Parent Boost Visitor Visa — FAQs

On 8 June 2025, the Government announced a new long-term visitor visa designed to help unite families and enhance New Zealand’s appeal to highly skilled migrants.

Applications open on 29 September 2025.

New 'Parent Boost' Visitor Visa to strengthen family connections

How do I apply?

You can apply online through the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website once applications open on 29 September 2025.

Is there an English language requirement?

No.

How much will the Parent Boost Visa cost?

The visa will cost NZD $3,000 for most applicants and NZD $2,450 for applicants eligible for the Pacific fee band. This includes both the immigration fee and levy. 

Applicants will also be required to pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZD $100.

There will be an ongoing requirement to maintain health insurance while onshore on a Parent Boost Visa. The cost of this will vary for applicants. 

How long will the application process take?

We estimate the majority of applications will be processed within 4 months. Timeframes will depend on the information and evidence provided, whether further assessment is required (for example where there are potential health issues), and demand for the visa. 

Due to the relative complexity of the requirements, these applications will take longer to assess than visitor visas.

What documents will be required?

Further information about the eligibility and application requirements will be available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website in August.

Can I re-enter the country multiple times on a Parent Boost Visa?

Yes, this is a multi-entry visitor visa. There is an expectation that parents will be coming and going from New Zealand over their visa period. 

Parents will be required to leave New Zealand during the third year of their visa for a further medical assessment to show they are still of an acceptable standard of health.

Can I apply / lodge expressions of interest for multiple visas at the same time – for example, Parent Boost, Parent Retirement, and Parent Resident?

Yes. Applying for or holding a Parent Boost Visa will not prevent anyone from submitting a visa application or having an active expression of interest. However, a person can only hold 1 visa at a time. 

For example, if a parent currently has a Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, they can apply for a Parent Boost Visa. When the Parent Boost Visa is granted the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa will be cancelled.

If I am the holder of a 3-year Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa and am coming to the end of my 18-month cap on the visa, can I apply for Parent Boost?

Yes, you can apply for a Parent Boost at any time but will need to do so from outside New Zealand. You should also be aware that if the Parent Boost Visa is granted before your existing visa expires, your existing visa will be cancelled as people cannot hold more than 1 visa at a time.

Do siblings qualify as joint sponsors?

Yes, people can sponsor jointly with either their partner or an adult sibling.

What financial information and evidence will Immigration New Zealand ask for?

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will assess the funds or income of sponsors or applicants to ensure parents are well cared for while visiting New Zealand. More detailed information about the evidence required will be on the INZ website in August.

Why was the median wage selected as the starting point?

Where a visa is granted based on the sponsor’s income, the sponsor needs to be in a financial position to support the parent/s in New Zealand and meet all their costs. As such, the was deemed to be the most appropriate starting point.

What if the person who wants to be a sponsor doesn’t earn median wage?

Applicants can choose only 1 of the 3 options for financial support:

1. sponsor income, or
2. parent income, or
3. parent assets.

If the sponsor does not earn the median wage or higher (or joint sponsors earn at least 1.5 x the median wage) then they can apply under the parent's income or parent’s assets categories. If none of the 3 can be met, then they will not be eligible for a Parent Boost Visa and will need to apply for a different visitor visa. 

Will the income requirement limit access?

The minimum income or fund requirement strikes a balance between ensuring sponsors or parents have sufficient financial means for support while also being accessible to a reasonable number of families. 

Not all migrants or parents will meet the Parent Boost requirements, but other existing pathways remain available. 

These include the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, the Visitor Visa, the Parent Resident Visa, and the Parent Retirement Resident Visa.

What can parents count towards the annual income requirement?

A range of income sources will be acceptable including pensions, earnings from rental properties, dividends from share portfolios, interest from investments, profits from company ownership, share market trading.

More information about the exact requirements will be available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website in August.

Will an overseas bank statement be sufficient proof of a parent’s assets?

Funds held offshore will likely be acceptable provided those funds can be accessed from New Zealand. 

More information about the exact requirements will be available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website in August.

Is parent income geographically constrained (only income earned in home country counts)?

No. Overseas income and assets overseas will count towards thresholds.

Does income have to be a regular stream for 5 years?

Where an application is being made based on a parents’ income Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will need to have confidence that the income stream will continue for 5 years.

More information on how this will be assessed will be available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website in August.

Will there be flexibility in how thresholds are applied, for example if parents just miss the income and savings thresholds?

There are 3 options for meeting the requirements – sponsor’s income, parent’s income, or parent’s assets. Applicants will need to nominate 1 of these.

Are income and savings thresholds in New Zealand dollars?

Yes.

How were income and savings thresholds set?

The income test for sponsors is based on median New Zealand wage. Income and savings thresholds for parents are based on New Zealand Superannuation.

Is the savings test one-off for 5 years?

Yes.

Will there be checks to avoid gaming, for example can applicants obtain a temporary bank loan to meet the NZD $160,000 savings threshold?

Funds must be genuinely available to the applicant for the duration of their visit to New Zealand, and appropriate checks will be in place to ensure funds are peoples’ own money.

What happens if a family can’t financially support their parents once they get here?

If a sponsor is unable to meet their obligations their parents visa could be cancelled, or they could be issued a deportation liability notice.

What health insurance will be required?

Insurance must include emergency care (minimum NZD $250,000 a year), repatriation, return of remains, and cancer treatment (minimum NZD $100,000 a year).

Do people have to have New Zealand health insurance, or can they use insurance from their own country?

Applicants can access insurances from domestic and offshore providers with experience in the health and/or travel insurance business and a credit rating of no lower than A (strong) or equivalent from an internationally recognised credit rating agency (for example, Standard and Poor's).

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will check any overseas insurer meets the credit rating.

How much will health insurance premiums cost?

Premiums will be set by the relevant insurance companies offering policies. As with all insurance premium levels will vary depending on age, health status and any other matters the company deems relevant. 

We have always been clear that health associated costs would need to be met. Our health system needs to be protected.

Like Canada and Australia, and for some existing visas in New Zealand, health insurance is a key requirement for certain visas where holders are not eligible for publicly funded healthcare.

How is the Acceptable Standard of Health test applied overseas?

As is currently the case, applicants who are outside New Zealand must complete a medical assessment with a New Zealand accredited panel physician. These medical tests are provided to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) electronically for assessment against relevant health requirements.

Why do people have to return to their home country as part of the mid-visa health check?

The Parent Boost Visa is a temporary visa, and it is important that visa holders retain ties to their home countries. 

Requiring parents to leave New Zealand part way through their visa to demonstrate they continue to have an acceptable standard of health maintains those connections.

Further information about these requirements will be available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website in August.

For the mid-visa health check, how long will the visa holder have to stay in their home country before returning?

They will be required to remain offshore until Immigration New Zealand (INZ) have confirmed that they continue to meet acceptable standard of health requirements. 

What happens if Parent Boost visa holders don’t continue to meet health requirements during their 5-year stay? Will they be deported?

Parent Boost Visa holders will be required to submit a new immigration medical from offshore in the third year of their Parent Boost Visa. 

If this medical demonstrates they no longer meet the Acceptable Standard of Health for the visa, their visa may be cancelled. 

If there are joint sponsors do both sponsors need to remain in New Zealand?

All sponsors need to continue to live in New Zealand to ensure they can meet their obligations and provide the support required. 

More information about the exact requirements will be made available in August.

What if there’s only 1 applicant to start with, then later down the years the applicant has a new partner, and wants to add his/her partner to the visa?

The new partner will need to have a sponsor who meets the requirements and apply for their own Parent Boost Visa (from offshore) 

Otherwise, the new partner could wait and be included in the application for the applicant’s second Parent Boost Visa.

Will Parent Boost Visa holders be able to work or study while in New Zealand?

As with other visitor visas, Parent Boost Visa holders may study for up to 3 months each year or undertake remote work (for an offshore employer). For more substantial work or study, they will need to apply for the appropriate visa.

Some parents who come to New Zealand on a Parent Boost Visa who are receiving income (either from remote work or from passive income sources) may trigger New Zealand tax obligations. 

For more information and to understand whether this will apply to you please visit the Inland Revenue website:

Tax residency status for individuals — Inland Revenue

Do Parent Boost Visa holders have to go offshore to renew their 5-year visa, and if so, why?

Yes, this is a multi-entry visitor visa. It is not a pathway to residence. Parents will need to demonstrate continued links to their home country. It is not uncommon to require applications from offshore as seen in Australia’s similar parent visa.

Why require 3 months offshore to renew a Parent Boost Visa?

This is a longer-duration visa, so we have additional checks to manage risks around overstaying. Parent Boost is not a pathway to New Zealand residence. Parents will be expected to maintain their connections and links in their home country.

What if visa holders don’t want to leave after 5 years, or can’t because of health reasons?

Parent Boost is a visitor visa, not a pathway to residence, and parents are expected to leave before it expires. People who remain in New Zealand after their visas expire are automatically liable for deportation.

If parents wish to live in New Zealand, they should consider submitting an expression of interest into the Parent Resident Visa Ballot or consider applying under the Parent Retirement Resident Visa if they meet the eligibility requirements. Residence health requirements would need to be met.

Will the policy be reviewed to make sure it is working?

Yes, Cabinet has agreed to a review in 2027.

Are grandparents eligible under this visa pathway?

As with the Parent Resident Visa, this visa is only available for parents of New Zealand citizens and residents except in some cases where the sponsor’s parents are deceased and grandparents who fill this role could be included. 

The Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa remains for New Zealand citizens and residents to support their grandparents to visit.

How does Parent Boost compare to the other existing parent visas?

The Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa allows parents to come to New Zealand for 18 months within a 3-year period for a maximum of 6 months at a time.

Parents may use the Visitor Visa for up to 9 months. For visa waiver countries, a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) allows visits for up to 3 months for most countries.

The Parent Resident Visa provides 2,500 places per annum for residence (through a ballot system).

The Parent Retirement Resident Visa provides residence to parents who will invest at least NZD $1 million in New Zealand bonds, shares or property (excluding their home) for at least 4 years.