Bringing your parents to New Zealand on the Parent Boost Visitor Visa

The Parent Boost Visitor Visa lets eligible parents of New Zealand citizens and residents stay in New Zealand for up to 5 years. They can leave and re-enter as many times as they want during that period, and there is an option to apply for a second 5-year visa. It is a visitor visa, not a pathway to residence. Parents must be sponsored by an adult child, meet health and character standards, meet one of three financial options, and hold acceptable insurance. This guide explains how the visa works, based on Immigration New Zealand information. Always check the current official requirements before applying. This is general guidance, not individual immigration advice.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says the Parent Boost Visitor Visa is designed to help parents of New Zealand citizens and residents spend extended time with their families. Eligible parents can stay for up to 5 years and leave and re-enter New Zealand as many times as they want in that time. There is an option to apply for a second 5-year visa, allowing a total stay of up to 10 years. INZ is clear that this visa is not a pathway to residence.

To apply, parents must be outside New Zealand both when they apply and when the visa is granted. They must meet character and health standards and be sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident. They must also meet the financial requirements and show that they are genuine visitors who will keep their links with their home country. Parents with any dependent children are not eligible. INZ says there is no English language requirement, and you apply online through the INZ website.

Sponsors must be adult children aged 18 or older who are New Zealand citizens or residents. Joint sponsorship is allowed: an adult child and their partner, two adult children who are siblings, or one adult child of the parent and one adult child of the parent's partner. INZ says all sponsors need to keep living in New Zealand so they can meet their obligations. If a sponsor cannot meet those obligations, the parent's visa could be cancelled or the parent could be made liable for deportation.

Applicants must choose one of three ways to show financial support: the sponsor's income, the parent's ongoing income, or the parent's available funds. The sponsor income test is based on the New Zealand median wage. The parent income and funds tests are based on New Zealand Superannuation rates. Overseas income and overseas assets can count towards the thresholds. Borrowed or gifted money cannot be used, because the funds must genuinely belong to the parents. The thresholds are set in New Zealand dollars. Check the current amounts on the INZ website before applying.

Acceptable insurance is mandatory. It must cover emergency medical care, cancer treatment, repatriation and return of remains, and it must be kept for the whole stay in New Zealand. If the application meets the criteria, INZ gives an approval in principle and asks for evidence of 12 months of acceptable insurance, bought upfront, within 3 months. Insurance from companies outside New Zealand can be accepted if the insurer and the policy meet INZ's requirements. Failing to keep acceptable insurance can lead to the visa being cancelled, liability for deportation, or ineligibility for a future Parent Boost Visitor Visa or Parent Resident Visa.

Once the visa is granted, parents must arrive in New Zealand within 6 months of approval. The 5-year stay starts from the date of first arrival, not the approval date, and parents and their partners can travel separately. After 3 years, but before 4 years, parents must leave New Zealand and complete a compliance check. This includes a new medical certificate and evidence that acceptable insurance has been kept while in New Zealand. INZ says medical waivers will not be considered.

While in New Zealand, Parent Boost Visa holders may study for up to 3 months each year or do remote work for an offshore employer. For more substantial work or study, they need to apply for the appropriate visa. INZ notes that some parents receiving remote-work or passive income may trigger New Zealand tax obligations, and points to Inland Revenue's guidance on tax residency.

If the Parent Boost requirements cannot be met, INZ lists other options: the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, the Visitor Visa, the Parent Resident Visa and the Parent Retirement Resident Visa. A person can hold only one visa at a time, so granting a Parent Boost Visa cancels an existing visa such as a Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa. Before applying, read INZ's announcement and FAQs and check the current requirements and fees on the INZ website.