Ella Pearce
From:
Andrew Craig
Sent:
Wednesday, 20 October 2021 4:39 pm
To:
Kristin Svendsen
Cc:
Ben Lindsay; Sarah Parker
Subject:
RE: long-stay parent visa
Some context.
We did discuss the situation of parents here with the Minster when we did the change to allow people to apply for
another visitor visa if they had reached their maximum time in New Zealand. It was agreed with the Minister that
there wouldn’t be a further extension – the change gave people enough to prepare to return home.
There is a parent and grandparent visitor visas that allows people to come and
Parents who came on that visa (or another visitor) visa arrived in NZ with the expectation this was temporary and
there was no pathway to residency open.
They will have generally been able to spend longer in New Zealand than expected with various extensions, and the
temporary suspension of the time in New Zealand rules while travel was difficult.
The parent category was capped to 800 places per annum. Demand far exceeds this.
There is no surety where visiting parents would be in the queue or how long it would take for their application to be
considered and approved even if the category was reopened.
When decisions about resuming the category and the threshold changes are made, parents will be able to apply to
become NZ residents if they meet the critiera.
There is also a parent retirement resident visa – but this is only open to parents who have substantial annual income
$60,000 per annum plus $1 million to invest and a further $500k to live on.
Information about : Parent Retirement Resident Visa | Immigration New Zealand
2021 resident visa – no parents can’t be included in the initial application. But once people are resident, they
may be eligible to sponsor their parents when the parent category reopens.
Released under the
AC
Andrew Craig
Manager – IMMIGRATION (SKILLS AND RESIDENCE) POLICY
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment | Hikina Whakatutuki
Official Information Act 1982
Tel: 04 901 1245 | Email: [email address]
From: Kristin Svendsen <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 20 October 2021 3:06 PM
To: Andrew Craig <[email address]>
Subject: FW: long-stay parent visa
Hi AC,
1
Peter had received another query from s 9(2)(a) at s 9 about the parent category (see below). He’s already
provided the following response to s (highlighted). We’ve used the second line in a previous response about
extending visas of elderly parents. Is there anything else we can add in this instance? I think we need something that
addresses the fact these parents who would probably have been able to stay in NZ if the parent category was open
are now having to go home where they won’t have the support of their children as originally planned. The MO might
need to provide this context though?
No decisions have been taken on resuming selections for the parent category. A planned review of the category
closer to when border travel is more available will look at barriers to access, including considering the income
thresholds.
In February, the Government announced a two month extension for all visitor visas, during which time those here
on visitor visas were able to apply for a new visa to remain in the country longer. There are no plans to provide
further extensions to visitor visas as these people were only ever meant to be in the country temporarily.
Thanks,
Kristin
From: Peter Stevens <[email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 20 October 2021 2:00 PM
To: Yvette McKinley <[email address]>; Kristin Svendsen <[email address]>; Marc
Piercey <[email address]>; Alastair Stewart <[email address]>
Cc: Jordan Fallow (Parliament) <[email address]>; Chris Holland (Parliament)
<[email address]>
Subject: FW: long-stay parent visa
Folks,
Could I get your suggested lines on this and checks on whether this idea of an extended parent visa has ever
been mooted?
I am happy to provide the response from the Minister’s office.
Does the 2021 Resident Visa offer some possibility of certainty for eligible applicants who will then be able
to have their parents covered too?
Sent with BlackBerry Work
Released under the
(www.blackberry.com)
From: s 9(2)(a)
Date: Wednesday, 20 Oct 2021, 13:53
To: Peter Stevens <[email address]>, Media MBIE <[email address]>
Subject: long-stay parent visa
Official Information Act 1982
Kia ora
People are calling for the government to introduce a long-stay parent visa, so their parents can come and
visit without having to reapply for a short visitor visa. Countries including Australia have this type of visa.
Some of their parents came on a visitor visa in 2019 before the pandemic closed NZ borders. They are now
in the process of replying for a new visitor visa. They worry their application won't be approved and say
they want some certainty.
2
They say given the parent resident visa is not being reopening soon, it's essential to allow their parents,
who're already here, to be able to stay longer.
Will the minister consider introducing such a visa, or provide any other options for parents who're already
here to stay longer, and those who're overseas to come and visit their children?
It would be great if you can come back to me by the end of the day. Thanks very much!
Ngā mihi,
s 9(2)(a)
Released under the
Official Information Act 1982
3
