Thank you for contacting the Office of Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of
Education, Minister of Immigration, Lead Coordination Minister for the
Government's Response to the Royal Commission's Report into Historical
Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, and
Member of Parliament for East Coast Bays.

We appreciate you reaching out – the Minister considers all correspondence
to be important, and all messages are carefully read and considered.
Please do note it is not always possible to provide a personal response to
every email received. Personal views, feedback and suggestions are
gratefully received and will be passed on to the Minister and/or relevant
Agencies.

Please note the following to help us direct your correspondence:

* If you are seeking ministerial intervention for an immigration case,
please contact Associate Minister of Immigration, Hon Chris Penk, at
[email address] Minister Stanford is unable to comment on
individual cases.
* Emails relating to education matters that are operational in
nature will be transferred to the Ministry of Education (or other
agency).  Minister Stanford is unable to comment on individual cases.
You can contact the Ministry directly at:
[email address]
* For assistance related to historical abuse in state care, please
contact the Survivor Experiences Team at
[email address].
* If you have invited Minister Stanford to an event, or requested a
meeting, a member of staff may contact you for more information.
* Official Information or Privacy Act requests will be managed under the
relevant Acts, which may include transfer to another Agency.
* If you are a journalist, your request will be referred to the Press
Secretary.
* If you are a constituent of East Coast Bays, your email will be shared
with the Electorate Office.

Thank you again for writing to Minister Stanford.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Erica Stanford
Reception: +64 4 817 6805 | Ministerial Email:
[1][Erica Stanford request email] |
Web: beehive.govt.nz  | Post: Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 041,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

References

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1. mailto:[Erica Stanford request email]

OIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

 

Dear Sam,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request,
received on 18/12/2025, in which you requested the following information:

 

I am writing to raise concerns regarding the Parent and Grandparent
Visitor Visa policy settings, specifically the lengthy processing times
and restrictive stay conditions, which appear inconsistent with the risk
profile and purpose of this visa category.

 

Processing Times

 

Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa applications are currently taking
approximately three months to process, while General Visitor Visas are
often processed within three to four weeks.

 

This is difficult to understand given that parents and grandparents:

 

Have a clear, defined purpose of travel (family visitation),

 

Are supported by their children who are New Zealand residents or citizens,
and

 

Are generally older applicants with strong ties to their home country.

 

I respectfully request clarification on:

 

Why this visa category receives lower processing priority than General
Visitor Visas; and

 

What specific risk factors justify longer assessment times.

 

Maximum Stay and Visit Frequency Limits

 

The Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa limits applicants to:

 

A maximum stay of six months per visit, and

 

A maximum stay of 18 months over a three-year period.

 

These restrictions apply even when applicants:

 

Fully fund their own accommodation and living expenses,

 

Hold comprehensive private medical insurance, and

 

Do not access public healthcare or social services.

 

Given these safeguards, it is unclear why parents and grandparents are
subject to more restrictive conditions than general visitors, some of whom
may stay for similar periods without comparable scrutiny.

 

Equity and Family Reunification

 

New Zealand places strong value on family connections and wellbeing. The
current settings create unnecessary hardship for families, particularly
when compared to the relative ease and speed of general visitor visa
processing.

 

I ask that you consider:

 

Whether the current processing priorities remain appropriate;

 

Whether the six-month stay and visit frequency limits are still justified;
and

 

Whether policy adjustments could better balance immigration risk with
family unity.

 

I would appreciate your response or referral of this matter to Immigration
New Zealand for a detailed explanation.

 

 

Your request will be answered within the provisions of the Official
Information Act.

 

 

Kind regards,

Office of Hon Erica Stanford

 

Office of Hon Erica Stanford

 

MP for East Coast Bays

Minister of Education

Minister of Immigration

Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal
Commission’s Report into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care
of Faith-based Institutions

 
Website: [1]www.Beehive,govt.nz

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author
by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.

 

 

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