V4.25 Requirement for sufficient funds

1. Applicant(s) must have funds that will be genuinely available to the applicant(s) for the duration of their visa.
2. Despite V2.20, applicant(s) must have one of the following:
   1. maintenance funds (see V4.25.1) of a minimum of:
      • NZ$160,000 for the principal applicant, if they are the sole applicant; or
      • NZ$250,000 for the principal applicant and their partner included in the application; or
   2. annual income (see V4.25.5) at the time of application of at least:
      • NZ$32,611.28 for the principal applicant, if they are the sole applicant; or
      • NZ$49,552.88 for the principal applicant and their partner included in the application; or
   3. a sponsor or joint sponsors who meets the relevant minimum income requirement for sponsors (see V4.25.15).

Note:
- The maintenance funds at (b)(i) above reflects five years New Zealand Superannuation as at 1 April 2025 (converted into an annual rate before tax and based on 26 fortnightly payments) rounded to the nearest $10,000.
- The annual income at (b)(ii) above reflects New Zealand Superannuation as at 1 April 2025. It is converted into an annual rate (before tax) based on 26 fortnightly payments.
- The maintenance funds and annual income set out at V4.25(b)(i) and (ii) will normally be updated in April each year.

V4.25.1 Maintenance funds

1. Funds may be owned either:
   1. solely by the principal applicant; or
   2. jointly by the principal applicant and partner who is included in the application.
2. The principal applicant may claim the full value of jointly owned funds for assessment purposes provided the principal applicant and partner are living together in a genuine and stable partnership (see E4.5.20 and E4.5.25).
3. If funds are owned jointly by the principal applicant and a person other than their partner who is included in the application, the principal applicant may only claim the value of that portion of the funds for which they provide evidence of ownership.
4. Evidence of maintenance funds may include:
   1. funds held in a New Zealand bank account(s); and/or
   2. funds held in an offshore bank account(s), together with evidence that the funds can be accessed from New Zealand.
5. Funds cannot be borrowed or gifted and must be unencumbered.
6. Funds are unencumbered if they are not subject to any mortgage, lien, charge, set off and/or encumbrance (whether equitable or otherwise) or any secured creditor claims.
7. Funds will not be considered to be genuinely available to the applicant(s) if an immigration officer has reason to believe that the applicant(s) is under an obligation that would prevent them from keeping the funds (for example, if they received the funds with the expectation that they will pay it back) or that the funds cannot be accessed by the applicants to maintain themselves throughout the duration of the Parent Boost visitor visa.

V4.25.5 Annual income

1. Annual income can either be earned:
   1. solely by the principal applicant; or
   2. be a combined income of the principal applicant and their partner who is included in the application.
2. Applicants must:
   1. meet the annual income for the 12-month period immediately prior to the lodging of the Parent Boost visitor visa application; and
   2. demonstrate that the annual income will be ongoing.
3. Annual income may include, but is not limited to:
   1. pensions;
   2. earnings from rental properties;
   3. dividends from share portfolios;
   4. interest from investments;
   5. profits from company ownership;
   6. share market trading.

      Note: A combination of sources can be submitted to meet the annual income requirement.

4. Annual income means gross income except where expenses must first be deducted (such as, but not limited to, earnings from rental properties), in which case the annual net income will be considered.
5. Annual income will not be considered to be funds genuinely available to the applicant(s) if an immigration officer has reason to believe the source of income will not continue to provide an income to the applicants for the duration of Parent Boost visitor visa (for example, if at the time of the application an investment has been recently sold).

V4.25.10 Evidence of maintenance funds and annual income

1. All documents provided as evidence to meet the requirements of maintenance funds or annual income must be:
   1. produced by an external and reputable agency or employer; and
   2. credible, as determined by an immigration officer.

V4.25.15 Minimum income requirements for sponsors

1. The sponsor or joint sponsors must:
   1. have total income that meets the minimum income threshold set out at V4.25.15.1; and
   2. meet the minimum income threshold for each of the two completed tax year periods within the three completed tax years (1 April to 31 March) immediately prior to the lodging of the Parent Boost visitor visa application.
2. The calculation of the minimum income threshold will consider any parents currently sponsored by the sponsors, as set out at V4.25.15.10 if the sufficient funds requirement at V4.25(b) is met through sponsor income.
3. If there are joint sponsors, the two completed tax years must be the same for both sponsors.
4. Despite (a)(ii) and (c) above, where a sponsor cannot meet the minimum income threshold (see V4.25.15.1) because they have been on parental leave during any of the completed tax years (see (a)(ii) above), the sponsor may instead provide evidence of:
   1. parental leave, including dates (such as the letter from the employer confirming parental leave arrangements); and
   2. current income to demonstrate they meet the minimum income threshold (see V4.25.15.1), including:
      • an employment agreement which sets out the salary or hourly rate and weekly hours to be worked; and
      • a letter from their employer confirming the date they returned to employment from parental leave.
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 E4.5.5); and
   3. they meet the requirements for the recognition of a partnership set out at E4.5.15.

V4.25.15.1 Minimum income thresholds

1. The minimum income threshold for sponsors under the Parent Boost visitor visa instructions is based on the following and is set out in the table at (b) below:
   1. 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:

   	Number of Parents
   	1	2	3	4	5	6
   Single Sponsor	$69,804.80	$104,707.20	$139,609.60	$174,512.00	$209,414.40	$244,316.80
   Joint Sponsors	$104,707.20	$139,609.60	$174,512.00	$209,414.40	$244,316.80	$279,291.20

3. The income threshold required to be met for each completed tax year is calculated based on the median income that is in effect at the time the application was lodged, according to the tables above.

   Note:
   - The median income for each year is based on the median hourly earnings from wages and salaries released periodically by Statistics New Zealand. It is converted into an annual rate based on a 40-hour working week.
   - The median income salary of $69,804.80 for sponsors under the Parent Boost visitor visa reflects the June 2024 quarter publication of median wage data by Statistics New Zealand.
   - The median income as set out at V4.25.15.1(b) will normally be updated in April each year.

V4.25.15.5 Evidential requirements for sponsor’s income

1. Only taxable income that is recorded and confirmed by New Zealand’s Inland Revenue will be considered when calculating a sponsor’s income, unless V4.25.15(d) applies.
2. 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).
3. Income tax statements submitted may be verified with the Inland Revenue Department.

V4.25.15.10 How to calculate the number of people being sponsored

The total number of parents being sponsored includes:

1. any person and their partner who:
   1. has been sponsored in an earlier Parent Boost visitor visa application by a sponsor recorded in the current visa application; and
   2. is still being sponsored by that same sponsor within the required sponsorship period (E6.15 (d)); and
2. any person and their partner who is included in a current Parent Boost visitor visa application.

Effective 29/09/2025