30 June 2026
K Patel
[FYI request #34681 email]
DOIA-REQ-0032896
Tēnā koe K Patel
Thank you for your email of 11 May 2026 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the fol owing:
REQUEST 1 – PARENT BOOST VISITOR VISA: APPLICATION STATISTICS
The Parent Boost Visitor Visa opened for applications on 29 September 2025. Please provide the
fol owing data from 29 September 2025 to the date this request is processed:
1a. The total number of Parent Boost Visitor Visa applications received.
1b. Of those applications, broken down into the fol owing categories:
-Number approved
- Number declined
- Number withdrawn by the applicant
- Number currently pending a decision
1c. The median and average processing time (in calendar days) for applications decided to
date.
1d. The top five countries of origin of applicants (by nationality of the parent applicant).
1e. The number of applications that were declined specifically due to failure to meet:
- The financial/income threshold (sponsor or applicant)
- The health insurance requirement
- The health or medical requirement
(Where INZ records decline reasons in a way that allows this breakdown, please provide it. If
not, please advise what decline reason data is held.)
REQUEST 2 – NUMBER OF MIGRANT FAMILY UNITS HOLDING RESIDENT CLASS VISAS IN NEW
ZEALAND
I request data on the number of migrant family units in New Zealand where at least one member
of the family holds a resident class visa (i.e., a resident visa or permanent resident visa).
For the purposes of this request, I ask that INZ/MBIE define and count a "family unit" as fol ows:
- A family unit is a principal resident visa holder together with any associated partner and/or
dependent children linked to that principal applicant through an immigration application or
recognised relationship, regardless of whether those family members hold a resident class visa,
a work visa, a student visa, or a visitor visa.
- Each such grouping should be counted as ONE family unit, not as multiple individuals.
- For example: if a husband holds a resident visa, his wife holds a work visa, and they have one
dependent child on a student visa, this counts as ONE family unit.
Specifically, I request:
2a. The total number of such family units currently in New Zealand where the principal applicant
holds a resident class visa, using the family unit definition above.
2b. If INZ does not record data in this exact format, please advise:
- What data is held regarding resident visa holders and their associated family members, and
- The closest available equivalent figure or dataset that could assist in estimating the total
number of resident-class migrant family units in New Zealand.
PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST
This information is sought in the public interest to assess the reach and accessibility of the Parent
Boost Visitor Visa relative to the eligible migrant population in New Zealand. The Government
has stated the visa's settings wil be reviewed in 2027. This data is essential for migrant
communities to meaningfully participate in and understand that review.
If any part of this request requires clarification or is to be refused in part, I ask that the remainder
be processed in full and that I be advised of the specific grounds for any withholding under
sections 6, 9, or 18 of the OIA.
We apologise for the delay in responding to your request.
Our Response
Questions 1a and 1b
The total number of Parent Boost Visitor Visa applications received.
Of those applications, broken down into the fol owing categories:
-Number approved
- Number declined
- Number withdrawn by the applicant
- Number currently pending a decision
Table 1: The total number of Parent Boost Visitor Visa applications, broken down by status, as at 28 June
2026.
Application status Applications
Received
1,174
Withdrawn
138
Approved
627
Declined
41
In Progress
355
Question 1c
The median and average processing time (in calendar days) for applications decided to date.
The median processing time of Parent Boost Visitor Visa is 53 working days and the average processing
time is 60 working days, as at 28 June 2026.
Question 1d
The top five countries of origin of applicants (by nationality of the parent applicant).
As at 28 June 2026, the top five countries for submitted Parent Boost Visitor Visa applications, in
descending order, are India, China, South Africa, Great Britain and Fiji:
Country
Number of submitted applications
India
399
China
309
Country
Number of submitted applications
South Africa
88
Great Britain
73
Fiji
62
Question 1e
The number of applications that were declined specifically due to failure to meet:
- The financial/income threshold (sponsor or applicant)
- The health insurance requirement
- The health or medical requirement
(Where INZ records decline reasons in a way that allows this breakdown, please provide it. If not, please
advise what decline reason data is held.)
Table 2: The number of Parent Boost visitor visa applications declined between 19 September 2025 –
8 June 2026, broken down by decline reason recorded, as at 11 June 2026.
Decline reason*
Number of applications**
Funds must be sufficient and genuinely available 14
Applicant must hold acceptable travel and/or 3
health insurance
Health requirements not met
14
*Applications can be declined for not meeting multiple Immigration Instructions. The applications noted
above may have been declined on additional reasons that are not included in the requested data.
**A count of applications is included for each decline reason included in the requested data, therefore,
applications may be recorded more than once if declined on more than one of these reasons.
Question 2a
The total number of such family units currently in New Zealand where the principal applicant holds a
resident class visa, using the family unit definition above.
The total number of family units currently onshore is 94,717. The data is current as at 11 June 2026. The
number of family units onshore captures where a residence class visa holder has acted as a supporting
partner or guardian in an application by a relative, and where both the residence class visa holder and
the relative are onshore. Individuals can be counted in one or both of these figures. Further detail
describing the family unit data, which pertains to Question 2a, is detailed in the response to Question
2b for clarity.
Question 2b
If INZ does not record data in this exact format, please advise
- What data is held regarding resident visa holders and their associated family members, and
- The closest available equivalent figure or dataset that could assist in estimating the total number of
resident-class migrant family units in New Zealand.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) does not maintain a dataset that directly identifies or counts “family
units” in the format requested. However, INZ holds the fol owing relevant data:
• Current visa information at an individual level, including visa type and status (e.g. whether a
person currently holds a resident class visa and is in New Zealand)
• Applicant-level records for visa applications, which identify individuals as principal applicants,
partners, or dependent children
• Application and contact-based linkage data, which can connect individuals across visa
applications (for example, linking partners or dependent children to a principal applicant)
Using these data sources, the closest available equivalent dataset is one that identifies individuals who
currently hold a resident class visa and are in New Zealand, and links them to associated partner and
dependent child records identified through visa applications and contact/sponsorship relationships. This
provides an approximate view of family groupings but does not represent a formally maintained or
definitive count of family units.
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 contac
t [email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Chris Adamson
Director Visa
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
