Australia: New Permanent Residency Eligibility for New Zealanders

Key Points  

• Australia will allow certain citizens of New Zealand to apply for permanent residency status for the purpose of eventually gaining citizenship 

Overview 

The government of Australia will allow certain citizens of New Zealand to apply for permanent residency status for the purpose of eventually gaining citizenship. Eligible applicants will include New Zealand citizens who have: 

• Legally resided in Australia for four years or more; 
• Arrived in Australia after 1 February 2023; and 
• Hold a valid Special Category (subclass 444) visa (SCV). 

These individuals will benefit from the following considerations beginning 1 July 2023:

• All New Zealand citizens holding an SCV will be considered permanent residents for citizenship purposes. 
• New Zealand citizens granted an SCV before 1 July 2022 will have their period of permanent residence for citizenship purposes backdated to 1 July 2022. 
• New Zealand citizens granted an SCV for the first time on or after 1 July 2022 will be considered permanent residents for citizenship purposes from the date of their SCV grant. 

What are the Changes?  

The government of Australia will reduce the requirement for certain New Zealand citizens to hold a residence visa prior to applying for permanent residence status in the country. According to the government announcement, these measures will simplify the naturalization process for many nationals of New Zealand who seek to permanently relocate to Australia.  

Looking Ahead  

Continue to check the government of Australia’s website and Envoy’s website for the latest updates and information.