Immigration New Zealand (INZ) can grant 2,500 Parent Category Resident Visas each financial year. This currently consists of 2,000 visas to people who made ‘queue’ applications and 500 to people who made ‘ballot’ applications.

INZ has approved in principle more Parent Category Resident Visas to people who made queue applications than we are normally allowed to grant this financial year (until 30 June 2025). The Minister of Immigration has agreed to a one-off increase for this financial year to allow us to issue visas to an additional 331 people who have been approved in principle. We will contact those people, or their advisers, directly to confirm they are happy for us to issue their visas under the new instructions.

We will continue issuing visas from the ballot this financial year until 500 have been issued.

The annual Parent Category Resident Visa quota will remain at 2,500 for the next financial year, covering both queue and ballot applications.

While processing for applications where visas cannot be granted this financial year (i.e. for those that would be granted beyond the increased quota) has slowed in recent months, the speed will pick up again towards the end of the financial year. Any questions can be directed to ParentResidence@mbie.govt.nz or to the relevant Immigration Officer if the application has already been assigned.