Family's dream life in Napier now 'impossible' after Government changes immigration policy

Patrick and Doris Boucher have sought to move to New Zealand for almost seven years, but will find it impossible now with new immigration rules. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Napier family says a "heartbreaking" new immigration policy will make it impossible to bring their parents to New Zealand.

Patrick and Doris Boucher say they have spent the past seven years of their lives in limbo.

For six months of the year they're about 18 metres away from New Zealand shores, living on a sailing boat docked in Ahuriri, and for the other six months they live 18,000km away in Germany.

They already have their two sons, married to New Zealanders, living in Napier with their children.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway on Monday announced the Government would, from February 2020, restart the Parent Category visa programme, which allows parents to join adult children who have become residents or citizens and earn over a certain amount.

The previous Government in late 2016 temporarily closed the category, citing a growing cost to taxpayers and a need for a review, with Immigration New Zealand having not considered applicants from the category since.

Previously a single earner had to make $65,000 a year to sponsor a parent, now they'll need to earn $106,000 and about $159,000 if they want to bring two parents.

That's three times the median New Zealand income.

For a couple they will have to earn over $159,000 to be joined by one parent and $212,000 by two.

Their daughter-in-law Louise Taotahi said that the announcement has now made it "impossible" for the Bouchers to move here permanently.

"When we first heard of it we thought 'here we go we can get them over here'.

"But looking at the restrictions and the amount that is need to be even considered has already shut the door on us," she said.

Erik Boucher, left, with wife Louise Taotahi and son Noah, 4, and daughter Sofia, 7. Photo / Supplied

Taotahi said they just don't earn that much and believe it isn't just them that will be left disappointed by the announcement.

"I don't see many people being able to meet this threshold, it's not something the average Kiwi will be able to meet," she said.

"We thought if they brought it back and it was still at the $90,000 mark we would be able to meet it but this just makes it impossible now."

Napier MP Stuart Nash was in full support of helping bring the couple to New Zealand and even wrote a letter in support of the Bouchers' application they put forward earlier in the year.

"The Boucher family are high calibre citizens of our region and parents Patrick and Doris Boucher would be valued assets and warmly welcomed as residents under the Parent Category.

"I wish them every success," Nash's letter read.

Nash was unavailable for comment on Friday.

Taotahi said the back and forth routine might sound like fun for some, but it was challenging.

"It's hard for them because they have their boat here and a home in Germany and to go back and forth between the two does start to get extremely hard for them."

Taotahi and Erik Boucher have two children, Noah, 4, and Sofia, 7, and the Bouchers' other son also has a daughter who is 8.

The hardest thing for them is having to leave their three grandchildren every time they go back, she said.

"That has to be the hardest thing because they're all around that early school age and want to spend as much time with each other as possible and it pains them to have to go because they want to be here and the kids want to be here also."

Taotahi says the Bouchers will be back in Napier on their boat at the end of November and will enjoy as much of their time together until they have to head back to Germany six months later.

The applications for expressions of interest will reopen in February 2020 with its new criteria. The Government will only be making up to 1000 visa approvals a year.