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Parent Resident Visa 2026: The New Queue and Ballot Explained

From 5 October 2026 Parent Resident Visa expressions of interest sit in one pool: about 90% are selected in date order and about 10% by random ballot, four times a year, with a cap of 2,500 visas a year. The first selection under the new model is on 10 November 2026. EOIs no longer expire after 2 years if the holder confirms within the required window.

New Zealand's Parent Resident Visa has never been a simple application. A parent, grandparent or legal guardian of a New Zealand citizen or resident first lodges an expression of interest (EOI), then waits to be selected, and only people invited to apply can lodge the residence application. On 5 October 2026 Immigration New Zealand (INZ) changed the way EOIs are selected. Under the old settings an EOI expired after two years if it was not selected. The new model puts every valid EOI into a single pool, selects most in the order they were received and a minority by random ballot, and no longer lets EOIs lapse automatically if the holder confirms they want to stay. INZ announced the change on 8 August 2026 and put it into effect on 5 October. This guide sets out the rules as INZ published them, including dates, deadlines, fees and the sponsor income tables, read on 9 October 2026. It explains how the process works. It does not say whether any family is likely to be selected or which visa fits them, and applying the rules to a family's facts is advice only a licensed immigration adviser or a lawyer can give.

What changed on 5 October 2026

INZ's page "2026 changes to the Parent Resident Visa EOI selection process" gives the core of the change: "From 5 October, all eligible EOIs submitted for the Parent Resident Visa go into the parent category EOI pool." The page states the aim as providing "a fairer and more predictable process for families, while continuing to give newer applicants an opportunity to be selected". The Government announced the change on 8 August 2026.

The key features, as INZ publishes them:

One pool. All valid EOIs sit in the parent category EOI pool.

A hybrid method. At each of the selections in a year, "approximately 90% of EOIs will be selected through the parent category EOI pool with the earliest EOIs selected first" and "10% will be selected through a random ballot". On each selection date, EOIs are chosen from the queue in date order, followed by the ballot draw.

No automatic expiry. Under the old system EOIs expired after 2 years if not selected. INZ says that from 5 October 2026 EOIs in the pool "do not automatically expire after 2 years", provided the holder confirms their interest.

What did not change. The annual cap of 2,500 Parent Resident Visas, four selections a year, the visa criteria and the application process stay the same. INZ's 8 August announcement adds: "The changes affect how EOIs are selected for an invitation to apply and do not change visa eligibility requirements."

INZ also expects demand to exceed places: "As demand is expected to remain higher than the number of places available, some applicants may still wait some time before being selected."

Dates: when selections happen

INZ gives these dates:

5 October 2026: the new selection method starts and existing EOIs move into the pool.

10 November 2026: the first selection under the new model, "Tuesday 10 November 2026", with EOIs selected from the queue (about 90%) and by ballot (about 10%).

INZ's selection page says selections occur in 4 months each year and "generally take place on the second Tuesday of the relevant month". The last selection under the old settings was scheduled for 11 August 2026, which was also a second Tuesday. INZ's pages name August and November as selection months in these examples, and its pages read on 9 October 2026 do not list all four months, so INZ's selection page is the place to confirm later dates.

The cut-off for inclusion: "To be included in a selection, your EOI must be submitted by the last day of the month before the selection. For example, submit your EOI on or before 31 July to be in an August selection." By the same rule, an EOI has to be submitted by 31 October 2026 to be in the 10 November 2026 selection.

INZ says it will email EOI holders about updates and when draws occur, and asks people to keep their email details current and to check junk and spam folders.

The queue, the ballot and the transitional rule

How the pool works, in INZ's terms:

The queue. EOIs are queued by the date they were submitted. About 90% of those selected at each selection come from the front of the queue.

The ballot. About 10% are selected by random ballot from the pool. INZ does not publish an exact number or percentage for any one draw, only "approximately".

The cap. "We select enough to reach 2,500 visa approvals each year." The annual limit is of visa approvals, and INZ's news item says up to 2,500 can be approved each financial year.

Queue positions. INZ's 5 October news item says queue positions "are still being finalised and are not yet available" and asks people not to contact INZ for a position. It says INZ will contact eligible EOI holders directly.

The transitional rule for people who have had more than one EOI. INZ's page says an EOI holder "may receive an earlier queue position, based on the date of their expired EOI", if any later EOI was submitted within 90 days of the previous EOI expiring. INZ's example: a first EOI in November 2022 that expired and was replaced within 90 days gets a queue place based on November 2022. If the current EOI is the first one, or was submitted more than 90 days after the previous one expired, its own submission date is the queue position.

One person must appear on all the EOIs in the chain. INZ's page explains that if two people were named and they swapped roles (for example the principal and the partner), the transitional rule needs the same person named on all of them.

Existing EOIs. If an EOI had not expired before 5 October 2026, INZ says it was transferred into the pool and the holder does not need to do anything. If an EOI expired on or before 4 October 2026 and a new one was submitted, INZ asks the person to wait to hear from it.

Staying in the pool: the confirmation form

The no-expiry rule has a condition. INZ states it plainly: "This applies provided that people with EOIs in the pool confirm their interest to remain in the pool." The mechanism is the online "Confirmation of Parent Resident Visa expression of interest (EOI)" form, with this deadline: "You must submit your confirmation form within 6 months of each 2-year anniversary of submitting your current EOI."

INZ's worked example: an EOI submitted on 1 May 2026 has a next 2-year anniversary on 1 May 2028; six months from then is 1 November 2028; the confirmation must be in "before midnight 1 November 2028".

Consequences: "If you do not submit it on time, your EOI will expire and be removed from the pool." INZ says this is the holder's responsibility, that it will send a reminder email, and that no additional fee is required for confirming (INZ's 8 August announcement). Keeping contact details current is therefore part of the process, because INZ's reminder goes to the email on file.

Other upkeep rules on INZ's pages:

An EOI can be updated using the Parent Category Expression of Interest Update Form (INZ 1249), emailed to INZ, and withdrawn by contacting INZ with a client, EOI or passport number.

Only one EOI per person can be in the pool: "You can only be included in 1 EOI." If an EOI in the pool includes someone already in another EOI, INZ contacts the holders to confirm which to remove, and if there is no response the most recently submitted one is removed.

A partner must be included in the EOI if they are to be included in the later residence application: INZ's update page notes that a partner not included in the EOI cannot apply for residence based on the partnership later.

Fees and what selection leads to

From INZ's fee finder (queried for an Indian passport holder applying from India, read 9 October 2026), the Parent Resident Visa has two stages with two fees:

EOI: NZD 450, charged to process the EOI and not refunded if the EOI is declined. INZ's EOI instructions say an EOI is not considered if the fee is not paid within 7 days.

Residence application: NZD 5,360, with a published processing time of "80% within 11 months", including a non-refundable immigration levy. INZ's visa page shows the combined starting cost as NZD 5,810.

Fees vary by passport and country of residence, and the finder should be re-run on the day. INZ says no documents are needed when the EOI is submitted, but the EOI asks for details about identity, character and health, English-speaking ability, family inside and outside New Zealand, the partner, and the sponsor or sponsors including their income.

When an EOI is selected, INZ says it goes through a checking process, after which the person is "invited to apply for the Parent Resident Visa or advised if your EOI will be declined". An invitation to apply has a 4-month validity: "Apply within this timeframe as we cannot give you any extension to this." If the application is not submitted in 4 months, INZ says a new EOI must be submitted. INZ lists selected EOIs in a lookup tool on its successful EOIs page, searchable by EOI number.

The application itself cannot be made online and uses the Parent Category Residence Application (INZ 1206) and a sponsorship form (INZ 1024) completed by the sponsoring child.

The sponsor rules that sit behind the EOI

The selection change does not alter who can sponsor. INZ's visa page and income page set these rules, which a family should read before an EOI is lodged:

The sponsoring child must be a New Zealand citizen or resident aged 18 or over, who has held that status for at least 3 years before the residence application, lives in New Zealand, and has spent 184 or more days in New Zealand in each of the 3 years before the application. A child with residence through an Australian passport or Australian residence must live in New Zealand.

Sponsors can be one adult child, or an adult child jointly with their partner or with another adult child of a parent in the application. A partner relationship used for joint sponsorship must be genuine, with at least 12 months of living together.

Income. A sponsor must have earned at least a minimum income in 2 twelve-month periods within the 3-year period before the EOI was selected. For one sponsor the amount is 1.5 times the New Zealand median wage for one parent, plus half the median wage for each extra parent; for two sponsors it is 2 times the median wage, plus half the median for each extra parent. Joint sponsors must use the same 12-month periods. Only taxable income that appears on Inland Revenue documents counts.

INZ's table lists the median wage and the resulting minimums by effective date. For the row effective from 30 April 2026 onwards the median wage is NZD 72,800, and one sponsor sponsoring one parent needs NZD 109,200, two parents NZD 145,600; two sponsors sponsoring one parent need NZD 145,600, two parents NZD 182,000. For periods ending from 28 February 2025 to 29 April 2026 the median was NZD 69,804.80 (one sponsor, one parent: NZD 104,707.30 in INZ's table), and the table runs back through earlier years. The tables are INZ's, and its page also explains which median applies to which 12-month period.

Sponsors also agree to meet the parent's living costs for the first 10 years of residence and the costs of sending them home if necessary.

Other options INZ lists, and where an adviser fits

INZ's update page names two other options for parents and grandparents: the Parent Retirement Resident Visa, which needs specified amounts to be invested in New Zealand, and the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, a 3-year multiple-entry visitor visa. They have their own rules and are separate from the EOI pool. INZ's Parent Boost Visitor Visa is a further visitor option with its own rules; see our guide to it.

Which option, if any, suits a family, whether a sponsor's income meets the tables for the 12-month periods available to them, and how the transitional queue rule treats an earlier EOI are all questions that apply INZ's rules to a family's facts. That is immigration advice under New Zealand law, and only a licensed immigration adviser, a lawyer with a practising certificate or an exempt person can give it. People tend to seek help before lodging an EOI, when a confirmation deadline approaches, or after a selection and invitation, when a 4-month window starts. A licensed adviser must agree scope and fees in writing under the Code of Conduct (cl. 17–19), and anyone who guarantees selection is promising something no adviser controls: selection depends on the queue, a random ballot and an annual cap.

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the IAA's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or route fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How does the Parent Resident Visa ballot work from October 2026?

INZ says that from 5 October 2026 all valid EOIs sit in one pool. At each selection about 90% are chosen in date order, earliest first, and about 10% by random ballot. The first selection is on 10 November 2026 (INZ, read 9 October 2026).

Does my Parent Resident Visa EOI still expire after 2 years?

Not automatically. INZ says EOIs in the pool no longer expire after 2 years provided the holder submits the confirmation form within 6 months of each 2-year anniversary of the current EOI. If it is not submitted on time, the EOI expires and is removed.

How many Parent Resident Visas does New Zealand approve a year?

INZ says the annual cap of 2,500 Parent Resident Visas does not change under the 2026 reforms.

What does the Parent Resident Visa cost?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 450 for the EOI and NZD 5,360 for the residence application (Indian passport holder applying from India, read 9 October 2026), with fees varying by passport and residence. The visa page shows the combined starting cost as NZD 5,810.

How long do I have to apply after being invited?

INZ says an invitation to apply is valid for 4 months, with no extension. If the application is not submitted in that time, a new EOI must be submitted.

Can I find out my queue position?

INZ's 5 October 2026 news item says queue positions were still being finalised and asks people not to contact INZ for them. It says it will contact eligible EOI holders directly.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Parent Boost Visitor Visa NZ: Income, Insurance and Fees — The Parent Boost Visitor Visa lets parents of New Zealand citizens or residents visit for up to 5 years, with a health and insurance check in year 3. INZ showed NZD 3,100 and an expected processing time of around 4 months on 9 October 2026; a person can hold only 2 of these visas and it does not lead to residence.
  • Dependent Child Resident Visa NZ: How the Rules Work — The Dependent Child Resident Visa lets a New Zealand citizen or resident bring a single, dependent child aged 24 or younger to live in New Zealand. INZ showed NZD 3,230 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026; the child's resident visa carries the same section 49 conditions as the parent's.
  • NZ Permanent Resident Visa: The 2-Year Rules and Five Commitment Tests — The Permanent Resident Visa is for people who have held a resident visa for at least 2 years in a row and can show commitment to New Zealand in one of five set ways, of which the 184-days-a-year test is only one. INZ showed NZD 315 and 80% within 2 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: How It Works — The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is for people whose partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident and who have lived with that partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months. INZ showed NZD 5,360 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026.
  • Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category Ballots — Both are annual ballots. The 2026 Samoan Quota had 1,100 places and the Pacific Access Category 650 (250 Fiji, 250 Tonga, 75 Kiribati, 75 Tuvalu). INZ shows 2026 registrations as closed and says 2027 reopening dates will be announced in 2027.
  • NZ Immigration Changes 2026: A Dated Timeline — This is a dated list of 2026 changes announced by INZ or Govt.nz, in order of effective date. Each entry says whether it is in force or still to come. Nothing here is a proposal unless it is labelled that way. Read on 10 October 2026.