category Guide (INZ 1207) PDF before submitting your EOI.

Important: Cash is not an acceptable method of fee payment. We can accept credit card and bank cheques.

In completing this form you will make declarations showing how you meet each of the criteria. You should not provide any documentation to support your claims at this stage. If your EOI is successful and you are invited to apply for residence then you will need to provide the documentation to support your claims with your application.

Once your EOI is received, it will be entered into the pool based on the tier you have applied under and the date it was accepted.

What happens if my situation changes?

If your situation changes you must inform INZ. This may result in you no longer meeting the requirements for the tier you originally applied under, but you may still be eligible under the other tier. If this is the case, your EOI will be entered into the alternative pool based on the date your original EOI was accepted.

What happens once my EOI is selected?

Once your EOI has been selected, it will be sent to your nearest INZ branch for an initial assessment. If you appear to meet the requirements for the tier you have applied under, you will be invited to apply for residence under the Parent Category. You must lodge an application within four months of being invited to apply. If you do not, the invitation will lapse.

Note that your application will be declined if INZ discovers that you have provided false or misleading information as part of your EOI or that you failed to advise INZ of a material change to your circumstances.

What do I need to provide with my application?

If your Expression of Interest is successful and you have been invited to apply for residence, you will need to provide: 

• Your completed Parent Category Residence Application (INZ 1206) PDF.
• Your updated original Parent Category Expression of Interest Form.
• Your  sponsor’s completed and signed Parent Category Sponsorship Form for Residence in New Zealand (INZ 1024) PDF [249KB].
• The application fee.
• Two recent passport-size photographs.
• A valid passport or certificate of identity.
• A completed General Medical Certificate PDF [474KB] and Chest X-ray Certificate PDF [134KB]. For full details on health requirements, see our guide Health Requirements PDF [70KB].
• A police certificate less than six months old for each applicant aged 17 years and over for their country of citizenship and each country they have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years.  
• A full birth certificate.
• Evidence that you and your partner (if included in your application) meet our partnership requirements.
• Evidence that you meet the requirements under Tier One or Tier Two.
• Evidence that you meet the English language requirements.
• Evidence of how long your sponsor has spent in New Zealand as a citizen and/or resident. 
• Evidence of your sponsor’s immigration status.
• Evidence of your relationship to your sponsor.

Your application must be sent to your nearest Immigration New Zealand branch.

Evidence of your relationship to your sponsor

We will need to see evidence to establish the relationship between you and your sponsor. This may include original or certified copies of: 

• birth certificates establishing the relationship 
• household registration documents, if these establish the relationship, or
• evidence of adoption which establishes the relationship. 

Other documents of evidence establishing your relationship may also be provided or may be requested by Immigration New Zealand.

If you are a grandparent/legal guardian

If you apply under the Parent Category as a grandparent or legal guardian, we need to see evidence that your sponsor’s parents are deceased. Acceptable evidence can include:

• original or certified copies of death certificates for both parents 
• where a death certificate is unobtainable, other documents or evidence which proves that the sponsor’s parents are deceased, and the date(s) of their death. A death certificate is considered to be obtainable even if there is a possible delay or expense in obtaining it.

Evidence of relationship to grandparent

If you are applying under the Parent Category as a grandparent, we need to see evidence of your relationship to your sponsor. Evidence to establish your relationship as grandparents can include:

• birth certificates for the sponsor and the sponsor’s parents establishing the relationship of the sponsor to the grandparent(s) 
• household registration documents, if these establish the relationship of the sponsor to the grandparent(s), or
• evidence of adoption which establishes the relationship of the sponsor to the grandparent(s).

Evidence of legal guardianship

If you apply under the Parent Category as a legal guardian, we need to see evidence of your relationship to your sponsor. Evidence of legal guardianship includes documents showing you had custody of the sponsor and the right to control the sponsor’s upbringing before the sponsor reached 18 years of age, for example:

• Legal documents (such as the sponsor’s parents’ will) showing that you were named as the guardian of the sponsor.
• A court order granting legal guardianship of the sponsor to you after the death of their parents and before the sponsor turned 18 years of age. 
• Documents showing that the sponsor lived with you after the death of their parents, and before the sponsor turned 18 years of age.
• Documents such as medical or school records showing that you acted in the role of parent for the sponsor after the death of their biological or adoptive parents, and before the sponsor turned 18 years of age.