A recent technical fault in Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) parent residence visa lottery system has led some applicants to mistakenly believe they were successful, causing emotional turmoil and confusion among many immigrant families.
Currently, INZ selects a portion of parent visa applicants every three months through a lottery, granting successful candidates the right to apply for residence. However, many applicants and families consider this lottery system unfair and opaque, calling for a queue-based system to replace it in order to reduce uncertainty and anxiety during the wait.
On May 15, 2025, INZ launched a new Expression of Interest (EOI) tool on its website for the parent visa category. However, the tool malfunctioned by displaying partial matches to lottery numbers, misleading users into thinking they had been selected. The issue was discovered and corrected four days later, but not before many families had experienced false hope, with emotions shifting quickly from excitement to disappointment.
Families report lengthy wait times and high uncertainty, worrying that as parents age, they may no longer meet health requirements for immigration. Applicants also highlighted the financial burden of paying to enter the lottery and having to pay again to renew if not selected within two years.
In response, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the government is actively developing a new five-year renewable parent visa, expected to be introduced by the end of 2025. This new visa will include various health insurance options to improve accessibility and flexibility.
Immigration New Zealand has publicly apologized for the website error and sent direct notifications to affected applicants. The agency has also enhanced customer service training to better support applicants with inquiries and safeguard their interests.
Amid ongoing policy concerns and family appeals, some applicants have launched petitions calling for reform of the lottery system, emphasizing the importance of family reunification and expressing distress over the psychological impact and perceived unfairness of the current process.
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