Parent Resident Visa
This visa allows for a parent, grandparent or legal guardian of a New Zealand citizen or resident to live in New Zealand.
Submit EOI-
Length of stay
Live, work and study
indefinitely
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Cost
From
NZD $5810
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Visas available
Each year
2,500
To apply you must:
- be sponsored by your child or children who earn enough money and are permanent residents of New Zealand
- send us an expression of interest (EOI) — if it is selected by us, we will invite you to apply
- speak and understand English, or pay for lessons
- meet the other requirements of this visa.
This visa lets you:
- live, work and study in New Zealand
- include your partner in your visa application
- apply for permanent residence after having this visa for at least 10 years in a row.
This visa reopened on 12 October 2022 with changed requirements for sponsors. We started selecting expressions of interest (EOIs) again on 14 November 2022.
Grandparents and legal guardians may be able to apply for this visa.
You cannot apply for this visa if you have dependent children.
Applications are open
How long you can stay
A Parent Resident Visa lets you stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
After you have had this visa for 10 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa that lets you travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely.
Check the 'While you are in New Zealand' section for more information.
Who can apply
To apply for this visa, you must:
- have a child who can support your application, and is a New Zealand citizen or resident — if they have New Zealand residence through an Australian passport or an Australian residence or resident return visa, they must live in New Zealand
- submit an expression of interest (EOI) and if accepted, we invite you to apply
- be in good health
- be of good character
- speak and understand English, or pay for lessons.
You can check if your EOI was successful by using our tool.
Parent Resident Visa successful Expressions of Interest (EOIs)
Note
If you are invited to apply we will contact the email address you have provided. Ensure your details are up to date as we cannot resend invitations to apply once they have expired.
Your sponsoring child
You must have at least 1 adult child aged 18 or older who is eligible to sponsor you — they can sponsor you jointly with either their partner or an adult sibling.
Your sponsoring child can include:
- your natural child
- your adopted child
- your partner’s child, if you lived with them for most of their life and until they turned 18
- your grandchild
- a child you were the
of — this only applies if the child’s parents died and you became their legal guardian before they turned 18, and you were the child’s most recent legal guardian.
Documents that confirm you are the parent or legal guardian of your sponsoring child include:
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- adoption papers
- any other documents that confirm your relationship to each other.
If you are the grandparent or became the legal guardian of your sponsoring child after their parents died, you must provide original or certified copies of the parents’ death certificates. Legal guardians must also provide documents that show you had custody of the child and the right to bring them up until they turned 18, which can include:
- legal documents naming you as the child’s guardian
- documents showing the child lived with you after their parents died
- medical and school records showing you acted in the role of a parent after your sponsoring child’s parents died.
If you are invited to apply for residence, we will send you a 'Sponsorship Form for Residence' for your sponsoring child to complete.
Getting help to come to New Zealand on a Parent Resident Visa
Note
If you are the grandparent of a New Zealand citizen or resident, you may be considered for residence under the Parent Resident Visa if your grandchild’s parents died before the child turned 18.
Immigration status
Your sponsoring child must be a New Zealand citizen or resident and:
- be aged 18 or older
- have been a New Zealand citizen or resident for at least 3 years before you apply for residence
- live in New Zealand
- have spent 184 or more days in New Zealand in each of the 3 years before you apply for residence.
Your sponsoring child will need to provide their:
- New Zealand passport
- New Zealand birth certificate
- certificate of New Zealand citizenship, or
- New Zealand resident visa.
If your child has New Zealand residence because they are an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident, they must provide their:
- Australian passport
- Australian Permanent Resident Visa, or
- Australian Resident Return Visa.
Note
When applying for this visa the documents you submit must be originals or a
Alert
If your sponsor is a New Zealand resident, their visa must not have any extra conditions, called 'section 49 conditions' — these are listed on their eVisa and visa label.
Live in New Zealand
Your sponsoring child must live in New Zealand.
Documents to show they live in New Zealand can include:
- letters or bills addressed to them — for example, electricity or other utility bills
- tax records from Inland Revenue
- mortgage, tenancy or utility supply agreements.
Income
Your sponsoring child must earn enough money to sponsor you and:
- agree to meet your living costs for the first 10 years of your residence
- agree to cover the costs of sending you home, if necessary
- be able to give us Inland Revenue tax statements as evidence of their income.
Your sponsoring child can use their own income or, if they have a joint sponsor, combine it with their joint sponsor's income.
The amount your sponsors need to earn is based on the New Zealand median wage. It increases by half the
Getting help to come to New Zealand on a Parent Resident Visa
Health
You, and your partner if they are included in your application, must be in good health.
You, and your partner if included, must complete a chest X-ray and medical examination.
You do not need to get your X-ray and medical examination until we invite you to apply for residence.
If you have provided medical certificates to us before and those certificates were issued within the last 3 years, you may not need to provide them again.
Note
Evidence of a chest X-ray or medical examination must be less than 3 months old when we receive it.
Applicants from China, Hong Kong or Macao applying within China, Hong Kong or Macao
You must provide a chest X-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you have provided one to us previously, if:
- you have spent 6 months in a row in China since the last X-ray certificate was issued, and
- you are now coming to New Zealand for more than 6 months.
Character
You, and your partner if they are included in your application, must be of good character.
If you, and your partner if included, are aged 17 or older, you must provide police certificates that are less than 6 months old when you apply.
If you have a criminal conviction, or are a security risk to New Zealand, we might not give you a visa.
You do not need to get police certificates until we invite you to apply for residence.
You must get police certificates from:
- countries you are a citizen of, and
- countries where you have spent 12 months or more in over the last 10 years — even if those 12 months were not all in one stay.
Police certificates must show any criminal records you have had at any time in any of these countries — not only in the last 10 years.
If we ask for a new police certificate when processing your application, you will need to send us a new one.
Note
Your police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. Allow yourself enough time to get these certificates.
Partner
If you include your partner in your application, you must have a genuine relationship with them. You must provide evidence of your relationship.
Check what kind of evidence you need to provide.
Note
If your partner currently holds or has applied for a temporary entry visa based on their relationship with you, they must be included in your residence application.
English language
You, and your partner if included, must speak and understand English, or pay for classes to learn English in New Zealand.
The ways you, and your partner if included, can show us you speak and understand English are through:
- an English-speaking background, such as through citizenship, or working or studying in an English-speaking country
- English language tests
The results of your English language test must:
- meet the minimum score we set
- be no more than 2 years old when you apply.
If you, or your partner, do not speak English at the required level, you can agree to pay us for English language lessons before we give you a visa.
Find out about the requirements around citizenship, study and qualifications, the test results required, and how to buy English language lessons:
Documents you need
When you submit your expression of interest
When you submit your expression of interest you do not need to provide any documents, but you will need to provide details about how you, and your partner if included, meet the requirements.
When you apply for your resident visa
When you apply, you will need to provide:
- a copy of your passport or
— you can provide a , but it can prevent delays if you provide the original - 2 acceptable photos
- evidence of a chest X-ray
- evidence of a medical examination
- police certificates
- proof that your sponsoring child is a New Zealand citizen or resident, or an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident
- proof that your sponsoring child lives in New Zealand
- a Sponsorship Form for Residence, completed by your sponsoring child
- evidence you can speak English or have paid for English language lessons
- translated versions of all your documents if they are not in English.
If you are including your partner, provide:
- documents to show your relationship with them
- proof of their identity and acceptable photos
- police certificates, if required
- evidence of chest X-rays and medical examinations, if required
- evidence they can speak English or have paid for English language lessons.
You can provide household registration documents if these confirm your relationship to your child.
You must also provide a copy of your identity card.
If you are a citizen of Indonesia, you must also provide your
If you are not a French national, you must also provide a copy of your carte d’assuré.
You must also provide a copy of your livret de famille.
If you are not a French national, you must also provide a copy of your carte d’assuré.
After you apply
After you apply, we can contact you and ask for:
- your original passport or
- evidence of a medical examination or chest X-ray if you have not already provided these
- police certificates as proof of your good character
- any further information that we require.
How to apply
Follow these steps to complete your application.
Note
An application containing all the documents we need will prevent delays with processing.
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1
Step 1: Submit your expression of interest and pay the fee
Check the 'Who can apply' section to make sure you are eligible to submit a Parent Resident Visa expression of interest (EOI).
To submit an EOI online, log in to your account or set up an account if you do not have one already.
If you are applying for an EOI on paper, download and print the online form.
You can then fill in your EOI and pay the fee. If you have a partner, they must be included in your EOI.
Check the 'How to pay and submit' section for fees.
When you submit your EOI you do not need to provide any documents, but you will need to provide details about your:
- identity, character and health
- English-speaking ability
- family in and out of New Zealand
- partner, if you have one
- sponsor or sponsors, including their income.
Note
You do not need to provide any evidence until we invite you to apply for residence.
Our guide can help you complete your EOI.
Parent Resident Visa: Submit an EOI
Note
If applying online, you do not have to complete the form all at once. You can save what you have done at any time and come back later.
We cannot consider your EOI if you do not pay the fee within 7 days.
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Step 2: Check if you have an invitation to apply
After you submit your Expression of interest (EOI), if we decide it gives us all the information we need, we enter it into a ballot.
Every 3 months we select some EOIs from the ballot and invite those people to apply for residence.
Your EOI remains in the ballot for 2 years and then expires.
Parent Resident Visa expression of interest (EOI) selection process
If we invite you to apply, we will send you 2 forms:
- a 'Parent Category Residence Application' form for you to complete and provide evidence to support the claims you made in your EOI
- a 'Sponsorship Form for Residence' for your sponsoring child to complete.
You cannot apply online for this visa.
When we invite you to apply, you have 4 months to apply for a Parent Resident Visa from the date of your invitation.
Note
If you do not submit your application within 4 months, you must submit a new EOI.
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Step 3: Gather your documents if you are invited to apply
The section 'Who can apply' explains the requirements for this visa and what you will need as proof.
You can also check our Parent Category Guide for your application.
Note
To help prevent delays with processing, make sure your application contains all the required documents.
The documents you provide must be originals or certified copies. Providing the original documents can prevent delays.
Get documents translated
For your application you must provide original, or certified copies of English translations of any documents that are not in English.
Documents must be translated by someone who meets our requirements for providing English translations.
Organise proof of identity, citizenship and age
If you, or your partner if they are included, need a new passport, allow enough time to get it.
When you apply, make sure you enter your identity details exactly as they appear on your passport or certificate of identity.
If your legal name has changed since birth please provide official evidence of these changes.
Warning
If there are any mistakes in your identity details, your application may be delayed. We may also decline your application or refuse you entry to New Zealand.
Make sure your photos are acceptable for a New Zealand visa.
Organise proof of your relationship to your child and they can support you
Get documents that show you are the parent or legal guardian of your supporting child and proof of their identity, immigration status, place of residence and income.
Ask your supporting child for their completed and signed 'Sponsorship Form for Residence' with their supporting documents.
Organise proof for your partner, if required
If you are including your partner in your application, get documents that show your relationship with them and proof of their identity.
Book medical appointments
You will need to book your appointment for a chest X-ray and medical examination
To complete your application, you will need to provide the:
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reference code from the clinic submitting your health information - name of the clinic submitting your health information, if there is no eMedical reference code, or
- medical certificate, chest X-ray certificate, or both if the clinic gave these to you.
Note
Results of a chest X-ray or medical examination must be less than 3 months old when we receive them.
Apply for police certificates, if required
Check what you will need to include for this visa.
Character requirements for New Zealand visas
If you have determined you need police certificates, you will need to provide them with your application.
Use the tool to find out how to get police certificates from different countries.
How to get a police certificate
Providing English translations of supporting documents
Note
Your police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. Allow yourself enough time to get these certificates.
Organise evidence of English language ability
Organise evidence of citizenship, study and qualifications, or English language test results or paid English language lessons.
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Step 4: Complete the application form
Complete the 'Parent Category Residence Application' form and attach all supporting documents.
You can use the ‘Parent Category Guide’ to help you complete your application.
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Step 5: Submit your application and pay the fee
Check the 'How to pay and submit' section for fees and where to submit your application.
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Step 6: Wait for our decision
We will let you know if we need more information to process your application.
We will email you when we make a decision.
Check your application progress
Check the 'How to pay and submit' section for timeframes.
If we approve your application, we will give you an eVisa and email you a copy.
You, and your partner if included, must come to New Zealand within 12 months from when you get your visa.
Note
If you are already in New Zealand, you must have a valid visa. If you think your current visa may expire while you are waiting for our decision on your resident visa application, you should also apply for a temporary visa to work, study or visit.
When you apply for a temporary visa, we can give you an Interim Visa if your current visa expires while your application is being processed. This will let you stay in New Zealand lawfully.
Check the 'While you are in New Zealand' section to find out what you can and cannot do when you come to New Zealand.
How to pay and submit
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When you get your visa
You, and your partner if included, must come to New Zealand within 12 months from when you get your visa.
When you arrive
Entry requirements
As part of New Zealand’s entry requirements, everyone must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This form collects information about your travel, including customs, immigration, and biosecurity details.
When you can submit your NZTD depends on how you're travelling:
- By air: You can submit it from 24 hours before your journey begins.
- By sea: You can submit it from 24 hours before your ship leaves its last overseas port heading to New Zealand.
If you have a NZeTA, you can specify in your declaration that you are applying for a visa on arrival.
A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.
New Zealand Traveller Declaration
New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.
Alert
You can be refused entry permission if you:
- do not meet our character requirements
- have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
- refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan.
While you are in New Zealand
Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.
Your resident visa allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
Travel
With a Parent Resident Visa, you can travel in and out of New Zealand as many times as you like until your travel conditions expire.
Your travel conditions expire 10 years from:
- the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident
- the date your visa is issued, if you are already in New Zealand.
To travel after that, you need to:
- get a Permanent Resident Visa, or
- extend your travel conditions, which would let you return to New Zealand at a later date.
Check or change your resident visa conditions
With a Permanent Resident Visa, you can travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, as long as you keep your visa in a valid passport.
If your passport expires, you must apply to transfer your visa to a new passport before you can travel.
Transferring your visa to a new passport
Alert
If you are outside of New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.
Work
You can work in any role for any employer in New Zealand.
Study
You can study anywhere in New Zealand for any length of time.
Sponsorship
For 10 years after your resident visa is given, your sponsoring child must meet the following sponsorship obligations:
- provide suitable accommodation if you do not have your own place to live
- ensure your health and welfare needs are met
- pay any costs associated with your deportation and repatriation, if required.
Note
If Work and Income make welfare payments to you during this time, we may consider that your sponsor is not meeting their obligations to care for you.
If your sponsor does not meet their obligations, we may determine that you have breached your visa conditions and you will be made liable for deportation as a result.
Your sponsor may have to repay any money spent by the New Zealand Government or a third-party as a result of them not meeting their obligations.
Staying longer
Getting a Permanent Resident Visa
After you have had a Parent Resident Visa for 10 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
With a Permanent Resident Visa, you can travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, as long as you keep your visa in a valid passport.
Becoming a permanent resident of New Zealand
Getting citizenship
For most people, after 5 years of living in New Zealand as a resident, you may be able to get New Zealand citizenship. You do not need a Permanent Resident Visa first.
Any conditions on your resident visa must be met or cancelled before applying for New Zealand citizenship.