New Zealand Parent Visa Sponsor Income 2026: NZD 109,200 for One Parent

Verification date for all rules and monetary thresholds below: 11 July 2026. According to the official New Zealand Government page, Parent Resident Visa sponsor income requirements on immigration.govt.nz, one sponsor supporting one parent must meet an income threshold of NZD 109,200 from 30 April 2026; two joint sponsors supporting one parent must meet NZD 145,600 in combined qualifying income. The applicable threshold must be reached for two years within the three-year period before the expression of interest is selected.

What are the income thresholds from 30 April 2026?

The New Zealand median wage used from 30 April 2026 is NZD 72,800, making half the median wage NZD 36,400.

Number of parents being supported	One sponsor	Two joint sponsors
1	NZD 109,200	NZD 145,600
2	NZD 145,600	NZD 182,000
3	NZD 182,000	NZD 218,400
4	NZD 218,400	NZD 254,800
5	NZD 254,800	NZD 291,200
6	NZD 291,200	NZD 327,600

The one-sponsor scale starts at one and a half times the median wage for the first parent. The two-sponsor scale lists twice the median wage for the first parent. In both scales, each additional parent adds NZD 36,400, up to six parents.

This makes sponsor structure important: NZD 145,600 for one parent with two sponsors is the same amount listed for two parents with one sponsor.

The median wage is updated annually, so the required income can change depending on the years included with the application.

Who can sponsor a parent under the Parent Resident Visa?

A parent may be sponsored by:

• One adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident.
• An adult child and their partner jointly.
• Two adult children of a parent included in the application jointly.

Every sponsor must be a New Zealand citizen or resident and must have lived in New Zealand for at least three years.

Where an adult child and their partner sponsor jointly, the applicant must provide evidence that:

1. Their relationship is genuine.
2. They have lived together for at least 12 months.

How many parents count toward the income calculation?

The calculation includes both:

• The parent or parents in the current application.
• Any parents the sponsor is already supporting, including parents currently sponsored under other applications.

The sponsor structure and the total parent count therefore have to be established before selecting the income-assessment periods.

How does the two-of-three-year income test work?

The income test has four connected requirements:

1. Identify the three-year period before the expression of interest is selected.
2. Select two 12-month periods within that three-year period.
3. Show that the sponsor’s qualifying income meets the applicable threshold during both selected periods.
4. If there are joint sponsors, use the same two 12-month periods for both sponsors.

For joint sponsors, their combined income is assessed against the two-sponsor threshold. It is not necessary for the income to meet the threshold in all three years.

What income can be counted?

Income can be counted only when it is taxable and appears on the sponsor’s Inland Revenue summary of income or Final Tax Summary.

Non-PAYE or self-employed income may include:

• Estate or trust income.
• Shareholder-employee salary without tax deducted.
• Look-through company income.
• Schedular payments.
• Rental property income.
• Partnership income.

For a self-employed sponsor:

• The income will not have PAYE deducted.
• The sponsor must file an income tax return with Inland Revenue.
• Self-employed income must be presented by financial year, running from 1 April to 31 March.

These categories are not automatically accepted merely because they are non-PAYE income. They must still be taxable and supported by the required Inland Revenue evidence.

Which Inland Revenue evidence is acceptable?

For the New Zealand Parent Resident Visa income assessment, the evidence must meet all of the following conditions:

• It is generated directly by Inland Revenue, also identified as IRD.
• It includes the relevant sponsor’s name.
• It includes that sponsor’s IRD number.
• It shows taxable income through the sponsor’s Inland Revenue summary of income or Final Tax Summary.
• For self-employed income, it presents the income by the applicable financial year.

The self-employed sponsor must also have filed the required income tax return. Filing the return does not remove the separate requirement for proof generated directly by IRD.

These are general information about the New Zealand Parent Resident Visa. Check the current official page and, where relevant, the relevant immigration authority or consulate before submitting evidence.

Sources

• Parent Resident Visa sponsor income requirements — immigration.govt.nz

Frequently asked questions

How many of the three years must meet the income threshold?

At least two years must meet the applicable threshold, assessed through two 12-month periods within the three-year period before the expression of interest is selected.

Must each joint sponsor earn NZD 145,600 individually?

No. NZD 145,600 is the two-sponsor minimum for one parent from 30 April 2026. The sponsors’ combined qualifying income is assessed against the threshold over the selected periods.

Can joint sponsors use different 12-month periods?

No. Joint sponsors must use the same two 12-month periods for their income assessment.

Does non-PAYE or self-employed income automatically count?

No. It counts only if it is taxable and supported by the required IRD-generated documentation. Self-employed income must also be shown by financial year, and the sponsor must file an income tax return with Inland Revenue.

Are parents supported under an earlier application counted?

Parents already being sponsored are included in the minimum-income calculation. The stated exception is income used to support a sponsor’s partner’s parents in an application made before 2017; those parents are not treated as previous sponsored parents for this calculation.