Bringing Your Parents to Live With You Overseas: Lessons From New Zealand’s Parent Residence System
For many migrants, the hardest part of building a life in a new country is the distance from ageing parents. Video calls help, but they do not replace being nearby when a parent needs support. Most developed countries have some form of parent sponsorship pathway, and most of them share the same tensions: demand far exceeds the available places, income thresholds are high, and processing takes years. New Zealand’s approach is useful because it has combined a capped residence category with a separate long-term visitor category, and because it has been changed a number of times in recent years. This article will look at the New Zealand system, and what it means for families considering parent sponsorship pathways.
Two Different Questions: Residence or a Long Visit
The first question a family needs to consider is, is the objective to have the parent reside in the country or to have the parent visit for extended periods? These are two different questions, and the answer to each is also likely to be different. If the parent is a resident of a country, they are entitled to live in that country and access the services therein and in the future apply for citizenship of that country. On the other hand, if the parent visits a country, they are entitled to stay for an extended period, but they will have to leave at the end of the visit and may not be entitled to access the same services as residents of that country. As such, some families apply for parent resident visas when a visitor’s visa would serve the family’s interests faster. Sometimes families apply for visitor’s visas when they have no idea that a resident visa is their true intention. Being honest about a family’s true intentions simplifies the rest of the process
How the New Zealand Parent Residence Category Works
The NZ parent resident visa process is unlike other visa processes. Instead of a family applying for a parent resident visa, the sponsoring child lodges what is called an expression of interest. All the expressions of interest form a pool, and the immigration authority from time to time, picks expressions of interest and invites the families to apply for the parent resident visa. The number of invitations issued in a year is capped, and so the time between lodging an expression of interest and an invitation being issued may be long, and there is no guarantee of selection.
The sponsoring parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand of a certain standing, and must be able to demonstrate an adequate level of income. This is often contested as being an arbitrary measure as it is usually expressed as a multiple of the median wage. The level depends on whether more than one child is sponsoring the parent, and how many children are doing the sponsoring. The level must be maintained for a number of years. In the meantime, other situations may occur which may complicate sponsorship. Self-employment, divorce, and periods of extended unemployment may adversely affect sponsorship.
The Role of the Sponsor’s Obligations
Sponsorships cannot be treated as a mere formality. As part of the application, the parent is expected to undertake that they will provide ongoing support to the sponsoring child once the parent has migrated to New Zealand. Failure to do so may lead to the parent losing their residence in New Zealand. The sponsoring child needs to think carefully about their ability to support the parent in the long term. The child may suffer a personal loss of income, for example by losing their job.
Health and Character Requirements
Health requirements are obstacles to residence applications that the elderly do not face to the same degree as the young. Potential migrants must be assessed as having an acceptable standard of health. If the authorities determine that a proposed migrant may be a burden on the public health system, the application will be declined. Waivers are available in some circumstances, but they are not guaranteed. Families obtain medical reports for parents as early as possible to identify problems that may cause applications to be declined. Character or police checks, from countries where the parent has lived, are also required and can take many months.
The Long Stay Alternative
New Zealand has a long stay visitor option that enables the parents of citizens and residents to stay for a long time (but not indefinite) visits. There are some conditions to this option, for instance the visiting parent must hold health insurance and have the means to support themselves. This option, like all other long stay visa options, does not result in resident status. This option may be useful for families who wish to be together for a long time, but do not wish to move to New Zealand.
Lessons That Apply Beyond New Zealand
Certain lessons from the New Zealand experience repeat around the world in different sponsorship systems. Capped categories mean timing is important and in general, sponsors are better off lodging their application early rather than later. For income thresholds, sponsors are better off considering their finances a few years in advance and budgeting to meet the requirement. In general, parents are better off applying when they are reasonably healthy rather than waiting for their health to deteriorate. Sponsors are committing to a long term support, and should have a frank discussion with their family on what their long term plan is, especially what will happen to the child they are sponsoring in the future.
Getting the Details Right
Parent residence applications are document heavy, slow, and unforgiving of errors. A mistake in an expression of interest can mean a missed draw, and a gap in income evidence can mean a declined application after years of waiting. Many families choose to involve an Immigration Lawyer in NZ at the expression of interest stage rather than later, so that eligibility is confirmed and the evidence is organised before anything is lodged. Whether or not professional help is used, the families who navigate this process most successfully are usually the ones who understood the rules, the timelines and the obligations before they started.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every legal situation is different, and the information here may not apply to your particular circumstances. You should seek advice from a qualified lawyer before making any legal decisions or taking any action based on the content of this article.
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