New Zealanders who have moved to Australia or are planning on moving, should look into how to become a Permanent Resident and then Citizen because in the long run it’s better for your new life. Especially your kids.
Editor’s Note: I am not an immigration specialist and you still may need to contact one for advice. You can find out how to below.
However, in saying that, I know a lot of Kiwi’s who have used the below to become an Australian Permanent Resident and then go onto becoming an Australia Citizen.
Below you will find information on:
As you a New Zealand Citizen you will automatically get granted a Special Category Visa (SCV) on arrival. If you are only planning on staying for a few years then you will not need to worry about the below. It’s only if you plan on staying in Australia indefinitely.
FYI if you become an Australian Citizen you will stay a New Zealand Citizen and can move back whenever you want (Dual Citizenship).
There are a number of exclusions to Government help that you should be aware of when moving to Australia on a SCV.
As a kiwi you are able to live and work in Australia, but if you can’t find work or get sick you are on your own. The Government won’t help you, like the NZ Government would. Also if you have kids, they won’t be able to get an Australia student loan, which will make it hard to get a qualification if you can’t pay for it up front.
You can read the full list of SCV exclusions here.
So if you don’t want to live in Australia with all the SCV exclusions and want the same rights as an Australian, then you will need to become a Permanent Resident and then an Australian Citizen.
People can become a permanent resident of Australia in different ways. Three common ways of becoming a permanent resident are through gaining:
You will need to check that you meet our criteria before you apply for any visa. To find a visa that suits your needs you can explore the visa options on the Australian Government website.
Below are a couple of common ways New Zealanders use to become an Australian Permanent Resident.
If you visited Australia before 1 September 1994 and cleared customs, this is an easy and cheap visa to obtain as a New Zealand Citizen.
Australia Government description of the returning resident visa: if leave Australia after your travel validity expires, or it expires when you are outside Australia, you will not be able to return to Australia as a permanent resident. This visa allows you to return as a permanent resident.
This visa costs AUD$375 if you apply online, AUD$455 for each applicant if you apply on paper. While it is unlikely for this visa, you might have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. We will advise you if these are required in your case.
It takes between 2 days and 67 days to process. Generally, applications that meet the residence requirements will be processed within 5 working days from lodgement.
You can use the below links to find more information about this Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) NZ stream. Any further questions you have will be answered below:
This visa lets eligible New Zealand citizens who have demonstrated commitment and contribution to Australia, live and work in Australia permanently.
With this visa you can work and study anywhere in Australia and sponsor eligible family members for permanent residence and if eligible, become an Australian Citizen.
This visa costs from AUD$3,750 for the main applicant. It is charged in two installments (20% at time of lodgement and 80% as a second installment before you get granted the visa).
It takes between 10 and 16 months to process.
You will be able to apply for this visa if you are a New Zealander and:
You can use the below links to find more information about this Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) NZ stream. Any further questions you have should be answered below:
There are other Australia Permanent Resident visa options apart from the above.
Here you can find all the Australian Permanent Resident visa options: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/permanent-resident/visa-options.
If you are unsure which visa is right for you use The Australian Government Visa Finder: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder.
After you have become an Australian Permanent Resident and have lived in Australia for 12 months or more you can apply for Australian Citizenship.
Becoming a citizen of Australia is the final legal step in your migration story. It is a process in which a non-Australian citizen voluntarily becomes an Australian citizen. Australian citizens pledge their loyalty to Australia and its people and are then entitled to its protection and to exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
As an Australian citizen, you can:
You can become a citizen of Australia in different ways. You must meet the Australian Governments criteria before you apply. Conferral and descent are the most common ways to apply:
You can become an Australian Citizen if you are a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
You are an eligible New Zealand citizen if you arrive in Australia with a New Zealand passport and were:
It costs AUD$285. There is no cost for a child under 16 years applying with a parent.
You can find further information and apply here.
You can become an Australian Citizen if you are a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
You are an eligible New Zealand citizen if you arrive in Australia with a New Zealand passport and were:
It costs AUD$180, AUD$20 for some concession holders. There is no cost for a child under 16 years applying with a parent.
You can find further information and apply here.
You could be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent if you:
It costs AUD$230, AUD$95 for each sibling who applies at the same time as you.
You can find further information and apply here.
Specialist immigration companies save you time, money and stress when applying for a visa or citizenship. They are able to offer you professional advice and assistance when applying for Permanent Residency and Australian Citizenship.
You can find an immigration specialist on the Australian Government website, Migration Agents Registration Authority (https://www.mara.gov.au/). Search for a immigration professional specialising in Australia.
You can ask me any questions you have below using the comment section. However, please note I am not an immigration specialist and can’t provide any more advice than what’s above.
Hi… I’m JJ Smith.
I’m the creator and editor of Moving to Australia and have been for 10 years! I know everything there is to know about New Zealanders moving their families and life to Australia. Either from first hand experiences and research or through the questions from visitors to this website… and I’m here to help!
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Caroline
March 27, 2019 at 10:06 pmHi,
Thank you so much for your great website. I’m a Kiwi (originally French, but have been living in NZ for over 10 years) looking at moving to Melbourne and I already found a lot of answers to my questions on your website:
– will I get charged resident or foreigner tax on my income
– moving with my pet (but I’m still worried my cat encounters a snake…)
– school/university fees
GREAT content, THANK YOU!!!!!
We can tell you’ve been through all of it before.
Just one question though: in your opinion, would it still make sense to apply for residency asap?
Thank you again,
Caroline
JJ Smith
March 27, 2019 at 10:11 pmHi Caroline,
Thank you for your email and lovely comments.
Snakes are a bit of a worry but generally live in the ceiling or outside and eat the poisonous spiders.
Regarding applying for residency, it’s good to get the ball rolling as soon as you can. It can take a while and if your looking at university fees then you know you can’t get a student loan until you are a permanent resident. However, if you haven’t lived in Australia before then waiting a year or so won’t hurt. Australia is different to NZ and not all kiwi’s stay.
By applying for permanent residency and citizenship you protect yourself from the worst case scenario (emergency benefits and sickness benefits). More importantly, your kids will have all the same advantages than Australian kids. Not sure if you have kids or are planning to in the future.
Good luck with your move.