The Parent Resident Visa quota is moving to a "hybrid model" to ensure a "fairer and more predictable selection process", the Government has announced.
Under the hybrid model, 90% of the expressions of interest will be selected in date order, and 10% will continue to be selected by ballot, until the annual cap of 2500 is reached.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the new model will provide more "certainty and stability" compared to the previous ballot system, though wait times will not be removed.
"We are making changes that will give families a clearer and more predictable process, while still giving newer applicants some chance of being selected earlier," Stanford said during the announcement.
"This is a positive change for those families who have been desperate for more certainty. For these families, some of whom have been waiting since 2022, this provides a clearer path through a process that has been uncertain for too long."
The Parent Resident Visa allows current citizens and residents who meet eligibility criteria to sponsor their parents for residence in New Zealand. It is the main pathway for eligible parents to then be granted permanent residence if they have met the sponsorship, health, character and relationship requirements.
The new model will take effect in this year's November 10 selection. People with current expressions of interest will be notified in October of their position in the queue.
The two-year expiry for EOIs will also be removed, and families will not have to pay an additional fee to resubmit. Existing EOIs that expire on or before October 5 will need to be resubmitted to be included in the new model’s queue.
"The changes will not remove waiting times, but they will make the process fairer, clearer and more predictable."
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