A new visa for migrants' parents will be introduced in September
The Government will allow migrants in New Zealand to sponsor their parents to visit and stay here under a new visa rolling out in September.
The visa will allow the parents of New Zealand citizens and residents multi-entry access for up to five years, with the opportunity for renewal once, meaning they could hold the visa for 10 years.
However, applicants will have to fulfil a list of criteria, including demonstrating they have health insurance and meet character requirements. An income requirement will also need to be met by either the applicant or their sponsor.
The National Party promised the “Parent Boost” visa during the 2023 election campaign, with the intention of making New Zealand a more attractive option for skilled migrants.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today announced that applications would open on September 29.
He said there was expected to be between 2000 to 10,000 applicants per year, with no cap. The visa will be monitored closely with a review in 2027.
Luxon said that to “drive economic growth, we need to incentivise skilled migrants to choose New Zealand”.
“Ensuring we continue to attract the right people with the skills this country needs will deliver significant economic and social benefits for all New Zealanders,” the Prime Minister said.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the Government understood a long-term visitor visa for parents was a key consideration for migrants when choosing where to build their lives.
“Whether it be welcoming a new child, additional support during health challenges or providing childcare so parents can work, there is nothing quite like having family support close by,” Stanford said.
“We are proud to deliver this coalition agreement between National and Act, which will make the New Zealand proposition more appealing and more competitive.”
According to the Government, to be eligible for a Parent Boost visa, applicants must:
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have an eligible sponsor who is a New Zealand citizen or resident
meet acceptable standard of health requirements
demonstrate they have at least one year of health insurance coverage which provides for emergency medical cover (of at least up to $250,000), repatriation, return of remains and cancer treatment (of at least $100,000) and to maintain this insurance for the entire duration they are in New Zealand
meet character requirements and be a bona fide / genuine visitor
while offshore during the third year of the multiple-entry visitor visa, complete a new medical assessment and demonstrate they have maintained their insurance
One of the following income requirements must also be met:
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The sponsor must earn the median wage to sponsor one parent, joint sponsors must earn 1.5x the median wage, or;
The parent/s have an ongoing income aligning with the single rate of New Zealand Superannuation for a single parent and the couple rate for a couple, or;
The parent/s have available funds of $160,000 for a single parent and $250,000 for a couple to support themselves for the duration of their visa.
The sponsors must remain living in New Zealand while the visa holder is here and are liable for any costs incurred in relation to the visa holder during this period, the Government said.
The applicants will be able to renew their visa once, allowing for a maximum length of visit to be 10 years. They will need to spend three months outside of New Zealand prior to getting their second visa.
Act’s immigration spokeswoman Dr Parmjeet Parmar welcomed the visa, though noted it was slightly different to what her party had proposed during the 2023 election campaign.
“Act’s 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund,” she said.
“The Parent Boost Visa’s alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers.”
Luxon said there was a “whole bunch of complexity” associated with a healthcare levy and it was instead easier to require healthcare insurance instead.
Stanford believed the Government was being “flexible” with the insurance requirement.
“Not only are we saying you can have it from a New Zealand country, you can have it from overseas companies as well,” she said. “We have looked at other countries. There are plenty of providers who will come to the table and offer this product.”
The Green Party was critical of the income requirement threshold, saying the Government was telling migrants families “if your parents don’t have a quarter of a million in funds, they are not welcome here”.
“The Government’s changes to the Parent Boost visa send a clear signal that they do not value the significant contribution of our migrant communities who National labelled as essential not long ago. This is not good enough,” said the party’s immigration spokesman Ricardo Menéndez March.
“The requirements of the five-year parent category visa mean only those with significant wealth will be able to apply, leaving out the lower wage migrant workers National was calling “essential” not many years ago," Menéndez March.
“The Greens support having genuine residency pathways for parents, because it makes no sense for families to be kept apart. Being wealthy should not be a prerequisite to having your parents with you in New Zealand. We will overhaul the parent residency scheme to ensure families are treated fairly.”
Currently, Immigration New Zealand’s Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa allows for stays of up to six months at a time, with a maximum of 18 months across three years. The separate Parent Resident Visa allows parents to come to New Zealand indefinitely, but they must be invited to apply after submitting an expression of interest.
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The Bible Declares That God is Bringing Jews Back To Their Ancient Land of Israel
The Bible reveals that God has chosen and cherished one specific people and one specific land to serve as the stage for revealing His plan and purpose to all nations. As we read in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse six, speaking of the Jews: “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”
God’s ultimate purpose is to transform the world by establishing His Divine Rule in His new Kingdom based in Jerusalem. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns as King during a time of great trouble. At that moment, God will intervene to save first the Jewish people from destruction and gather them from all parts of the earth. Upon Christ’s return, God will put out a Call to be universally honoured, and a lasting peace will finally be established throughout the World. This has been his design from Creation which was told to the Fathers of Isreal first and then to the rest of the World by the teaching of Jesus and then his disciples in the New Testament.
**Exile and the Promise of Return**
Today, the Jewish people have often been cursed and despised among the nations. However, the prophets foretold that when Jesus returns, God will settle them in the land of Israel in security and safety. The historical rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah resulted in their greatest exile from the land, a dispersion that has lasted for approximately two thousand years.
Yet, in direct fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, God is now regathering the Jews to their ancestral homeland. As the prophet Isaiah declares, “For the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land” (Isaiah 14:1). While Israel was scattered by God due to their failure to live obediently as His chosen nation, God promised He would never utterly forsake them. The prophet Ezekiel confirms this, stating,
“Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land” (Ezekiel 37:21).
**Fulfilment: The Modern State of Israel**
The promise of God to bring His people back to the land is proven and demonstrated by the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948. The Word of God declared,
“I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord, and I will cause them to return to the land” (Jeremiah 30:3).
Since 1948, we have witnessed Jews returning from all over the world to occupy the ancient land that was promised to the fathers of the nation: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This movement fulfils the words of Ezekiel:
“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).
The undeniable return of the Jews to the land of Israel demonstrates that God is sovereignly guiding their destiny. Because we see these specific prophecies fulfilled, we can be assured that those prophecies yet to be fulfilled will also come to pass.
**God’s Unseen Hand in the Regathering**
The regathering of the Jews to the land of Israel is fundamentally the work of Almighty God in our time. It is not simply a political movement driven by the desire of the Jewish people to establish a nation and homeland. Rather, God’s unseen hand is behind the events that have led to the revival of the nation of Israel.
The Bible emphasises God’s personal involvement in this return through numerous passages:
- “Behold, I will save my people... and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:7-8).
- “I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return” (Jeremiah 30:10).
- “I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities” (Amos 9:14).
- “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel” (Micah 2:12).
**Conclusion: A Sign of Christ’s Return**
God is regathering Israel today. The very existence of the modern State of Israel is a clear and powerful sign that Almighty God is working amongst the nations. The Bible states that He “shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). This prophetic work is underway.
Israel sees their return as prophetical, but few understand that God will create events where first they will eventually be humbled by her neighbours before Christ returns as their Saviour. Read Ezekiel 38 & 39 to gain an incite as to what God's destiny fot Israel is.
We have seen for the last 125 years, the call for their return to their Homeland and its subsequent founding. This is God's reassurance to the World that He'll bring the World under His Blessing. Because of this, we can be confident that Jesus Christ will soon return to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God, a time of peace and plenty for every nation.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37.1% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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62.9% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
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