Parent Category Resident Visa — EOI capped 2,500 p.a.

Build a Parent Category Resident Visa strategy for [PARENT_NAME] (age [PARENT_AGE]) sponsored by [SPONSOR_NAME] (income NZD [SPONSOR_INCOME_NZD]). Total parents: [NUMBER_OF_PARENTS].

§1 — PARENT CATEGORY OVERVIEW (90-110 words)
INZ Parent Resident Visa under F4 instructions. Following 2022 reform:
  • Annual cap: 2,500 visas
  • Two-tier EOI ballot:
    - Tier 1: 500 places via priority queue (existing EOIs from pre-reform pool)
    - Tier 2: 2,000 places via ballot from new EOIs
  • Selection: monthly ballot from current EOI pool
  • EOI valid 2 years; can refresh
  • Selected → invited to apply
  • Application processing 6-18 months
For Indian-cohort: India is one of the top source countries — ballot competition significant.

§2 — INCOME REQUIREMENTS (110-140 words)
[SPONSOR_NAME] must meet:
  Single sponsor + 1 parent:
    • Annual income ≥ NZD 50,000 (2024 figure; verify current — indexed to median wage)
  Single sponsor + 2 parents:
    • Annual income ≥ NZD 75,000
  Two sponsors (joint, e.g., applicant child + their partner) + 1 parent:
    • Joint income ≥ NZD 75,000
  Two sponsors + 2 parents:
    • Joint income ≥ NZD 100,000

Income verified via 2 years of NZ tax records (IR3 OR PAYE). [SPONSOR_INCOME_NZD] must demonstrably meet threshold for [NUMBER_OF_PARENTS] parents.

Some sponsors pool income with siblings to meet threshold — only joint partners' income recognized, not extended family.

§3 — DEPENDENCY DEFINITION (60-80 words)
Parent must NOT have:
  • Other adult children resident in same home country
  • OR other adult children must have lower means than NZ sponsor
"Sole-or-best support" test relaxed in 2022 reform but still requires showing NZ-sponsor is dominant supporter. For [PARENT_NAME] with multiple children in India: needs explanation of why NZ-sponsor is best placed.

§4 — HEALTH + CHARACTER + CHARACTER (60-80 words)
  • Medical examination at INZ-approved panel doctor in India
  • Health threshold: significant cost or burden to NZ health system → declined
  • Chest X-ray + standard tests
  • Acceptable Standard of Health (ASH) waiver possible in compassionate cases
  • Police certificate from India + any 12-month country
  • Sponsor undertaking — accommodation + financial support for first 10 years; can be enforced

§5 — EOI + APPLICATION PROCESS (110-140 words)
  Stage 1: EOI lodgement
    • Online via INZ Parent Category EOI portal
    • Fee: NZD 530 [VERIFY current]
    • Validity: 2 years; can refresh

  Stage 2: Selection via monthly ballot
    • All current EOIs in pool
    • Random selection (Tier 2)
    • No points - chance-based
    • Selected EOIs notified by email

  Stage 3: Invitation to Apply
    • 4 months to submit residence application
    • Fee: NZD 4,290-4,890 [VERIFY]
    • Documents: parent + sponsor identity, income evidence, dependency declarations, medical, police certificate, family tree

  Stage 4: Processing
    • 6-18 months typical
    • May involve verification calls / interviews
    • Outcome: Parent Resident Visa OR refusal

§6 — INDIAN-COHORT REALITY + ALTERNATIVES (50-70 words)
With 2,500 cap + heavy demand, EOI selection rate is ~30-40% per ballot cycle. Indian-cohort parents may wait 2-4 years through multiple EOI cycles.

Alternatives:
  • Parent Retirement Resident Visa (if AED-style retirement criteria available — limited)
  • Parent + Grandparent Visitor Visa (3-year multi-entry for visits, not residency)
  • Temporary retirement visa
  • Family-sponsored Visitor Visa (limited 18 months total)

End with: "DRAFT PARENT CATEGORY STRATEGY — for review by IAA-licensed adviser. Cap + ballot mean lodge EOI early, refresh after 2 years, plan parent visits via temporary Visitor Visa until selected. Sponsor income threshold revises with median wage — re-verify annually."