New Zealand will be offering a new type of visa as of 20 September. The Parent Boost Visitor visa gives parents the opportunity to stay with their adult children in New Zealand for a long period of time.
Have your children moved to New Zealand?
If this is the case, you can apply for this visa if you want to stay with your children for a long period. In order to be able apply for your visa, you must first meet a number of requirements.
What requirements apply to this visa?
You must be outside New Zealand at the moment you submit your application. You must also be able to prove (through a medical examination) that you are in good health and have a good behaviour. Furthermore, you must have a “sponsor”, namely an adult child who is a resident or citizen of New Zealand. You must also have enough economic resources to finance your stay. You can declare your own income or your sponsor's. It is also mandatory to have a Health insurance with sufficient coverage. Your insurance must cover the costs of emergency care, cancer treatment, repatriation or transport to your home country in the event of death. In order to obtain the visa, the New Zealand authorities must be convinced that you intend to leave the country once the visa expires.
What are the other rules regarding the Parent Boost Visitor visa?
Parents must arrive in New Zealand within in the six months following the granting of the visa. The length of stay is calculated from the moment the parents arrive in New Zealand. The Parent Boost Visitor visa is a multiple-entry visa, which means that parents may leave the country and return multiple times. After three years, it must be proved that the health insurance is still valid. If you have complied with all the rules, after five years you can apply for a five-year extension. In total, parents with this visa can stay in New Zealand for up to ten years.
What is the reason for introducing this visa?
This type of visa is aimed at parents of foreign young adults who want to join their children living in New Zealand. The goal is to strengthen family ties between parents and children. This allows parents to stay with their children for a long time. In this way, the interests of international families in New Zealand are supported, yet the national healthcare system is protected from overload. New Zealand is actually trying to become more attractive to highly educated international migrants.
How much does the Parent Boost Visitor visa cost and how long is the processing time?
For most applicants, the Parent Boost Visitor visa costs NZD 3,000 (approx. EUR 1,500). Some nationalities are eligible for a reduced rate of NZD 2,450. This mainly applies to nations in the Pacific islands. The quoted prices include the tourist tax (International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy) of 100 NZD (ca. 50 EUR). The New Zealand Immigration Service states that the processing time for this visa is 4 months.
How many expats currently live in New Zealand?
According to the Migration Policy Institute in 2023 at least 29% of New Zealand's population came from abroad. That is a total of 1.4 million people. The main countries of origin are England, China, India, the Philippines, South Africa and Australia. The Parent Boost Visitor visa has a large target group.
Do you want to visit New Zealand for a short family visit, a holiday or a business trip?
In that case, you can use the NZeTA. This is a mandatory electronic travel authorisation for New Zealand that you can apply for on this website using a application form with clear explanations The NZeTA is the cheapest and fastest way to comply with New Zealand's visa requirements. Here you will find information about these requirements. The NZeTA is valid for 2 years and allows you to travel to New Zealand an unlimited number of times. Most travellers are allowed to stay in the country for 3 months with this visa. British travellers are even allowed to stay in New Zealand for 6 consecutive months Find out more about the validity period.. Do you dream of a holiday in New Zealand? Don't wait any longer and apply for your visa now.