New Zealand to reopen Parent Visa Category in February 2020
October 24, 2019
New Zealand has announced that it will reopen it's Parent Resident Visa Category in February 2020 with new criteria that applicants and sponsors must meet.
They are not accepting expressions of interest (EOIs) until the visa reopens in Feb 2020 and will start selecting EOIs in May 2020.
Changes to the visa will include:
- 1000 places will be made available annually
- Removing the 2- tier system
- Introducing new financial requirements for sponsors
- Asking sponsors to provide evidence of their annual income through tax statements
- Removing option to meet financial eligibility through parents lifetime income or settlement funds
The financial requirements for the Parent Resident Visa can only be met through the income of the sponsor and their partner. Sponsors will be required to provide evidence of their annual income for two out of the three years before the application is lodged.