Can I bring my parents to New Zealand?

Leaving aged parents behind when emigrating is hard. It’s why so many of our client ask us ‘can I bring my parents to New Zealand?’

The short answer is ‘yes’, your parents can also come to New Zealand – which a lot of people are happy to hear! However, of course, this is subject to certain conditions and qualifying criteria.

Here we’ll tell you more about the three types of visas parents of New Zealanders may apply for:

• Parent Retirement Resident visa.
• Parent Resident visa.
• Parent and Grandparent Visitors visa.

1. Your parents can support themselves financially…

Parents with an adult child in New Zealand may apply for the Parent Retirement Resident visa. Applicants will have to meet certain income and capital requirements.

How much income and capital are required?

Applicants will need:

• An annual income of NZ$60 000;
• NZ$1 million to invest in New Zealand for four years; plus
• NZ$500 000 to live on.

What you can do on a parent retirement resident visa:

• Live, work and study in New Zealand.
• Include a partner in the visa application.
• Apply for permanent residence after 4 years of keeping funds invested in New Zealand.

Read more about the Parent Retirement Resident visa here.

2. Your parents want to join you on the basis of your residency status…

The Parent Residency visa allows parents to pursue residency in New Zealand based on their adult child’s status as a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. This will allow parents to live, work and study in New Zealand.

BUT unfortunately this visa is temporary closed to new applications.

This is because INZ has already made a sufficient number of selections and invitation to fill the cap set by the New Zealand government.

New applications will only be invited when all the current applications have been processed. According to INZ, this is likely to take until after the end of the 2017/18 financial year.

You can read more about the reasons for the closure here.

3. Your parents want to visit for long periods at a time…

Parents, and grandparents, can visit family in New Zealand on a Parent and Grandparent Visitors visa.

The great thing about the visa is that it allows multiple visits on the same visa for extended time periods. And it could be an alternative to the Parent Resident visa for your parents!

Travelling on the Parent and Grandparent Visitors visa

• The Parent and Grandparent Visitors visa is a three-year visa which allows multiple entries into New Zealand.
• Over this three-year period you may remain in New Zealand for 6 months at a time.
• The 6 months starts from your date of arrival in New Zealand.

This means you can visit often and for longer periods of time on one visa.

What does the visa allow?

With the Parent and Grandparent Visitors visa you can:

• Visit children or grandchildren in New Zealand.
• Travel in and out of New Zealand multiple times.
• Include your partner in the visa application.

Read more about the Parent and Grandparent Visitors visa here.

Start here

To assess the chances of your parents joining you in New Zealand, simply have them book a consultation call with our licensed advisor. Your parents will find out their visa options and learn how the visa application process works.