Auckland (The NZ Today)
Thousands of migrant families waiting to bring their parents permanently to New Zealand are set to get a more predictable path under a major overhaul of the Parent Resident Visa selection system announced by Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.
From later this year, 90 percent of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) will be selected in chronological order, meaning people who have been waiting the longest will generally move first.
Only 10 percent of selections will continue through a random ballot, giving newer applicants a limited chance of being selected earlier.
The annual Parent Resident Visa cap will remain unchanged at 2,500 places per financial year.
Stanford said the change was designed to move family reunification away from being largely dependent on chance while recognising that demand for the visa continues to be much greater than the number of places available.
She described the existing ballot as an “arbitrary” process that had caused uncertainty and stress for families, some of whom have been waiting since 2022.
“This Government knows that family reunification is too important to be left to random chance and we have delivered the change that is needed,” Stanford said.
*Final Draw Under Current System on August 11*
The final selection under the existing ballot system will take place on Tuesday, August 11.
The new EOI settings will come into effect on October 5, with the first selection under the 90-10 hybrid model scheduled for November 10.
The change means the date an applicant originally entered the system will become far more important than it is under the current random selection process.
*EOIs Will No Longer Expire Every Two Years*
One of the biggest changes for families already waiting is the removal of the existing two-year EOI expiry rule.
Under the new system, EOIs will no longer automatically expire after two years, as long as applicants confirm they want to remain in the process and keep their details up to date.
Families will therefore no longer have to repeatedly submit another EOI and pay an additional fee simply because they were not selected within two years.
For people whose current EOI expires before October 5, however, a new EOI will still need to be lodged.
Those whose EOI expires on or after October 5 will not need to reapply.
There is also an important provision for families who have already had to resubmit an EOI after the previous one expired.
If the replacement EOI was submitted within 90 days of the original one expiring, the applicant will be placed in the chronological queue according to the date of their original submission, rather than the later resubmission date.
*Families Will Be Told Their Place in the Queue*
People who already have a valid EOI will be contacted in October and told where they sit in the new chronological queue.
That will give families something the existing ballot has largely been unable to provide — an indication of their relative position and how many applicants are ahead of them.
As of July 23, 2026, there were 7,706 valid EOIs covering 11,602 people in the Parent Resident Visa ballot pool.
With only 2,500 residence places available each financial year, the Government has cautioned that the changes will not eliminate waiting times.
Stanford said there was no perfect way to distribute a limited number of visas when demand was significantly higher, but argued the new model would be fairer and give long-waiting families greater certainty.
*Visa Requirements Are Not Being Relaxed*
The changes apply to how EOIs are selected, not to the core eligibility requirements for residence.
Parents will still need to meet all applicable requirements, including health, character and relationship criteria, while their New Zealand-based child or children must meet the relevant sponsorship requirements.
The Parent Resident Visa allows eligible parents of New Zealand citizens and residents to settle here permanently.
It is also separate from the recently introduced Parent Boost Visa, which is a long-term visitor visa and does not provide a pathway to residence.
Stanford said parents often play an important role for migrant families, including helping with children, providing support during difficult periods and allowing extended families to remain connected after establishing their lives in New Zealand.
