🇳🇿 Family reunification

From 5 October 2026, all eligible Parent Resident Visa EOIs are placed into the new parent-category EOI pool. At each selection round, approximately 90% of available selections are made from the earliest EOIs in the pool. The remaining approximately 10% are selected through a random ballot. INZ expects to conduct four selection rounds each year. The annual limit of 2,500 Parent Resident Visa approvals in principle remains unchanged. This is important because the hybrid system does not increase the number of parents who can ultimately be granted residence each year. It changes the way applicants compete for the available places. Existing valid EOI holders on 5 October were automatically transferred into the new pool. They do not need to submit a new EOI as a result of the transition. INZ is determining queue positions as part of the transition and will contact eligible applicants when those positions are available. There are specific transitional provisions for people whose earlier EOIs expired. Where an applicant submitted a replacement EOI within 90 days of the previous EOI expiring, their position in the new queue can generally be based on the date of the earlier EOI. This allows qualifying applicants who continuously maintained their interest in the category to retain recognition of their earlier waiting time. Where a replacement EOI was submitted more than 90 days after the previous EOI expired, the applicant's current EOI submission date is used for queue purposes. The same-person requirement also matters for the transitional provisions where more than one person is named across successive EOIs. The substantive application process remains unchanged. Selection of an EOI does not itself grant residence. An EOI must be selected and, where the applicants appear to meet the relevant requirements, INZ can issue an Invitation to Apply. The applicant must then submit the residence application and satisfy the applicable requirements.

The new rule involves a formal commitment by both New Zealand and Thailand to strengthen cooperation on border security, customs, immigration, and cyber security. This also extends to joint efforts against scam centres, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, as outlined in a Joint Declaration and the Joint Plan of Action 2026-2030.