Families waiting in the Parent Resident Visa Expression of Interest (EOI) pool will move to a new selection system from 5 October 2026.
Under the new model, approximately 90% of EOIs will be selected in date order, while around 10% will continue to be selected through a random ballot. The first selection under this new system is scheduled for 10 November 2026.
For families who have already been waiting in the EOI pool, one of the most important issues is understanding which EOI submission date Immigration New Zealand will use to determine their position in the queue.
What happens to existing EOIs?
If you have a current EOI in the pool that has not expired before 5 October 2026, you do not need to submit another EOI simply because the selection system is changing.
Your existing EOI will transfer into the new Parent Resident Visa pool. Immigration New Zealand has advised that current EOI holders will be contacted after the new system takes effect with information about their queue position.
Can an earlier EOI date still count?
For some families, yes.
Where an earlier EOI expired before 5 October 2026, and a replacement EOI was submitted within 90 days of the previous EOI expiring, Immigration New Zealand may use the date of the original EOI when determining the person’s place in the queue.
There must also be at least one person common to the relevant EOIs.
If a replacement EOI was submitted more than 90 days after the previous one expired, the date of the current EOI will generally determine the queue position.
This makes it important for families who have submitted more than one EOI to review their full EOI history rather than assuming that the most recent submission date will automatically apply.
EOIs will no longer automatically expire after two years
Under the previous system, an EOI generally expired after two years if it had not been selected.
From 5 October 2026, EOIs in the new pool will no longer automatically expire at the two-year point.
Instead, EOI holders will need to confirm that they want to remain in the pool within six months of the two-year anniversary of submitting their current EOI.
If this confirmation is not provided within the required timeframe, the EOI may expire and be removed from the pool.
Keeping your email and contact details up to date with Immigration New Zealand will therefore be important, as reminders and information about the queue will be sent electronically.
What is not changing?
The annual cap remains at 2,500 Parent Resident Visas.
Selection of an EOI also does not mean that residence has been approved. If an EOI is selected and meets the relevant requirements, Immigration New Zealand may issue an Invitation to Apply. The parent must then submit a full residence application and meet all applicable visa requirements.
What should families check?
Sponsor eligibility
The parent must have an eligible child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident and who meets the relevant sponsorship requirements.
Sponsor income
The sponsoring child, or eligible joint sponsors, must meet the required income threshold. The amount depends on the number of parents being sponsored and the applicable median wage and income years.
EOI history
If you have submitted more than one EOI, check the original submission date, expiry dates and the dates of any replacement EOIs. These dates could affect your position in the new queue.
Contact details
Make sure Immigration New Zealand has your current email address and regularly check your inbox, including spam or junk folders, for correspondence about your EOI.
Residence requirements
If invited to apply, the parent must still meet the relevant health, character and English language requirements, or meet the requirements relating to pre-purchasing English language tuition where applicable.
What does the new system mean for families?
The new system should give many families a clearer indication of where they stand, particularly those who have already spent several years in the Parent Resident Visa EOI pool.
However, the change does not guarantee quick selection. Demand remains higher than the number of Parent Resident Visas available each year, and individual EOI histories and sponsor circumstances can significantly affect a family’s position and eligibility.
If your family already has a Parent Resident Visa EOI in the pool, has submitted replacement EOIs in the past, or is considering entering the pool, contact a Licensed Immigration Adviser at Migrate Wise to understand how the new process may affect you.
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