Expressions of interest for the Parent Resident Visa category will be selected in chronological order from the queue with effect from 5 October 2026, instead of by ballot as being currently done . This was confirmed by Immigration Minister Erica Stanford today.
“The new model prioritises people who have already been waiting for years, while maintaining a balanced way of allocating places in a high-demand residence pathway,” Stanford said.
“There is no perfect way to allocate places when demand is higher than the number of visas available, but this approach strikes a fairer balance.”
The new model takes effect on 5 October, with the first selection being made on 10 November.
Applicants with current expressions of interest that expire before 5 October will need to submit a new expression of interest. However, those with expressions of interest expiring on or after that date will not need to submit a new one.
Under the new model, 90% of all expressions of interest would be selected from the queue chronologically, while the balance 10% would continue to be selected by ballot to reach the annual cap of 2500 places.
Some families had been waiting since 2022 and “this is a positive change for those families who have been desperate for more certainty,” Stanford said.
Expressions of interest will not expire after two years, provided applicants confirm they still want to remain in the process and keep their information up to date.
Where an expression of interest has been resubmitted following its two-year expiry, it will be ordered according to its original submission date, as long as the second expression of interest was submitted within 90 days of the first one expiring.
People with current expressions of interest will be notified of their position in the new chronological queue in October.
Under the Parent Resident Visa, New Zealand citizens and residents who meet eligibility requirements, are able to sponsor their parents for residency. As of 23 July, 2026 there were 7706 valid expressions of interest in the ballot pool, representing 11,602 people.
