Parent Resident Visa Queue: When Will Your EOI Be Selected?

If your parents have a Parent Resident Visa expression of interest (EOI) in the pool, the waiting game has just changed. From 5 October 2026, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) stopped selecting Parent Category EOIs purely by random ballot. About 90% are now selected from a queue, oldest EOI first, and only about 10% through a random ballot.

For the first time, families can see roughly when their EOI might be selected. INZ has published an indicative table that matches EOI submission dates to selection rounds, starting with the first selection under the new model on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and running out to May 2032.

This guide explains how the new Parent Resident Visa queue works, what your queue date is, the new 2-year reconfirmation rule that can quietly remove your EOI, and how to estimate your own selection round with our Parent EOI Queue Estimator.

What changed with Parent Resident Visa EOI selection

On each selection date, INZ selects from the queue first and then runs the ballot draw. The first selection under the new model is on 10 November 2026.

Your queue date: the date your EOI was submitted

Your place in the Parent Resident Visa queue is based on the date your EOI was submitted.

If this isn't your first EOI, you may be able to keep an earlier queue date. If your current EOI was submitted within 90 days of a previous EOI being removed (because it expired or was withdrawn), your queue date is based on the earlier EOI.

INZ's example: a first EOI was submitted in November 2022 and expired in November 2024. A second EOI was submitted in December 2024. The queue date is November 2022, not December 2024.

The earlier date does not carry over if:

• the previous EOI was selected and then declined, or
• an invitation to apply was issued but the application wasn't made in time, or
• the same person isn't named on all the EOIs.

If more than 90 days passed between the old EOI being removed and the new one being submitted, the new EOI's submission date is your queue date.

When might your EOI be selected? INZ's indicative timetable

INZ has published this indicative table. Find the month your queue date falls in to see the round in which your EOI may be selected from the queue.

Three things to know about this table:

1. It's indicative only. INZ says the months and date ranges can change, depending on how many EOIs are selected and visas approved. INZ will update the timetable on its website every quarter.
2. Boundary months overlap. Some months appear in two rows (for example, June 2023 falls in both the November 2026 and February 2027 rounds). If your queue date is in a boundary month, your EOI could be selected in either round, depending on the exact day.
3. The ballot can bring it forward. About 10% of selections are still made by random ballot, so an EOI can be selected earlier than its queue round.

Rather than reading the table by hand, enter your EOI dates into our Parent EOI Queue Estimator. It works out your queue date (including the 90-day rule), your indicative selection round and date, and your reconfirmation deadlines.

Don't lose your place: reconfirm your EOI every 2 years

EOIs in the Parent Category pool no longer expire automatically. But every 2 years, INZ needs you to confirm that you want to stay in the pool.

You must submit the Confirmation of Parent Resident Visa EOI form within 6 months of your EOI reaching 2 years. If you don't, the EOI expires and is removed from the pool.

INZ's example: an EOI submitted on 4 July 2025 must be reconfirmed between 4 July 2027 and 4 January 2028. If it isn't, the EOI expires on 5 January 2028.

INZ places the responsibility on the EOI holder. Put the date in your calendar now. With selection rounds running years ahead, many families will need to reconfirm more than once before their EOI is selected.

Keep your EOI up to date

INZ asks you to tell it about any changes to the EOI, such as major health changes, changes in finances, or anything else that affects eligibility. A change in the sponsor's income matters too: the sponsor income threshold is tested at application, not just when the EOI is submitted. Our Parent Visa Sponsor Income Calculator helps you check where you stand.

How you'll know if your EOI is selected

Selections happen 4 times a year, usually on the second Tuesday of the selection month. INZ will contact you if the EOI is selected. You can also check using INZ's online selection checker: choose the selection date, enter the EOI number and search. The tool only shows EOI numbers that have been selected, so if the number isn't listed, the EOI wasn't selected in that round.

What to do now

1. Work out your queue date. If you've had more than one EOI, check whether the 90-day rule lets you keep the earlier date.
2. Estimate your selection round using the Parent EOI Queue Estimator.
3. Diary your reconfirmation window, 2 years after the EOI was submitted, and again every 2 years after that.
4. Plan for the wait. If your round is years away, a Parent Boost Visitor Visa or Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa can keep your parents close in the meantime.
5. Keep the sponsor's income on track for when the invitation to apply arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Parent Resident Visa ballot finished? No. About 10% of EOIs are still selected by random ballot on each selection date. The other 90% or so are selected from the queue in date order.

How is my queue date worked out? It's the date your EOI was submitted. If you submitted it within 90 days of a previous EOI being removed, the earlier EOI's date can be used instead, as long as the same person is named on all EOIs and the earlier EOI wasn't selected and declined.

Does my EOI still expire after 2 years? Not automatically. But you must reconfirm it within 6 months of each 2-year anniversary. If you don't, it expires and is removed.

Are the selection dates in the table guaranteed? No. INZ says they're indicative and can change. It will update the timetable on its website quarterly.

When is the first selection under the new model? Tuesday 10 November 2026.

The bottom line

The new queue gives Parent Category families something they've never had: a rough idea of when their EOI might be selected. But the timetable is indicative and can move, and the 2-year reconfirmation rule means an EOI can be lost simply by missing a deadline.

If you're unsure about your queue date, whether an earlier EOI counts, or how to keep your sponsor income on track for the invitation, book a 30-minute consultation ($99) with our Licensed Immigration Advisers, or message us on WhatsApp at +64 21 227 4246.

This article is general information, not personalised immigration advice. Immigration instructions change frequently. Always check the latest INZ guidance or speak to a licensed immigration adviser before acting.

Official sources:

• 2026 changes to the Parent Resident Visa EOI selection process — INZ
• INZ adviser update, "Parent Resident Visas: First selections under new model this November" (October 2026)

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• Parent Resident Visa NZ 2026: The Complete Guide
• Parent Visa Sponsor Income Calculator
• What to Do If Your Visa Is Declined
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