Latest news with #ParentBoostVisa
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Migrant communities celebrate parent visa, amid concerns it'll lock many out
Parents and their sponsor will need to meet a range of health and income requirements to qualify for the new visa. Photo: RNZ Migrant communities are hailing a new visa which will allow parents of New Zealand citizens and residents to visit multiple times over a five-year period. Applications for the visa - announced by the government yesterday - will open from 29 September, with parents and their sponsor needing to meet a range of health and income requirements. But the Green Party has concerns it would lock out all but the most wealthy. The Parent Boost visa allows migrants to sponsor their parents to visit and stay in New Zealand for up to five years, with the option to extend for five more. The prime minister said it would mean a lot for many families. "Many, many other countries around the world have started to back off from visas like this. But it's so important to our migrant community, when we know how hard they work, and what they're doing to try and raise their families and strengthen their communities, and we want to be able to support them in this way," Christopher Luxon said. To get the visa, parents will need to have an eligible sponsor, meet acceptable character and health standards, and have at least one year of health insurance coverage providing emergency medical cover, repatriation, return of remains, and cancer treatment. While offshore during the third year of their visa, the parent would need to complete a new medical assessment and demonstrate they had maintained their insurance. The sponsor must also earn the median wage to sponsor one parent, or one and a half times the median wage for both parents. Otherwise, the parent or parents must have an ongoing income aligning with the superannuation rate, or have available funds of $160,000 for a single parent or $250,000 for both, to see them through the duration of their visa. Both National and ACT campaigned on a parent visitor visa in 2023. The policy was secured in the coalition agreement, although ACT wanted an annual $3500 fee, which would go into a public health fund, and ensure the visa was self-funding. ACT immigration spokesperson Parmjeet Parmar was at the announcement and while she was celebrating it, she said she did not want to see any situations where migrants were forced to remortgage their house to pay for emergency hospital bills. "Having a health insurance component is helpful, but sometimes it can also be a risk if the health insurance co-pay doesn't cover the cost, because I don't want to see any sponsor in any kind of debt," she said. Immigration minister Erica Stanford said the insurance component was necessary. "When you come to New Zealand on a visitor visa, there is no ability for you to go into the public service and receive healthcare. That's why, when you're here for five years, there needs to be that insurance component," she said. Insurance from an overseas provider would also be eligible. Luxon was confident the right balance had been struck. "We have to find the balance where you've got visitors from overseas who then want to access public services in New Zealand, but yet they haven't been taxpayers for 40 years, and that's not fair on New Zealanders who are here. But equally, we don't want it to be so onerous and unachievable," Luxon said. Ethnic and Faith Communities Network convenor Abdur Razzaq said the announcement was a long time coming, and was a significant step towards ensuring ethnic minorities in New Zealand would feel like they were part of New Zealand's fabric. "What we have got now is families who can be actually families," he said. He said many doctors, engineers, and IT professionals had been leaving New Zealand because their parents could not come. "Canada has had this for a long time, and it's worked." Razzaq believed it struck the right balance so there would not be burdens on the health and housing sectors. Daljit Singh from the Supreme Sikh Society said he had been lobbying Parliament for this kind of visa for years. "It's a benefit to every migrant in this country. It is the opportunity for parents to stay with their children," he said. But Singh continued to have concerns about the income thresholds. "There is still a gap between rich and poor. Everybody wants, actually, to stay with their parents." The Green Party's immigration spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said the income requirements would lock out thousands of migrant families. "Low-waged workers that National called essential during the pandemic will be missing out on being able to have their parents living with them in their new homeland," he said. Menéndez March had concerns that when the visas expired, migrants would end up sending more money offshore instead of in New Zealand, and using up weeks of leave to see their ageing parents. The visa is not a pathway to residency. Parents would not be able to work in New Zealand, but would be able to do remote work for their offshore employer. Luxon said checks and balances would be in place to ensure parents and their sponsors met their obligations. "I know people will respect it, but it's really important that people meet their obligations, and so there will be stronger enforcement as well associated to make sure that people are not abusing the system or taking advantage of the system," he said. The existing $441 Parent and Grandparent visitor visa allows relatives to stay for six months at a time, for a maximum of 18 months over a three year period. A separate Parent Resident visa lets parents live in New Zealand indefinitely, but comes with English language requirements, costs $5810, and needs an expression of interest before being invited to apply. They can apply for permanent residence after ten years. There is also a Parent Retirement Resident visa which costs $12,850, and requires parents to have an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident living in New Zealand, have at least $1 million to invest in New Zealand for four years and at least $500,000 for settlement, and an annual income of at least $60,000. After the four years, the parent can apply for permanent residence. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Parent Visa Delivers On ACT Commitment
Press Release – ACT New Zealand Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the delivery of an ACT coalition commitment in the form of the Parent Boost Visa. 'The Parent Boost Visa aligns closely with the policy ACT campaigned on in 2023. I'm proud to see our commitment to a renewable, multi-year parent visa come to life, enabling migrants to spend meaningful time with their parents and grandparents. 'The new visa means skilled migrants can come to New Zealand with confidence they can have their parents around when they welcome a new child, or when they need support during challenges or help with childcare. 'Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. 'ACT's 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund. The Parent Boost Visa's alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers. 'ACT remains open to immigration reforms that attract the world's brightest while protecting local taxpayers.' The Parent Boost Visa opens for applications on 29 September 2025.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Parent Visa Delivers On ACT Commitment
Press Release – ACT New Zealand Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the delivery of an ACT coalition commitment in the form of the Parent Boost Visa. 'The Parent Boost Visa aligns closely with the policy ACT campaigned on in 2023. I'm proud to see our commitment to a renewable, multi-year parent visa come to life, enabling migrants to spend meaningful time with their parents and grandparents. 'The new visa means skilled migrants can come to New Zealand with confidence they can have their parents around when they welcome a new child, or when they need support during challenges or help with childcare. 'Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. 'ACT's 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund. The Parent Boost Visa's alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers. 'ACT remains open to immigration reforms that attract the world's brightest while protecting local taxpayers.' The Parent Boost Visa opens for applications on 29 September 2025.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Bringing Families Together With Parent Boost
The Government is delivering on its commitment to support parents living offshore to visit and stay with their families in New Zealand for longer, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford say. Beginning in September, a new 'Parent Boost' visa would grant the parents of New Zealand citizens and residents multi-entry access for up to five years, provided they meet specific health, income, and insurance requirements. 'In order to drive economic growth, we need to incentivise skilled migrants to choose New Zealand,' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. 'Ensuring we continue to attract the right people with the skills this country needs will deliver significant economic and social benefits for all New Zealanders.' 'We know that a longer-term visitor visa for parents is an important consideration for migrants who are deciding where they want to build their lives,' Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says. 'Whether it be welcoming a new child, additional support during health challenges or providing childcare so parents can work, there is nothing quite like having family support close by.' 'We are proud to deliver this coalition agreement between National and ACT, which will make the New Zealand proposition more appealing and more competitive.' To be eligible for a Parent Boost visa, applicants must: have an eligible sponsor who is a New Zealand citizen or resident meet Acceptable Standard of Health requirements demonstrate they have at least one year of health insurance coverage which provides emergency medical cover (of at least up to $250,000), repatriation, return of remains and cancer treatment (of at least $100,000) and maintain this insurance for the entire duration they are in New Zealand meet character requirements and be a bona fide / genuine visitor while offshore during the 3rd year of the multiple entry visitor visa, complete a new medical assessment and demonstrate they have maintained their insurance One of the following income requirements must also be met: The sponsor must earn the median wage to sponsor one parent, joint sponsors must earn 1.5x the median wage; or The parent/s have an ongoing income aligning with the single rate of New Zealand Superannuation for a single parent and the couple rate for a couple; or The parent/s have available funds of $160,000 for a single parent and $250,000 for a couple to support themselves for the duration of their visa 'The Parent Boost Visa strikes the balance of making New Zealand more attractive for people who want to make our beautiful country their home, without putting additional strain on public services,' Ms Stanford says. 'We are committed to delivering an efficient and predictable immigration system that drives economic growth to take New Zealand forward.' Parent Boost applications open on 29 September 2025. The sponsor must also remain living in New Zealand while visa holder is onshore and are liable for any costs incurred in relation to the visa holder during the visa duration Applicants will be able to renew the visa once, meaning the maximum length of their visit could be 10 years. People will need to spend three months out of New Zealand prior to getting their second Parent Boost visa.
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Parent Visa Delivers On ACT Commitment
ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the delivery of an ACT coalition commitment in the form of the Parent Boost Visa. "The Parent Boost Visa aligns closely with the policy ACT campaigned on in 2023. I'm proud to see our commitment to a renewable, multi-year parent visa come to life, enabling migrants to spend meaningful time with their parents and grandparents. "The new visa means skilled migrants can come to New Zealand with confidence they can have their parents around when they welcome a new child, or when they need support during challenges or help with childcare. "Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. "ACT's 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund. The Parent Boost Visa's alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers. "ACT remains open to immigration reforms that attract the world's brightest while protecting local taxpayers." The Parent Boost Visa opens for applications on 29 September 2025.
