Parent Resident Visa for New Zealand Immigration

• You can enter your partner in the residence application.
• Due to the prevalence of COVID-19, the expression of interest has been suspended until further notice.
• If you have a dependent child, you are not eligible for this visa.
• Grandparents and legal guardians can also come to New Zealand under this visa.
• Note that the visa must be in a valid passport. If your passport expires, you must renew it immediately and then:
• Send an old and new passport to New Zealand Immigration.
• Pay the visa transfer fee.
• Complete the Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa.

What are the requirements for obtaining this visa?

• You need an Expression of Interest to get this visa. You must first complete the Parent Category Expression of Interest Form. This form is about the following:
• Identity information, character and health requirements
• Ability to speak English (If you cannot speak English, you must declare that you will take language classes after your visa application is approved)
• Your family
• Your partner (if you have one)
• Information about your sponsor, including income

You will not need to provide evidence for the items you enter in the expression of interest. Note that if your EOI meets the essential requirements, it will enter the selection pool. For information on how to complete your EOI, you can download the Parent Category Guide from the New Zealand Immigration website.

• You must be invited to apply for residency. First, your expression of interest must be selected from the selection pool. New Zealand Immigration then invites you to apply. At this step, you need to do the following:
• You must complete the Parent Category Residence Application.
• You must provide evidence to confirm the claims made in the EOI.
• You will have four months to submit your visa application once your EOI is approved.
• If you want to know how to fill out the Parent Category Residence Application form, visit the New Zealand Immigration website.
• You must submit your identity documents along with other documents. Identity documents are:
• Two acceptable photos (your shoulders and head must be visible)
• Original passport and a certified copy of it
• Birth certificate

You do not need to send proof of identity unless New Zealand Immigration has invited you.

• You should do a medical examination and chest x-ray to prove your good health.
• All people aged 17 and over must present a police certificate to be eligible for a Parent Resident Visa. This certificate is issued by your country of citizenship or the country where you have spent at least 12 months in the last ten years.
• You must be able to speak English. To prove your ability, you must provide one of the following:
• The English language test result
• Evidence related to your background about speaking English
• Any evidence that you can speak English for other reasons

If you can not speak English fluently, you must attend classes. Please note that you must pay the tuition fee before issuing the visa.

• You can also bring your partner to New Zealand under this visa. So you need to determine your relationship with your partner. Also note that your partner must be able to meet health, character, and language requirements. If your partner cannot speak English, he or she must attend language classes just like you, so tuition fees must be paid before a visa can be issued. Also note that if your partner enters New Zealand on a temporary visa based on the relationship with you, he or she must be included in your residency application.
• If you have a dependent child, you cannot apply for a Parent Resident Visa. You will be asked about your family while completing the expression of interest.
• Your sponsoring child should have enough income to support you. Your sponsoring child must have the following characteristics:
• Your sponsoring child must be 18 years old or over.
• He/she must be a New Zealand citizen or resident at least three years before you apply for residency.
• Your child must live in New Zealand.
• The sponsoring child must commit to meet your living costs for ten years after you arrive in New Zealand if you cannot afford it.
• If necessary, the sponsor must cover the costs of your return home.
• The sponsor must provide Inland Revenue tax statements to prove his or her income.
• The sponsoring child must complete the Sponsorship Form for Residence.
• Your sponsoring child must be a citizen or resident of this country. Therefore, one of the following documents are required:
• New Zealand passport
• Birth certificate
• Citizenship documents
• New Zealand Resident Visa
• Australian passport
• Your sponsoring child must live in this country. You must provide the following evidence to prove this:
• Documents such as power bills
• Employment documents
• Work and Income payment
• Tax records
• Mortgage agreements
• Any proof that you live in New Zealand.
• You must prove your relationship with your sponsoring child. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the following documents:
• Birth certificate
• Documents related to adoption
• Any evidence that proves your relationship with your child

If the child’s parents have died, the grandparent and legal guardian can also qualify, provided the parents’ death certificate is provided. If you have been a legal guardian of a child, you must provide evidence that you have taken care of the child until the age of 18:

• Documents showing that the child lived with you after the death of the parents
• The child’s medical and school records show that you played the child’s parents’ role after the parents died.

What should the sponsor pay attention to?

For ten years after the grant of the visa,  your child is obliged to fulfill the following commitments:

• If you can not find suitable accommodation, your sponsor must provide it for you.
• The sponsor is responsible for your health and well-being needs.
• If necessary, your child must pay for your deportation and repatriation.

If Work and Income meet your welfare expenditure during this time, then New Zealand Immigration will consider that your sponsor has failed to meet the obligations. In this case, they will consider that your visa requirements have been violated. So you may be deported. Your sponsor must refund any money spent by the New Zealand Government or a third-party as a result of them not meeting their commitments.

How can I apply for this visa?

If you want to get a Parent Resident Visa, you must follow the steps below:

1. You must first complete the Parent Category Expression of Interest Form and prepare the documents related to your visa. You will then have to pay your visa application fee. You must then submit the completed form and supporting documents for New Zealand Immigration.
2. If your EOI is selected, New Zealand Immigration may invite you to apply for residency.
3. You must then complete and submit your residency application.
4. New Zealand Immigration will review your application and decide whether to grant you a visa. In some cases, You need to send additional documents.

Note that it is not possible to select Expressions of Interest due to the prevalence of COVID-19. So you have to wait until the new notification.

How much does it cost to apply for a Parent Resident visa?

The application fee for this visa varies depending on the country where you are applying for. Therefore, we recommend that you first go to the New Zealand Immigration website to get up-to-date information based on your country.

Note that the visa application cost is non-refundable. This means that no matter the visa application is approved or rejected, this fee will not be refunded to you.

What is the processing time of the Parent Resident Visa?

Since it is impossible to send Expressions of Interest due to COVID-19, you cannot apply for this visa.

Can the visa holder travel?

You, as a visa holder, are allowed to travel in and out of the country as long as travel conditions are valid. After that, you must either obtain a Permanent Resident Visa or a variation of travel conditions. Travel conditions expire ten years after your first arrival in New Zealand. The visa label and approval letter will tell you precisely about the expiration date of your travel conditions.

Let’s sum up…

In the previous sections, we reviewed the Parent Resident Visa application process, how to submit Expressions of Interest and other details. You can find all kinds of New Zealand visas and visas from other countries in other sections of the Visa Library website.

If you have experience in providing Expressions of Interest or other matters related to this visa, you can share it with other readers through the comments section. Conveying your experiences can be invaluable to others. Please contact us for your further questions.