New Zealand is launching a new Parent Boost Visitor Visa for the benefit of the immigrant population in the country. Sponsorship is a crucial element of the Parent Boost Visitor Visa program. Eligible sponsors must be adult children, aged 18 or older, who hold New Zealand citizenship or residency. The program also permits joint sponsorship among eligible individuals.
This visa does not lead to permanent residence, but it allows parents to visit their children temporarily and provides a considerable opportunity for families to spend lengthy periods of time together.
To enable parents of citizens and residents of New Zealand to spend more time with their families, the country is introducing a new Parent Boost Visitor Visa. Applications for the new Parent Boost Visitor Visa will be accepted starting on September 29, 2025.
The Parent Boost Visitor Visa permits qualifying parents to stay in New Zealand for up to five years and leave and return as many times as they wish during that time. There is also the option of applying for a second 5-year visa, which allows for a maximum stay of ten years.
Eligibility and Application
To apply, you must:
- Be outside New Zealand when applying and when the visa is granted
- Meet character and health standards
- Be sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident
- Demonstrate you have sufficient funds or income to support your stay or that your sponsor or sponsors
meet income requirements - Show that you are a genuine visitor who will retain links with your home country.
If parents meet the criteria to be approved, they will receive an approval in principle and be asked to provide evidence of 12 months’ worth of acceptable insurance.
They will also need to sign a declaration confirming that they understand the Parent Boost Visitor Visa is for a temporary stay only, and they need to follow all visa conditions and leave New Zealand before it expires, and if they or their sponsor does not comply, their visa could be cancelled and they may face deportation.
To be eligible for the Parent Boost Visitor Visa, you must not have any dependent children. Once your visa is granted:
- You must arrive in New Zealand within 6 months of the visa being approved
- Your 5-year stay begins from the date of first arrival, not the approval date
- You can leave and re-enter New Zealand freely during the visa period
- Parents and their partners can travel separately
After 3 years (but before 4 years), parents will need to leave New Zealand and complete a compliance check, which includes submitting a new medical certificate and providing evidence that acceptable insurance has been maintained while they have been in New Zealand.
This check confirms you are still meeting the visa conditions, including health requirements.
Health and Medical Requirements
Insurance is required to be maintained for the entire duration of a stay in New Zealand. A 12-month insurance policy must be purchased upfront after receiving an approval in principle.
Evidence of this insurance must be submitted within 3 months after the visa approval in principle, as requested by Immigration New Zealand at that time. Insurance from companies outside of New Zealand will be accepted so long as it is provided by an acceptable insurer and meets the requirements.
Applicants must meet an acceptable standard of health. This ensures visa holders do not place undue pressure on New Zealand’s health system.
For the initial visa application, medical certificates from the previous 12 months may be utilized, provided they adhere to the stipulated standards. For the mid-visa check and the second visa application, fresh medical certificates must be submitted, and these should be no older than 3 months. Additionally, medical waivers will not be accepted, necessitating that applicants satisfy the health standards to qualify.
Financial Support
The Sponsors i.e. children, need to be earning a sufficient amount to support their parents in New Zealand. These funds must be sufficient to support the parents for the entire duration of their visa. Borrowed or gifted money cannot be used — the funds must genuinely belong to the parents.
To demonstrate financial self-sufficiency for the visa, you must meet 1 of the following criteria.
A single sponsor must earn at least the median wage to support 1 parent.
If there are joint sponsors, their combined income must be at least 1.5 times the median wage to support 1 parent (currently NZD $104,707.20).
For each additional parent, the required income increases by 0.5 times the median wage (an additional NZD $34,902.40 for each parent).
A single parent must have a regular income that aligns with the single rate of New Zealand Superannuation, which is currently NZD $32,611.28 a year before tax.
A couple must have a combined income that matches the couple rate of New Zealand Superannuation, which is currently NZD $49,552.88 a year before tax.
A single parent must have at least NZD $160,000 in available funds.
A couple must have at least NZD $250,000 in available funds.