F4.35 Sponsorship Requirements

F4.35.1 General Requirements

1. A sponsor or sponsors on a Parent Category application must be:
   1. the adult child of the principal applicant; or
   2. the adult child of the principal applicant and that adult child’s partner (joint sponsorship); or
   3. the adult child of the principal applicant and one other adult child of either applicant included in the application (joint sponsorship).
2. Each sponsor must:
   1. meet the requirements to be an acceptable sponsor as set out at R4.5; and
   2. meet the relevant minimum income requirement for sponsors outlined at F4.35.5; and
   3. agree to meet the undertakings set out at R4.10 for the required sponsorship period (see (c) below); and
   4. must not be a dependent child (see F4.20.10).
3. The sponsor(s) must sponsor the applicant or applicants for a sponsorship period of 10 years.
4. A maximum of two people can act as sponsors in a Parent Category application.
5. A sponsor can sponsor a maximum of six parents.

F4.35.5 Minimum income requirement for sponsors

1. The sponsor or joint sponsors must:
   1. have total income that meets the minimum income threshold set out at F4.35.5.1; and
   2. meet that income threshold for two 12-month periods within the 3 years prior to their EOI being selected (as set out at F4.35.5.1); and
   3. demonstrate that income through the evidential requirements set out at (F4.35.5.10).
2. The calculation of the minimum income threshold will consider any parents currently sponsored by the sponsors, as set out at F4.35.5.15.
3. The two 12-month periods may not overlap.
4. If there are joint sponsors, the 12-month periods must be the same for both sponsors.
5. The income of a sponsoring adult child’s partner may only be considered if:
   1. the partner is acting as a joint sponsor; and
   2. the partner has been living with the sponsoring adult child for a period of at least 12 months in a partnership that is genuine and stable (see F2.10.1); and
   3. they meet the requirements for the recognition of a partnership set out at F2.15.

F4.35.5.1 Minimum income thresholds

1. The minimum income threshold for sponsors under the Parent Category is based on the following and is set out in the tables at (b) and (c) below:
   1. 1.5 times the median income if sponsoring a single parent; and
   2. an additional 0.5 times the median income for each additional parent sponsored; and
   3. an additional 0.5 times the median income (combined) if two people are acting as sponsors.
2. Minimum income thresholds for one sponsor:

   	Number of Parents
   Effective date	Median income	1	2	3	4	5	6
   28 February 2024 onwards	$65,748.80	$98,623.20	$131,497.60	$164,732	$197,246.40	$230,120.80	$262,995.20
   1 May 2023 to 27 February 2024	$61,692.80	$92,539.20	$123,385.60	$154,232	$185,078.40	$215,924.80	$246,771.20
   1 January 2022 to 30 April 2023	$57,740.80	$86,611.20	$115,481.60	$144,352	$173,222.40	$ 202,092.80	$230,963.20
   1 January to 31 December 2021	$56,160.00	$ 84,240	$ 112,320	$ 140,400	$ 168,480	$ 196,560	$224,640
   1 January to 31 December 2020	$53,040.00	$ 79,560	$ 106,080	$ 132,600	$ 159,120	$ 185,640	$ 212,160

3. Minimum income thresholds for two (joint) sponsors:

   	Number of Parents
   Effective date	Median income	1	2	3	4	5	6
   28 February 2024 onwards	$65,748.80	$131,497.60	$164,732	$197,246.40	$230,120.80	$262,995.20	$295,869.60
   1 May 2023 to 27 February 2024	$61,692.80	$123,385.60	$154,232	$185,078.40	$215,924.80	$246,771.20	$277,617.60
   1 January 2022 to 30 April 2023	$57,740.80	$115,481.60	$144,352	$173,222.40	$202,092.80	$230,963.20	$259,833.60
   1 January to 31 December 2021	$56,160.00	$ 112,320	$ 140,400	$ 168,480	$ 196,560	$ 224,640	$252,720
   1 January to 31 December 2020	$53,040.00	$106,080	$132,600	$159,120	$185,640	$212,160	$238,680

4. The income threshold required to be met for each 12-month period is calculated based on the median income that is in effect at the end of each 12-month period the sponsor is providing evidence for, according to the tables above.
5. The median income for each year is based on the median hourly earnings from wages and salaries for the June quarter in the previous year released periodically by Statistics New Zealand. It is converted into an annual rate based on a 40-hour working week.

   Note: The median income salary of $65,748.80 for sponsors under the Parent Category resident visa (F4.35.5.1) reflects the June 2023 quarter publication of median wage data by Statistics New Zealand.

F4.35.5.10 Evidential requirements for sponsor’s income

1. Only taxable income that is recorded on New Zealand’s Inland Revenue tax statements (Summary of Income) of the sponsor(s) will be recognised when calculating a sponsor’s income.
2. For self-employed sponsors, only taxable income recorded on the New Zealand’s Inland Revenue Final Tax Summary at the end of the three most recent financial years will be considered when calculating a sponsor's income.
3. Income earned by another legal entity, such as a company or a trust, cannot be included unless it has been paid directly to the sponsor in the form of shareholder-employee salary or dividends, or is income derived from the trust. This income must appear on the Inland Revenue tax statements of the sponsor(s).
4. All sponsors whose income is considered when meeting the minimum income threshold must meet the evidential requirements set out above.

F4.35.5.15 How to calculate the number of people being sponsored

1. The total number of parents being sponsored includes:
   1. any person and their partner who:
      • has been sponsored in an earlier Parent Category resident visa application by a sponsor in the current visa application; and
      • is still being sponsored within the required sponsorship period; and
   2. any person and their partner who is included in the current Parent Category resident visa application.

Note: Where a partner’s income was used in support of an application processed using Parent Category instructions in place before 7 October 2019, but that partner did not act as a sponsor, this is not considered ‘sponsorship’ for the purposes of these instructions.

Effective 28/02/2024