BRIEFING
Coalition commitment to introduce a new parent visitor visa –
proposed scope and timing
Date:
13 February 2025
Priority:
Medium
Security
In Confidence
Tracking
REQ-0009473
classification:
number:
Action sought
Action sought
Deadline
Hon Erica Stanford
Discuss the proposed scope and
18 February 2025
Minister of Immigration
timing to progress work on a new
parent visitor visa with officials.
Contact for telephone discussion (if required)
Name
Position
Telephone
1st contact
Manager, Immigration (Skills &
Polly Vowles
04 978 3106
s 9(2)(a)
√
Residence) Policy
Lee Gerrard
Principal Policy Advisor
04 830 7396
The following departments/agencies have been consulted
The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development
Minister’s office to complete:
Approved
Declined
Noted
Needs change
Seen
Overtaken by Events
See Minister’s Notes
Withdrawn
Comments
BRIEFING
Coalition commitment to introduce a new parent visitor visa –
proposed scope and timing
Date:
13 February 2025
Priority:
Medium
Security
In Confidence
Tracking
REQ-0009473
classification:
number:
Purpose
To support an upcoming discussion with officials on the scope and timing for work on the coalition
commitment to introduce a new parent visitor visa.
Executive summary
As part of the New Zealand National and ACT parties’ Coalition Agreement, there is a commitment
to introduce a new five-year renewable parent visa conditional on covering healthcare costs. .
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
We have a meeting to discuss the proposed scope and timing to progress this work and seek your
initial direction on the design on 18 February 2025.
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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Recommended action
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recommends that you:
a.
Discuss the scope and approach to progressing the coalition commitment to introduce a new
parent visitor visa at an upcoming meeting with officials on 18 February 2025.
Agree / Disagree / Discuss
Polly Vowles
Hon Erica Stanford
Manager, Immigration (Skills and
Minister of Immigration
Residence) Policy
Labour, Science and Enterprise Group,
..... / ...... / ......
MBIE
13 /02 / 2025
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Background
Current settings for parents
1.
There are three key existing specific immigration policies for parents of New Zealand citizens
and residents to come to New Zealand:
•
The Parent/Grandparent Visitor Visa offers parents the ability to come to New Zealand
for 18 months within a three-year period (for a maximum of six months at a time).
Applicants must meet a good health requirement.
Note: Parents may also use the General Visitor Visa (generally 6 or 9 months) or for
visa waiver countries a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for visits up
to 3 months (or 6 months for UK citizens). These pathways may be more preferable for
parents where they do not intend multiple visits. Visitors do not normally need to
provide upfront evidence to meet health requirements.
•
The Parent Resident Visa (Parent Category) provides 2,500 places per annum for
residence. Parents must be sponsored by their children who must meet certain income
requirements. Applicants must meet good health and English language requirements.
•
The Parent Retirement Visa provides residence to parents who will invest at least $1
million in New Zealand bonds, shares or property (not their own home) for at least four
years. Applicants must meet a good health requirement and must have at least
$500,000 to support settlement in New Zealand.
2.
More information about these visas and key data (including volumes) is included at
Annex
One.
Proposal for a new parent visa
3.
In the Coalition Agreement between the New Zealand National and ACT parties there was a
commitment to:
Introduce a five-year, renewable parent category visa, conditional on
covering healthcare costs, with consideration of a public healthcare levy.
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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s 9(2)(f)(iv)
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
A brief overview of parent settings in Australia and Canada is included in
Annexes
Two and Three respectively.
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Next steps and timing
21. Officials will discuss the proposed scope and approach with you with you at the meeting on
18 February 2025.
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Annexes
Annex One: Overview of existing parent policies, including key data
Annex Two: High level overview of parent settings in Australia
Annex Three: High level overview of parent settings in Canada
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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Annex One: Overview of existing parent policies in New Zealand including key data
Visa
Key settings and requirements
Volumes
Other data as relevant
Parent and
•
Multiple entry
2018: 3,651
For 2024 the top three nationalities were:
Grandparent
•
Able to spend up to 18 months in New Zealand within a 3-year period (each stay must be no
Visitor Visa
2019: 3,463
1-
India (3,909)
more than 6 months at a time)
•
2-
China (973)
Must be sponsored their child/grandchild who is a New Zealand citizen or resident and 18 or
Cost: $341
2020: 752
3-
Philippines (480)
over (but no income requirement for sponsor)
2021: 8
y
•
Must have a chest X-ray and a medical examination to prove good health
For 2024 the age range for visa holders was:
ar
•
Declaration required that visa holder will pay the costs of any health care or medical assistance
r
2022: 4,817
Age range
Volume (of 2024
o
received while in NZ (sponsor required to meet costs if visa holder is unable to).
•
Medical insurance recommended but not required.
2023: 14,683
grants)
•
49 or below
149
emp
Must meet character requirements
2024: 7,601
T
•
Must intend to visit children/grandchildren and therefore the children/grandchildren must be in
50-55
977
New Zealand during the visit
* N
ote: parents can also enter NZ
55-60
1,747
•
Can include a partner in the application but not dependent children
on a general visitor visa and
60-65
2066
therefore this may not be
65-70
1481
representative of the entire volume
70-75
737
of parents visiting NZ
75-80
310
Over 80
283
Parent
•
2,500 per annum cap
2018: 949
For 2024 the top three nationalities were:
Resident Visa
•
NZ citizens and residents can sponsor their parent(s) for residence if they are earning at least
2019: 54
1-
China (1104)
1.5 x median wage (to sponsor one parent) or 2 x median wage (to sponsor two parents)
Cost: $450
•
2-
India (401)
Sponsor must live in New Zealand
online / $575
2020: <= 5
•
3-
Philippines (77)
The sponsor must provide suitable accommodation if the parent doesn’t have their own place to
physical – EOI
live and ensure that the parent’s health and welfare needs are met for a ten-year period.
2021: 0
+ $5,810 visa
Current EOI volumes:
•
Must have a chest X-ray and a medical examination to prove good health
2022: <= 5
•
Must meet character requirements
EOIs
Total Applicants
•
2023: 1,015
Must meet English language requirements
Ballot
9,934
15,051
•
Can include a partner (they must also meet character, health and English language
ce
2024: 2,350
pool
requirements)
Queued
1
1
en
•
d
Cannot have or include dependent children
pool
Parent
•
Must invest at least $1million in New Zealand bonds, shares or property (not own home) for at
2018: 61
The top nationality was China with 98.
Resi
Retirement
least four years.
Category
•
2019: 68
Must have at least $500,000 to support settlement in New Zealand
•
Must have an annual income of $60,000 or more
Cost: $12,850
2020: 47
•
Sponsor must be a NZ citizen or resident
•
Sponsor must live in NZ
2021: 56
•
Can include a partner (they must also meet immigration requirements)
2022: 154
•
Cannot have or include dependent children
•
Must have a chest X-ray and a medical examination to prove good health
2023: 225
•
Must meet character requirements
2024: 165
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Annex Two: High level overview of parent settings in Australia
Note: From a search of publicly available information, Australia appears to have seven parent visa pathways. Four are displayed in the table below.
The three not displayed relate to aged parents (i.e. parents of pension age in Australia). The visas offered to aged parents are residence (contributory
or not) and contributory temporary. Further information can be requested from our Australian counterparts as part of ongoing work.
Note: Parent visa applications in Australia are subject to capping and queueing. Publicly available information outlines that the processing timeframe
will vary based on the visa type but is significant for residence offerings. We will request further information on processing times and volumes from
our Australian counterparts as part of ongoing work.
Australia
Temporary
Residence
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) Visa (subclass
Contributory Parent (temporary) visa
Contributory Parent Visa (subclass 143) and Parent
870)
(subclass 173)
Visa (subclass 103)
General
Can visit for up to 3 or 5 years per visa and can apply
Stay for 2 years with work and study rights,
Residence visa
for further visas to visit up to a maximum period of
overview
cannot be extended but can apply for a different
10 years. No work rights
. Cannot subsequently
Contributory cost: AUD $48,495
visa including residence (subclass 143)
apply for residence
Parent cost: $5,125
Cost: AUD $32,430
3-year cost: AUD $5,895
5-year cost: AUD $11,785
Applicant
Applicants must:
Applicants must:
Applicants must:
requirements
•
meet health and character requirements
•
meet the health requirement
•
meet the health requirement
•
have sufficient funds to support their stay
•
have health insurance
•
have health insurance
•
have health insurance
•
meet the character requirement
•
meet the character requirement
•
be a genuine visitor
•
meet the ‘balance of family test’ (about
•
meet the ‘balance of family test’ (about number of
number of children in Australia vs elsewhere
children in Australia vs elsewhere
•
not already have applied for or hold a
•
not already have applied for or hold a Sponsored
Sponsored Parent (subclass 870) temporary
Parent (subclass 870) temporary visa when applying
visa when applying
Requirements Sponsors must:
Sponsors must:
Sponsors must:
for sponsor
•
be the adult child of the applicant/s.
•
be a settled Australian citizen, permanent
•
be a settled Australian citizen, permanent resident or
•
hold citizenship/ residence
resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
eligible New Zealand citizen
•
give an assurance of financial support (no
•
provide an assurance of support that Government
specific income requirement)
support will not be relied on
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Annex Two: High level overview of parent settings in Canada
Canada
Temporary
Residence
General
A “super visa” allows parents and grandparents to visit for
up to 5 years
A program to sponsor parents/grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada
at a time and provides
multiple entries for a period up to 10 years
overview
Applicant
Applicants must:
Applicants must:
requirements
• have an immigration medical exam and meet health requirements
• meet health and character requirements
•
have health insurance which:
-
should be valid for a minimum of a year from the date of entry
(
the policy notes they ‘should have a valid insurance policy while
in Canada so may need to renew or maintain insurance during
their stay. Insurance must be valid for each entry into Canada)
-
is paid in full or instalments with a deposit
-
covers health care, hospitalisation and repatriation
-
provides a minimum coverage of $100,000
• must be a genuine visitor (
this includes consideration of ties to their
home country and the overall economic and political stability of their
home country)
• must meet character requirements
Requirements Sponsors must:
Sponsors must:
for sponsor
• be the applicant’s child or grandchild
• be the adult child of the applicant/s.
• hold citizenship/residence
• hold citizenship/residence and primarily reside in Canada
•
meet an income threshold (
varies by size of household; CAD
•
undertake sponsorship requirements including:
$29,380 for 1 person, up to CAD $77,750 for 7 people (+ CAD
-
financially supporting the parent/grandparent for 20 years (or in Quebec, 10
$7,916 for each added person)
years)
• provide a promise of financial support for the duration of the visit
-
making sure no social assistance is granted to the parents, if they receive
assistance during the sponsorship window, the sponsor would not be able to
sponsor again until they had repaid the cost
-
providing for basic needs including food, clothing and shelter, dental, eye and
other health needs not covered by public health
•
Meet an income threshold (varies by size of household; CAD $44,530 for 2
people, up to CAD $94,658 for 7 people (+ CAD $9,636 for each added person)
Annual cap
N/A
For the 2024 intake, 35,700 invitations to apply were issued with a goal to accept up to
20,500 applications
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s 9(2)(f)(iv)
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