New Zealand Residence Visa Parent Resident Visa

Eligibility requirements for you

• You must meet health and character requirements.
• You must have basic English language skill.
• Your sponsoring child must have enough income to sponsor you.
• You must have an adult child who is eligible to sponsor you.
• Your sponsoring child must be a New Zealand citizen or resident.
• Your sponsoring child must be living in New Zealand.
• You must be the parent or legal guardian of the sponsoring child.

Eligibility requirements for your Sponsor

To be eligible, your sponsoring child must be:

• be 18 or over
• have been a New Zealand citizen or resident for at least 3 years before you apply for residence
• Living in New Zealand
• have spent 184 or more days in New Zealand in each of the 3 years before you apply for residence
• ready to meet your living costs for the first 10 years of your residence, if you’re not able to
• ready to cover the costs of sending you home, if required

Sponsor Child’s income

The sponsor child’s income must be based on the New Zealand median income for 2 out of the 3 years before the applicant proceeded for application submission. The median earning is modified each year, so the amount the sponsor will need to earn may change.

Stage 1

Expression of Interest

Step 1 – Expression of Interest

You must complete and send a ‘Parent Category Expression of Interest form’ together with your application fee.

Step 2 – Invitation to apply for residence

If Immigration New Zealand selects your EOI, you may be invited you to apply for residence.

Stage 2

Step 1 – Residence Application

You must complete and sign a ‘Parent Category Residence Application’. You will need to send it to Immigration New Zealand with your application fee, immigration levy and supporting documents, including your sponsor child’s completed ‘Sponsorship Form for Residence’.

Step 2 – Decision about your application

You will need to wait for a decision. If there is anything else you need to do, Immigration New Zealand will be in touch.

Applicant’s Documents

• Application Form
• Birth certificate(s) (for all applicants)
• Marriage certificate(s) (if applicable)
• Police certificates for all applicants – the certificates should be no more than six months old when lodged
• Medical and X-ray certificates for all applicants – the certificates should be no more than
• Three months old when lodged
• Evidence of English language ability for all applicants
• Evidence of your relationship with your sponsor
• Inland Revenue tax statements for your sponsor/s to show their income, and
• Other documentation as specified by INZ in your Invitation to Apply

Sponsor’s Documents

• A valid New Zealand passport
• A Certificate of New Zealand Citizenship
• A recent official statement confirming their citizenship from the Department of Internal Affairs
• Evidence your adult child is a New Zealand residence class visa holder can include an original or certified copy of:
• A current New Zealand residence class visa in their passport or travel document, or
• A valid Australian passport.

You must also provide evidence your adult child and their partner are actually residing in New Zealand. Acceptable evidence includes:

• Correspondence (including post-marked envelopes) addressed to you from New Zealand
• Employment references
• Rates demands
• Income tax returns
• Mortgage documents
• Documents showing household effects have been moved to New Zealand, and
• Any other documents or evidence that proves they are actually living in New Zealand

State 1 Application cost: NZD$ 490

Stage 2 Application cost: NZD$ 2,250

This is the charge for Immigration New Zealand to process your application. We do not refund application costs if we decline your application. A non-refundable immigration levy is charged and is included in the cost.