New Zealanders in Australia
Arrangements for New Zealanders
Since the 1920s there has been virtually unrestricted movement of people between Australia and New Zealand under various reciprocal entry arrangements. In 1973, the Trans‑Tasman Travel Arrangement was introduced allowing Australian and New Zealand citizens to enter each other’s country freely to visit, live, work and remain indefinitely without the need to apply formally for authority to enter. Under this travel arrangement, New Zealand passport holders arriving in Australia are granted a Special Category visa in the immigration clearance process provided they satisfy health and character requirements. This visa remains valid for as long as the person remains in Australia.
On 26 February 2001, the Australian and New Zealand governments announced new bilateral social security arrangements which introduced an approach for sharing the social security costs of Australians and New Zealanders living in each other’s country. Under these arrangements, Australians and New Zealanders reliant on Australian age pensions, New Zealand superannuation and veterans’ pensions are guaranteed continued payment of their entitlements regardless of which side of the Tasman they choose to live. Where people have spent part of their working lives in both countries, both governments contribute to their retirement incomes.
In conjunction with these arrangements, the Australian Government also introduced new residence and citizenship rules for New Zealand citizens who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001. Under these rules, New Zealand citizens wishing to access certain social security payments, obtain Australian citizenship or sponsor their family members for permanent residence, can only do so if they have been granted Australian permanent residence under a permanent residence visa subclass.
The New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa was also created in 2001. This temporary visa enables non‑New Zealand citizen family members, to accompany Special Category visa holders to Australia and/or allow them to remain onshore lawfully with work rights. More recently, as part of the government’s 1 September 2007 reforms to General Skilled Migration, specific New Zealand permanent residence visas were abolished. Now New Zealand citizens must apply for the same permanent visas as do applicants from other countries. None of these recent changes affect the
Trans‑Tasman Travel Arrangement, and the Special Category visa remains the primary means by which New Zealand citizens travel to and stay in Australia.
If you are a New Zealand citizen and wish to reside in Australia as permanent residents or as an Australian citizen, please contact Christine to discuss your migration options to Australia.
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