Parent Boost Visitor Visa officially accepting applications

The Parent Boost Visitor Visa allows eligible parents of New Zealand citizens and permanent residents to stay for up to 5 years, with options to extend. Sponsorship and health insurance coverage are mandatory requirements.

The Parent Boost Visitor Visa was created to help parents of New Zealand citizens and permanent residents spend extended time with family. It allows eligible parents to stay in New Zealand for up to 5 years, with multiple entries permitted during this period.

In addition, there is an option to apply for a second visa extending the stay for another 5 years, bringing the total potential duration of stay up to 10 years.

Basic requirements

To be granted a Parent Boost Visitor Visa, applicants must genuinely intend to comply with visa conditions, leave New Zealand before it expires, and use it solely to visit their children temporarily.

To apply, applicants must:

• Be outside New Zealand when applying and when the visa is granted.
• Meet character and health standards.
• Be sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• Demonstrate sufficient funds or income to support their stay, or have a sponsor who meets the income criteria.
• Prove they are a genuine visitor who maintains ties to their home country.

If applicants meet the criteria for approval:

• They will receive an initial approval in principle and must provide proof of valid health insurance for 12 months.
• They must also sign a declaration confirming that the Parent Boost Visitor Visa is for temporary stay only, that they will abide by all visa conditions and leave New Zealand before the deadline, and that any breach may lead to visa cancellation and deportation.

To qualify for the Parent Boost Visitor Visa, applicants must not have any dependent children.

Once the visa is granted:

• Applicants must travel to New Zealand within 6 months of approval.
• The 5-year stay period begins on the date of first arrival, not the date of approval.
• They may enter and leave New Zealand freely within the validity period of the visa.
• Parents and their spouses may travel independently.
• After 3 years (and before 4 years), they must leave New Zealand and complete a compliance check, which includes submitting a new medical certificate and demonstrating that valid insurance was maintained during their stay in New Zealand.

This check confirms that the visa holder still meets all conditions, including health requirements.

Health requirements

Applicants must meet an acceptable standard of health. This ensures visa holders do not place an undue burden on New Zealand’s healthcare system.

For the first visa, medical certificates from the preceding 12 months may be reused if they meet the requirements.

For the mid-term check and the second visa, a new medical certificate no older than 3 months is required.

No medical waivers are considered – applicants must meet the health standard to be eligible.

View acceptable health standards at here.

Medical insurance requirements

To protect both visa holders and New Zealand public services, valid insurance is mandatory.

Minimum insurance coverage

Coverage Type	Minimum Amount (NZD)
Emergency medical care	$250,000 per year
Cancer treatment	$100,000 per year
Repatriation	$250,000
Repatriation of remains	$50,000

Additional requirements

• Insurance must be maintained for the entire duration of the stay in New Zealand.
• 12 months of insurance must be purchased upfront (following initial approval).
• Proof of insurance must be submitted within 3 months of initial approval (Immigration New Zealand will request it at that time).
• Insurance from non-New Zealand companies is accepted if issued by a reputable provider and meets the requirements.

Financial support

To prove financial self-sufficiency for the visa, applicants must meet one of the following criteria.

Sponsor’s income

• A single sponsor must have an income at least equal to the median wage to support one parent.
• If there are joint sponsors, the combined income must be at least 1.5 times the median wage to support one parent (currently NZD 104,707.20).
• For each additional parent, the required income increases by 0.5 times the median wage (an additional NZD 34,902.40 per person).

Parent’s income

• A single parent must have a stable income equivalent to the New Zealand single superannuation rate, currently NZD 32,611.28 per year before tax.
• A couple must have a combined income equivalent to the couple superannuation rate, currently NZD 49,552.88 per year before tax.

Available funds

• A single parent must have at least NZD 160,000 in available funds.
• A couple must have at least NZD 250,000 in available funds.

These funds must be sufficient to support the parents for the entire duration of the visa. Borrowed or gifted money cannot be used – the funds must genuinely belong to the parents.

Sponsorship requirements

Sponsorship is a key part of the Parent Boost Visitor Visa.

The sponsor must be an adult child (18 years or older) who is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.

Joint sponsorship is permitted.

This may include:

• One adult child and their partner.
• Two adult children (siblings).
• One adult child of the parent and one adult child of the parent’s partner.

The sponsor plays a vital role in ensuring the visa holder has support during their stay and that the visa programme remains sustainable.

Find out more about how to sponsor someone in New Zealand at here.