New Zealand to Launch 5-Year Parent Boost Visitor Visa: Key Rules and Eligibility

Starting September 29, 2025, New Zealand will open applications for a new Parent Boost Visitor Visa. This visa allows parents of New Zealand citizens or residents to stay in the country for up to five years with unlimited entries.

This new visa is being welcomed as a major step toward helping migrant families stay connected, especially for those who have long struggled with short visitor visa durations.

What is the Parent Boost Visitor Visa?

This is a long-term visitor visa for parents of New Zealand citizens and residents. It’s designed to help families stay connected by making it easier for parents to live with or visit their children in New Zealand for longer periods.

• Up to 5 years per visa grant
• Unlimited entries during those 5 years
• Option to apply for a second 5-year visa, allowing parents to stay in New Zealand for up to 10 years in total

This makes it one of the most generous visitor visas New Zealand has ever offered to parents.

Who Can Apply?

To apply for this visa, you must:

• Be the parent of a New Zealand citizen or resident
• Be outside New Zealand when applying and when the visa is granted
• Be sponsored by your adult child living in New Zealand
• Meet health and character requirements
• Show financial support, either through your own funds or through your sponsor’s income
• Be a genuine visitor with strong ties to your home country
• Not having dependent children

How Long Can You Stay?

• Initial visa: Up to 5 years
• Second visa (optional): Another 5 years
• Total stay: Up to 10 years, but with a mandatory check during the stay

How to Apply for a Parent Boost Visitor Visa

Immigration New Zealand will open applications online on September 29, 2025. Here are a few simple steps to apply for the Parent Boost Visitor Visa:

1. Make sure you’re eligible – check all conditions above
2. Prepare documents – including passport, financial documents, and medical checks
3. Get sponsorship proof from your adult child living in New Zealand.
4. Submit your application online – after the visa opens on September 29, 2025
5. Wait for approval in principle
6. Buy 12 months of insurance and submit proof
7. Once the visa is granted, make sure you enter New Zealand within 6 months.

Important Conditions and Checks

1. Approval in Principle

• If your application is successful, you’ll first get an approval in principle
• Before the visa is officially granted, you’ll need to show proof of 12 months of health insurance

2. Entry Timeframe

• You must enter New Zealand within 6 months of the visa being issued
• Your 5-year stay period starts from the date you arrive

3. Midpoint Compliance Check

Between years 3 and 4, you’ll need to:

• Leave New Zealand
• Submit a new medical certificate
• Show proof that your insurance was valid the whole time

Only then can you apply for the second 5-year visa

Why This Matters for Families

For many migrant families, short visitor visas meant parents could only spend a few months at a time in New Zealand. The new Parent Boost Visitor Visa changes that by making long-term stays possible without the pressure of frequent reapplications.

It also gives families in NZ more stability, allowing parents to stay close to grandchildren and be active in family life for years at a time.

Final Thoughts

This visa is not a path to permanent residency, and it’s not for parents who plan to settle in New Zealand full-time. It’s meant for long-term visits, think extended stays with family, not immigration.

Still, it’s a big step forward for families who’ve long wanted to spend more time together without constantly renewing short-term visas.