Learn about Sponsorship for the Parent Resident Visa

Who can sponsor you?

Are you a parent looking to join your child/ern in New Zealand? If so, you may be eligible for the Parent Resident Visa. To qualify, you must be sponsored by

your adult New Zealand citizen or resident child, or
jointly by your child and their partner or another adult child.

Your sponsor(s) must have been residents for at least 3 years and earn a minimum income.

The required income varies depending on the number of parents being sponsored and the median wage for the relevant period.

Your sponsors must earn enough

To apply, you’ll need to submit your sponsor’s income information and proof of their relationship with you. Note that only taxable income counts towards the minimum income requirement. If your sponsor has previously sponsored other parents, this will also be taken into account in the income calculation.

To determine the minimal income of your sponsor

You must be aware of the following in order to determine your sponsor’s minimal income:

having one or two sponsors
how many parents are being supported, taking into account any additional parents they are presently sponsoring.
which two 12-month times will be used to evaluate your sponsor’s income
what the typical income in New Zealand was on the final day of each 12-month period used to evaluate your sponsor’s income.

You can verify the median wage in New Zealand over the last three years and the required income of your sponsors using the minimal income tables.

Note:

Up until February 27, 2023, Immigration NZ will continue to use $27.76 NZD per hour as the median salary. Unless your position is excluded, they will start using NZD $29.66 on February 27, 2023.
From February 2023, a new median salary will be in effect.

Table of minimum earnings: for one sponsor

This begins at 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand for a single parent and rises by half for each additional parent.

Effective date	NZ median wage	1 parent	2 parents	3 parents	4 parents
January 2022 onwards	NZD $57,740	NZD $86,611.20	NZD $115,481.60	NZD $144,352	NZD $173,222.40
January 2021 to December 2021	NZD $56,160	NZD $84,240	NZD $112,320	NZD $140,400	NZD $168,480
January 2020 to December 2020	NZD $53,040	NZD $79,560	NZD $106,080	NZD $132,600	NZD $159,120

Table of minimum earnings: for 2 sponsors

For a single parent, this begins at twice the median wage and rises by half for each additional parent.

Effective date	NZ median wage	1 parent	2 parents	3 parents	4 parents
January 2022 onwards	NZD $57,740.80	NZD $115,481.60	NZD $144,352	NZD $173,222.40	NZD $202,092.80
January 2021 to December 2021	NZD $56,160	NZD $112,320	NZD $140,400	NZD $168,480	NZD $196,560
January 2020 to December 2020	NZD $53,040	NZD $106,080	NZD $132,600	NZD $159,120	NZD $185,640

How to determine the minimal sponsor income

To support one parent, a sponsor must make the following amount:

For a single sponsor, 1.5 times the median wage in New Zealand
2 times a median wage in New Zealand for shared sponsors

With a limit of six parents, the minimum salary rises by half the median wage in New Zealand for each additional parent.

NOTE:

As Immigration NZ updates the New Zealand median salary every year, the sum they must make will vary based on which years they submit with your application.

NZ Immigration only takes into account taxed income

Your sponsor’s revenue must be taxable and show up on their Inland Revenue summary of income or Final Tax Summary in order for them to consider it.

Request a summary of income | Inland Revenue

If a parent was previously sponsored by your sponsor

If your sponsor has already supported one or more parents, we will take that parent into account when determining their minimal salary.

They must satisfy the income criteria to support 4 parents, for instance, if your adult kid previously sponsored 2 parents and they and their partner sponsored 2 more parents after it reopened.