Parent Visa
Home, is where your family is.
On this page:
- Which temporary visas are available
- Permanent visas and their requirements
- Which visa option is suitable for your situation
VISAS FOR PARENTS OF NEW ZEALANDERS
If your children have already moved to New Zealand, you may be able to apply for specific parent visas. Depending on which visa you choose, you can visit your children in New Zealand regularly, stay for extended periods, or even move to New Zealand yourself and live there permanently with your family.
For extended family visits, there are special visitor visas for parents and grandparents of New Zealand residents and citizens that come with longer validity periods. If you’d like to make New Zealand your home on a long-term basis, there are essentially two different resident visa categories available, each with its own set of requirements.
TEMPORARY PARENT VISAS FOR NEW ZEALAND
Not all parents want to move to New Zealand straight away – many first wish to spend regular time with their children or grandchildren. For this, New Zealand offers several temporary visa options that allow for longer or repeat stays.
Depending on your goals and how long you’d like to stay, the Parent Boost Visitor Visa or the Parent and Grandparent Multiple Entry Visitor Visa may be suitable.
- Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa
- Parent Boost Visitor Visa
Parent and Grandparent Multiple Entry Visitor Visa
Overview
The Parent and Grandparent Multiple Entry Visitor Visa is aimed at parents and grandparents of New Zealand residents and citizens. This visa is valid for three years and allows you to visit your children or grandchildren regularly over an extended period. You can stay in New Zealand for up to 6 months at a time, with a total maximum stay of 18 months within the three-year visa period.
WHAT THIS VISA ALLOWS:
- Multiple entries to New Zealand for up to 6 months at a time while the visa is valid
- Visits only – the visa does not grant work rights
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- Your child (sponsor) is a New Zealand resident or citizen
- You meet the character and health requirements
Parent Boost Visitor Visa
Overview
If regular visits are not enough and you would like to stay for longer than 6 months at a time, the Parent Boost Visitor Visa may be an option. It can be granted for up to 5 years and can be held twice, allowing for a total stay of up to 10 years. It can also serve as a transitional option towards a permanent stay under a parent resident visa, provided you meet the relevant criteria.
WHAT THIS VISA ALLOWS:
- Multiple entries to New Zealand while the visa is valid
- Visits only – the visa does not grant work rights
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- Your child (sponsor) is a New Zealand resident or citizen
- The sponsor or the parents must be able to demonstrate sufficient financial means
- You meet the character and health requirements
PERMANENT PARENT VISAS FOR NEW ZEALAND (RESIDENT VISAS)
Some parents don’t just want to visit – they want to make New Zealand their main home, close to their children and grandchildren.
There are two main pathways for this step: the Parent Category and the Parent Retirement Category.
Both lead to a permanent right to live in New Zealand, but they differ in their financial requirements. Under the Parent Category, the income of the sponsoring children in New Zealand is crucial, whereas the Parent Retirement Category focuses on the parents’ own income and assets.
- Parent Category
- Parent Retirement Category
Parent Category Resident Visa
Overview
The Parent Category allows parents of New Zealand residents and citizens to live with their family in New Zealand on a permanent basis. This visa enables New Zealand migrants to bring their parents over. In doing so, the New Zealand Government not only gives skilled migrants the opportunity to move to New Zealand themselves, but also creates an additional incentive to settle in the country long term.
Due to high demand, you must first submit an Expression of Interest. Only applicants who receive an invitation based on their Expression of Interest and the number of places available can then lodge a resident visa application. All Expressions of Interest form part of a pool from which, at regular intervals, applications are randomly selected until the annual quota of available places is reached. Unlike the Parent Retirement Category, you therefore cannot assume that you will actually receive a visa – even if you meet all the requirements.
WHAT THIS VISA ALLOWS:
- Live in New Zealand on a permanent basis
- Work in New Zealand without restriction
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- Your child (sponsor) is a New Zealand resident or citizen
- Your sponsor can demonstrate a specified minimum income
- You have at least basic English language skills (or you make an advance payment for an English language course in New Zealand)
- You meet the character and health requirements
Parent Retirement Category Visa
OVERVIEW
The Parent Retirement Category is an alternative to the Parent Category for obtaining permanent residence in New Zealand. For this visa, your child’s income as sponsor is not relevant. Instead, as the visa applicants, the parents themselves must demonstrate a specified minimum level of assets and income, as well as a willingness to invest part of their assets in New Zealand. A key advantage of this visa is that it is not subject to a ballot process. If you meet the requirements, the visa can be approved.
WHAT THIS VISA ALLOWS:
- Live in New Zealand on a permanent basis
- Work in New Zealand without restriction
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
- Your child (sponsor) is a New Zealand resident or citizen
- The parents have total assets of at least NZ$1.5 million (around €1 million)
- The applicants commit to investing at least NZ$1 million in approved investments in New Zealand for a period of 4 years
- The applicants have a minimum annual income (e.g. from pensions, rental income, interest, dividends) of at least NZ$60,000
- You meet the character and health requirements
- What rights do I have as a New Zealand Resident?
With a Resident Visa, you are allowed to live and work in New Zealand – in many ways similar to New Zealand citizens. However, a Resident Visa comes with travel conditions that limit your right to return to New Zealand to two years from the date of issue. During this two-year period, you can leave and re-enter the country as often as you like.
Once these travel conditions expire, you must either apply for a Permanent Resident Visa or extend your travel conditions if you wish to continue leaving and re-entering New Zealand, even though your visa itself remains valid while you stay in the country.
- From Residency to Permanent Residency
When the travel conditions on your Resident Visa have expired and you meet the relevant criteria, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. To do so, you must show that you have lived in New Zealand for at least two years and have made the country your main home, or that you have other strong ties – for example through the total time you have spent in New Zealand, your work, investments or business interests there.
A Permanent Resident Visa allows you to stay in New Zealand indefinitely without any travel conditions attached. You can leave and return to New Zealand at any time, even after a longer period overseas.
WHICH NEW ZEALAND VISA IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Parents have many different reasons for travelling to New Zealand – some simply want to visit their children regularly, while others are planning to stay for an extended period or move there permanently. Which visa category is right for you depends on your personal goals and circumstances:
Do you only want to visit your family regularly, live there for a limited time, or stay permanently?
Do you or your children meet the financial requirements for particular visa categories?
Can you imagine investing part of your assets in New Zealand for several years?
Are there any health issues that might prevent you from qualifying for a permanent visa?
These questions help determine which visa pathway best suits your situation. Some visas allow repeat visits over several years, others allow longer stays for a limited period – without automatically leading to a permanent right to live in New Zealand. Others again open the door to living with your children in New Zealand on a permanent basis.
Alternatives to Parent Visas
A parent visa is not always immediately available or the best fit for your current situation. In such cases, there are several alternatives that still allow you to spend valuable time with your family in New Zealand:
A standard Visitor Visa or an NZeTA allows you to visit your children and grandchildren for a limited period and enjoy time together – in some cases multiple times over several years.
If you are not yet of retirement age, a work visa may be an option to live in New Zealand for several years initially. This can also be a first step towards later meeting the requirements for a parent resident visa.
An investor visa, on the other hand, offers – if you meet the financial thresholds – an independent pathway to New Zealand residency, regardless of your children’s immigration status.
These options can help bridge the gap until you meet the criteria for a permanent parent visa or a long-term stay becomes possible via another route.
PARENT VISA ADVICE
Our consultation gives you a clear, realistic picture of which options are genuinely available to you – and which are not.
An experienced, licensed immigration adviser will guide you through the process step by step.
Let's stay in touch!
Would you like to receive regular updates about living and working in Australia and New Zealand? Simply subscribe to our newsletter.
Subscribe to our regular updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.