Parent Category Selection Changes on 5 October 2026
From 5 October 2026 the Parent Resident Visa stops being a pure random ballot. 90% of expressions of interest will be selected in date order — oldest first — and 10% will continue to be selected at random. The first selection under the new model is 10 November 2026. The annual quota of 2,500 places does not change.
Quick Facts
| Announced | 8 August 2026 |
| Takes effect | 5 October 2026 |
| New model | 90% selected in date order, 10% selected at random |
| First selection under the new model | 10 November 2026 |
| Last pure-ballot selection | 11 August 2026 — already past |
| Annual quota | 2,500 places a year — unchanged |
| Expression of interest fee | NZ$450 online · NZ$575 on paper |
| Existing EOIs | Transition automatically and keep their original submission date |
| EOI expiry | EOIs no longer expire, provided you confirm every 2 years that you want to stay in the pool. No extra fee |
| Processing | Average 7 months; 80% within 10 months — the slowest published residence visa |
What is changing
The Parent Resident Visa has been selected by pure random ballot. Everyone in the pool has had the same chance in each selection round, whether they lodged their expression of interest last month or four years ago. A person could wait years and still be behind someone who joined yesterday, because chance does not have a memory.
From 5 October 2026 that changes to a hybrid:
| Until 5 October 2026 | From 5 October 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Selection method | 100% random | 90% in date order, 10% random |
| Reward for waiting | None | Your submission date determines your queue position |
| Chance element | Total | Retained, at 10% |
| Annual quota | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| EOI expiry | 2 years | No expiry, with a 2-yearly confirmation |
The date-order component turns most of the pool into a queue. The 10% random component keeps a route for people who joined recently, so the queue does not become completely closed to new entrants.
The dates that matter
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 8 August 2026 | Change announced |
| 11 August 2026 | Last selection under the pure ballot — already past |
| 5 October 2026 | New model takes effect |
| 10 November 2026 | First selection under the new model |
Note what sits between 11 August and 10 November 2026: a gap of about three months with no selection. If you have been watching for a selection round since August, that is why there has not been one.
What this means for people already in the pool
Three published points, and they are the reassuring ones:
- Existing expressions of interest transition automatically. There is nothing to re-lodge and no new fee.
- You keep your original submission date. Time already spent in the pool becomes queue position rather than being reset. Under a pure ballot that waiting had no value at all; under the new model it does.
- EOIs no longer expire after two years. Instead you confirm every two years that you want to remain in the pool. There is no additional fee for that confirmation.
That last point creates a new obligation. Under the old model an EOI lapsed on its own. Under the new one it survives only if you keep confirming it. A missed confirmation is now a way to lose a queue position that may have taken years to build — and email addresses go stale over that timescale.
How the selection process works end to end is set out at Parent Category EOI selection, explained.
What has not changed
- The quota is still 2,500 places a year. The change alters who is selected, not how many. A queue does not create capacity.
- The eligibility rules are unchanged: a sponsoring child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident aged 18 or over, sponsor income thresholds, no dependent children of your own, health, character, and the requirement to speak and understand English or pay for lessons. See the Parent Resident Visa, explained.
- Sponsor income thresholds are set separately, and were updated on 30 April 2026 — see parent visa sponsor income thresholds.
- The two-stage process is unchanged: submit an expression of interest, wait for selection, and if invited, lodge the residence application within four months.
- The EOI fee is unchanged at NZ$450 online or NZ$575 on paper.
- Processing times are unchanged. As published on 20 August 2026 the Parent Resident Visa averages 7 months with 80% decided within 10 months — the slowest residence product Immigration New Zealand publishes. See residence application processing times.
- Parent Boost is a different visa entirely and is unaffected. It is a visitor visa with no residence pathway — see the Parent Boost Visitor Visa.
The ballot point, stated precisely
New Zealand runs very few genuinely random immigration selections. There are three: the Parent Category, the Pacific Access Category and the Samoan Quota.
From 5 October 2026 the Parent Category is only partly one — 10% of its selections. The other 90% is a queue.
This matters because "ballot" is used loosely in immigration writing, and applied to things that are not ballots at all. If a page tells you a capped visa scheme is a ballot, check it. Most capped New Zealand schemes are first come, first served, which is a completely different thing to plan around. See what the Pacific Access Category is and what the Samoan Quota is.
What to do differently now
- If you already have an expression of interest in the pool, your submission date is now an asset. Make sure Immigration New Zealand holds a current email address for you, because the two-yearly confirmation depends on it.
- If you are considering lodging one, the date you submit becomes your queue position from 5 October 2026. That is a change in what the submission date means, not advice about when to lodge.
- Do not expect a selection between 11 August and 10 November 2026.
- Budget for a long process either way. Selection is the start. The residence decision that follows averages seven months.
The first selection under the new model falls on 10 November 2026, three days after the general election on 7 November 2026. The dates are unrelated — the selection date was published in the 8 August 2026 announcement. See the 2026 general election and immigration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the New Zealand Parent Resident Visa still a ballot?
Partly. From 5 October 2026, 90% of selections are made in date order and 10% remain random. Before that date it was a pure random selection.
When is the next Parent Category selection?
The first selection under the new model is 10 November 2026. The last selection under the pure random model was 11 August 2026.
What happens to my existing Parent Category EOI?
It transitions automatically to the new model and keeps its original submission date, which determines your position in the date-order queue. No re-lodgement and no new fee.
Do Parent Category EOIs still expire after two years?
No. Under the new model they do not expire, provided you confirm every two years that you want to remain in the pool. There is no additional fee for the confirmation.
How much does a Parent Category expression of interest cost?
NZ$450 submitted online, or NZ$575 on paper.
Is the Parent Category quota increasing?
No. It remains 2,500 places a year. The change affects the order in which people are selected, not how many places exist.
How long does a Parent Resident Visa take to process?
As published on 20 August 2026, an average of 7 months with 80% of applications decided within 10 months. It is the slowest published residence visa. Selection comes first, and the wait for selection is separate from processing.
Can I bring my parents to New Zealand another way?
The Parent Resident Visa is the only parent route to residence. Temporary options are the Parent Boost Visitor Visa, which allows up to five years but gives no residence pathway, and the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa for shorter stays. See parent visa options compared and 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.
