21 March 2024
William
[FYI request #25841 email]
DOIA 2324-1814
Tēnā koe William
Thank you for your email of 22 February 2024 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:
1. According to
www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-
application/support-family/parent-resident-visa-eoi-selection I assume that all the EOIs
received before 12 October 2022 were selected on November 2023, which means all the EOIs
remaining in the queued pool can equally share the 2500 annual quote. Please correct me if I
am wrong.
2. In the above case, could you please disclose the total number of active EOIs remaining in the
pool (please exclude the declined/refused ones)? Please also provide the number of applicants
in all ballot EOIs as one EOI may have 2 persons too.
3. The National promised to introduce a Parent Visa Boost - a multiple entry visa valid for five
years with an extension possible for a further five years. I am wondering if there is any update
on this proposal.
Our Response
The requested information relating to Parent Resident Visa expression of interest (EOI) can be found
on the Immigration New Zealand website:
Parent Resident Visa overview and application numbers |
Immigration New Zealand.
MBIE is actively working on determining a work programme that will deliver on the immigration
priorities of the Government. The Government’s key priority for family settings for this term remains
introducing a renewable, five-year visa for parents and grandparents of New Zealand citizens and
residents.
Designing and implementing new visa products requires significant time and resourcing, so this may
take some time to develop. Once decisions have been taken on the details of the visa, announcements
will be made publicly. The five-year parent and grandparent visa is not intended to provide a pathway
to residence for family members.
In the meantime, parents are able to join their children in New Zealand either as a visitor or
permanently through existing channels, such as:
• Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-
visas/apply-for-a-visa/about-visa/parent-and-grandparent-multiple-entry-visitor-visa.
• Parent Category Resident Visa:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-
visas/visas/visa/parent-resident-visa.
MBIE holds three documents in scope of your request which are listed in the following document
table:
No Document Date
Title
Decision
Type
1
Briefing
27 November 2023 Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Refused under
Immigration
section 18(d)
2
Briefing
4 December 2023
2324-1070 Advancing your
Information
immigration priorities
withheld under
section 9(2)(f)(iv)
3
Briefing
18 January 2024
2324-1508 Immigration Work
Withheld in full
programme Priorities
under section
9(2)(f)(iv)
The Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Immigration has been proactively released on the MBIE
website:
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/28012-briefing-for-the-incoming-minister-of-
immigration-proactiverelease-pdf
Most of the information in briefing 2324-1070 and 2324-1508 relating to family settings is still under
consideration and the remainder of the information within the documents is out of scope. Therefore,
this information is being withheld under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act, to maintain the constitutional
conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of
the Crown and officials.
However, please find the following extract from briefing 2324-1070
Advancing your immigration
priorities comprising advice to the Minister of Immigration providing context for future discussion of
the five-year parent visa.
Extract from 2324-1070 Advancing your immigration priorities:
“Providing facilitative pathways for parent visitors while minimising taxpayer costs
The key design considerations for a renewable 5-year parent visa wil be the health requirements,
including the availability of comprehensive health insurance or ability to recover costs through other
mechanisms such as a health levy; and the checks and obligations on sponsoring children to maintain
parent wel being, and the parents to retain connections to their home country. The renewable status
could also blur the lines with residence and right to remain expectations. This work can draw on
experiences with existing longer duration visas in Australia and Canada.”
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800
802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Pol y Vowles
Policy Manager
Immigration (Skills and Residence) Policy
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
