The Parent Boost Visitor Visa Opened on 29 September 2025
The Parent Boost Visitor Visa opened for applications on 29 September 2025. It lets a parent sponsored by an adult child stay in New Zealand for up to five years, entering and leaving as often as they like, from NZ$3,100. It is a visitor visa. Immigration New Zealand states plainly that it gives no pathway to residence.
Quick Facts
| Announced | 8 June 2025 |
| Opened | 29 September 2025 — open now |
| What it is | A long-duration, multi-entry visitor visa for sponsored parents |
| Leads to residence | No. Immigration New Zealand: "This is a temporary visa and it does not give you a pathway to a resident visa" |
| Duration | Up to 5 years, multi-entry. A second visa may be granted, to a maximum of two visas and 10 years total |
| Cost | From NZ$3,100 — NZ$1,940 application fee + NZ$1,060 immigration levy + NZ$100 IVL |
| Sponsor | An adult child aged 18 or over who is a New Zealand citizen or resident |
| Where you must be | Outside New Zealand when you apply and when the visa is granted |
| Mid-visa check | A health and insurance check in the third year, requiring the holder to leave New Zealand for it |
| Medical waivers | Not available on this visa |
| Work rights | Cannot work in New Zealand. Remote work for an overseas employer is permitted |
| Processing | Around 4 months (as published 20 August 2026) |
What was created, and what it is not
Before Parent Boost, a parent of a New Zealand citizen or resident had two realistic long-stay options: the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, which allows up to six months at a time and 18 months in three years, or the Parent Resident Visa, which is capped at 2,500 places a year and selected from a pool.
Parent Boost sits between them. It offers a genuinely long stay — up to five years, multi-entry — without offering residence.
That last point is the single most important thing on this page. Immigration New Zealand's own visa page says the visa "does not give you a pathway to a resident visa". Any description that presents Parent Boost as a route to residence is wrong, and acting on it is expensive: the fee is not refunded if an application is declined, and five years of temporary status does not accumulate towards anything.
A side-by-side comparison sits at Parent Boost vs the Parent Resident Visa.
What it costs, with the components shown
Immigration New Zealand publishes a single "from" figure. The Fees Guide publishes the split, and the components behave differently.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$1,940 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$1,060 |
| International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) | NZ$100 |
| Total | NZ$3,100 |
Two later costs are worth budgeting for: the third-year health and insurance check is charged at NZ$325, or NZ$240 with a concession, and health insurance must be held for the entire stay.
The IVL is a separate levy and some nationalities are exempt from it — see the International Visitor Levy, explained.
The 30 April 2026 threshold change
The financial requirements were raised on 30 April 2026. A parent who does not rely on their sponsor's income can qualify on their own finances, and the current figures are:
| Route | Single applicant | With a partner |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant's own annual income | NZ$33,663.24 | NZ$51,182.56 |
| Applicant's personal funds | NZ$170,000 | NZ$260,000 |
There is an important trap here. The June 2025 announcement quoted NZ$32,611.28 / NZ$49,552.88 in income, NZ$160,000 / NZ$250,000 in funds, and a fee of NZ$3,000. Those figures are superseded, and they are still being republished across the web. If you see NZ$160,000 or NZ$3,000, you are reading pre-30-April-2026 material.
Sponsor income thresholds are set separately and are indexed to the immigration median wage, which rose to NZ$35.00 an hour on 9 March 2026. Those figures are at parent visa sponsor income thresholds.
The rules that catch people out
You must be outside New Zealand when you apply, and outside New Zealand when the visa is granted. A parent already in the country on another visitor visa cannot switch onshore. With processing running around four months, that is a long time to be committed to being offshore.
The third-year check requires you to leave. A health and insurance check falls in the third year of the visa, and the holder must depart New Zealand for it. This is a designed feature, not an inconvenience — the visa is built as a long visit, not as settlement.
Medical waivers are not available. On most visa types, an applicant who does not meet the acceptable standard of health can ask for a medical waiver. On this visa there is no waiver to ask for. Health is a hard gate. See the acceptable standard of health, explained and medical waivers for NZ visa applications.
Health insurance is mandatory and must be maintained. Immigration New Zealand sets minimum cover levels for emergency medical care, cancer treatment, repatriation and return of remains, and the cover must be held for the whole stay, not just at the start.
You cannot work in New Zealand. Remote work for an employer outside New Zealand is permitted, as it is on visitor visas generally since 27 January 2025 — see remote work on a visitor visa. Study is limited to three months in any 12-month period.
What has not changed
- The Parent Resident Visa still exists and is still the only parent route that leads to residence. Its selection model changes on 5 October 2026 — see Parent Category selection changes.
- The Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa still exists, unchanged, for shorter stays.
- The Parent Category quota is unchanged at 2,500 places a year. Parent Boost did not expand it.
- Parent Boost is excluded from the Pacific visitor visa fee reduction that ran from 1 June 2026 — see the Pacific visitor visa fee reduction.
- There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. Immigration New Zealand's fee page still describes its rates as current "as of 1 October 2024".
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Parent Boost Visitor Visa?
A multi-entry visitor visa for parents sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident. It allows up to five years in New Zealand and opened for applications on 29 September 2025. It is a temporary visa and does not lead to residence.
How much does Parent Boost cost?
From NZ$3,100: an NZ$1,940 application fee, an NZ$1,060 immigration levy and the NZ$100 IVL. A third-year health and insurance check costs a further NZ$325, or NZ$240 with a concession.
Does Parent Boost lead to residence in New Zealand?
No. Immigration New Zealand states that it does not give a pathway to a resident visa. The only parent route to residence is the Parent Resident Visa, which is separate and capped.
How long can a parent stay on Parent Boost?
Up to five years on the first visa, multi-entry. A second visa may be granted, to a maximum of two visas and ten years in total.
Can I apply for Parent Boost from inside New Zealand?
No. You must be outside New Zealand both when you apply and when the visa is granted.
What income do I need for Parent Boost?
Either your sponsor meets the sponsor income threshold, or you qualify on your own finances. As at 30 April 2026 the applicant's own route requires annual income of NZ$33,663.24 (NZ$51,182.56 with a partner) or personal funds of NZ$170,000 (NZ$260,000 with a partner). Earlier figures circulating online are superseded.
Can I get a medical waiver for Parent Boost?
No. Medical waivers are not available on this visa, so the health requirements must be met outright. A medical examination and chest x-ray are required, and the evidence must be less than three months old at submission.
How long does a Parent Boost application take?
Around four months, as published on 20 August 2026. Immigration New Zealand updates processing figures weekly and publishes no last-updated stamp on those pages, so check the current figure before planning travel.
Can my parents work while they are here on Parent Boost?
Not in New Zealand. Remote work for an employer outside New Zealand is permitted. Study is capped at three months in any 12-month period. See can I bring my parents to New Zealand?
This page is general information, not immigration advice. New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and we do not assess anyone's individual circumstances. For advice about your own case, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer, and check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register.
