The Parent Resident Visa selection process changed on 5 October 2026. Existing holders of valid expressions of interest do not need to resubmit them. The official announcement below sets out the new selection split and the timing of the first round.
Official notice from Immigration New Zealand, originally published 2026-10-05. The full announcement is reproduced below in its original English. References to “we” and “us” refer to Immigration New Zealand.
Official announcement
From 5 October 2026, all valid Parent Resident Visa expressions of interest (EOIs) have moved into a single pool under the new hybrid selection model.
Approximately 90% of EOIs will be selected in date order through a queue, while around 10% will be selected through a random ballot. The annual limit of 2,500 visas approvals in principle remains unchanged.
If you had a valid EOI on 5 October 2026, you do not need to take any action.
Existing EOI holders will receive information about their queue position once final ordering and transitional arrangements have been completed.
Queue positions are still being finalised and are not yet available. Please do not contact Immigration New Zealand to request your queue position. We will contact eligible EOI holders directly as soon as this information is available.
The first selection round under the new hybrid model is scheduled for 10 November 2026.
Check the following page for updates about the next EOI selection and common questions about the changes.
2026 changes to the Parent Resident Visa EOI selection process
Source and reuse
Crown copyright © 2026. Original content: Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Read the official announcement.
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence, in accordance with INZ’s reuse policy. Asian Insider added the headline, introduction and illustration and adjusted formatting and relative links. The official announcement wording is unchanged. This republication does not imply government endorsement.
Editorial introduction prepared and source checked on 12 October 2026. For subsequent changes, use the official links above.
