Fact Sheet 17 - New Zealanders in Australia
Under various arrangements since the 1920s, there has been a free flow of people between Australia and New Zealand.
The 1973 Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement has allowed Australian and New Zealand citizens to enter each other's country to visit, live and work, without the need to apply for authority to enter the other country.
The movement of New Zealanders to and from Australia relates primarily to the economic conditions prevailing in both countries. In particular, the number of New Zealanders in Australia increases in times of economic buoyancy in Australia relative to New Zealand and decreases when economic conditions are slow.
At 30 June 2005, an estimated 449 000 New Zealand citizens were present in Australia.
Visa requirements
On 1 September 1994, amendments made by the Migration Act 1958, resulted in a number of changes to migration legislation.
One of the changes introduced was the legal requirement for all non-citizens lawfully in Australia to hold visas.
As a result, the Special Category Visa (SCV) was introduced for New Zealand citizens. In practical terms, there was no change to procedures for New Zealand citizens wanting to come to Australia. They continue to need only a valid New Zealand passport to travel to Australia and in most cases, do not need to seek a visa before travelling1.
At the time of presenting their passports for immigration clearance they are considered to have applied for a visa and, subject to health or character considerations, will automatically receive an SCV which is recorded electronically.
Their New Zealand passports are stamped, showing the date of arrival in Australia. This is the only evidence provided or necessary to show they are holders of an SCV.
People who become New Zealand citizens after their arrival in Australia can, subject to health and character considerations, obtain an SCV from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, as can New Zealand citizens who were already in Australia before 1 September 1994.
Certain New Zealand citizens who were already in Australia before 1 September 1994, and were still in Australia on that date, automatically became SCV holders on 1 September 1994.
Is it necessary to apply for a permanent residence visa?
It is not necessary for a New Zealand citizen who holds an SCV to apply for or be granted permanent residence in Australia. The SCV allows a New Zealand citizen to remain and work in Australia lawfully as long as that person remains a New Zealand citizen.
In conjunction with the introduction of the new bilateral social security arrangement between Australia and New Zealand on 26 February 2001, the Australian Government also announced that New Zealand citizens who arrive in Australia on or after 27 February 2001 must apply for, and be granted, Australian permanent residence if they wish to access certain social security payments not covered by the bilateral agreement, obtain Australian citizenship or sponsor their family members for permanent residence. Under transitional provisions, these changes do not affect New Zealand citizens who:
- were in Australia on 26 February 2001 as SCV holders
- were outside Australia on 26 February 2001, but were in Australia as an SCV holder for a total of 12 months in the 2 years prior to that date, and subsequently returned to Australia, or
- have a certificate, issued under the Social Security Act 1991, stating that they were residing in Australia on a particular date. These certificates are no longer issued.
Australian citizenship
Applying for citizenship
New Zealand citizens who arrive on or after 27 February 2001 may be eligible for Australian citizenship if they have a permanent visa or meet the transitional provisions described above.
New Zealand citizens, aged 16 and over, applying for Australian citizenship should check the information on penal clearance certificates available from the department’s website.
See: Character and Penal Clearance Requirements
People who arrived in Australia before the age of 16 and have not resided in New Zealand are not required to provide character and penal clearances.
Further information is available on the department’s citizenship website.
See: www.citizenship.gov.au
Citizenship by birth – before 1 September 1994
Every person born in Australia on or after 26 January 1949 and before 20 August 1986, is an Australian citizen by birth (with the exception of certain children born to diplomats and certain other excluded people).
Following amendments to the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 (the Act), a person born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 is an Australian citizen by birth only if at least one of the parents was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of the person's birth. However, this did not include the children of New Zealand parents.
This is because most New Zealanders in Australia between 20 August 1986 and 31 August 1994 were 'exempt non-citizens'2. The Act specifically excluded the children of 'exempt non-citizens' from obtaining Australian citizenship by birth.
When the Migration Reform Act came into effect on 1 September 1994, the term 'exempt non-citizen' ceased to apply and SCVs were introduced for New Zealand citizens.
Citizenship by birth – from 1 September 1994 to 26 February 2001
From 1 September 1994 to 26 February 2001, a child born in Australia to a New Zealand citizen parent who held an SCV, is an Australian citizen by birth.
Citizenship by birth – From 27 February 2001
A child born in Australia, on or after 27 February 2001, to a New Zealand citizen parent/s is not an Australian citizen by birth, unless the New Zealand citizen parent:
- was not affected by the 26 February 2001 changes, or
- held an Australian permanent resident visa or Australian citizenship.
Note: Children born to a New Zealand parent who was living in Australia temporarily as a diplomat or as the holder of a special purpose visa (that is guests of government, aircrew or armed forces and their families) are not Australian citizens by birth.
Automatic acquisition of citizenship on 10th birthday.
A child born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986, who did not acquire Australian citizenship at birth, automatically acquires it on their 10th birthday if they have been ordinarily resident in Australia for 10 years from birth. This provision operates regardless of the parent/s immigration or citizenship status.
Statistical information
Arrivals and departures
New Zealand citizens are not counted as part of Australia’s annual migration program. They are included in settler arrival and net overseas migration figures (when arriving or leaving for more than a 12-month period).
In the 2004–05 financial year, 33 903 New Zealand citizens came to Australia as permanent and long-term arrivals. This represented an increase of 16.8 percent on the previous year. 22 379 arrived as permanent settlers, and 11 524 were long-term arrivals. This represented a 12.0 percent increase on the previous year.
Permanent and long-term departures of New Zealand citizens decreased in 2004–05. Permanent departures decreased to 7 316 (down 4.7 percent) and long-term departures decreased to 6 589 (down 8.0 percent).
In 2004–05 New Zealand citizen net permanent and long term movement was 19 998, a significant drop from its peak of 38 949 in 2000–01. This reduction can be attributed to a marked improvement in the New Zealand economy. In 2004–05, 30.7 percent of permanent and long-term New Zealand citizen arrivals stated they intended to live in New South Wales, 37.3 percent in Queensland, 18.7 percent in Victoria and 9.3 percent in Western Australia.
New Zealand itself has high immigration in proportion to its population.
It also has a high level of emigration, much of which is to Australia. The proportion of settler arrivals (that is permanent arrivals) from New Zealand who are foreign-born has fallen in the last few years.
In 1994–95 the proportion was 23.3 percent and in 2000–01 it was 40.5 percent.
This proportion dropped back to 28 percent in 2001–02, and to 25 percent in 2002–03 and 23 percent in 2004–05, in line with a fall in immigration to New Zealand.
Level of skill
In 2004–05, 6834 (30.5 percent) of permanent New Zealand citizen arrivals were skilled, 4700 (21.0 percent) were semi-skilled or unskilled, and the remainder were either not in the labour force or unemployed.
By broad occupational groups, 7174 of permanent and long term New Zealand arrivals in 2004–05 were professionals or associate-professionals; 3347 were advanced or intermediate clerks, salespersons, personal service workers or production and transport workers; 2382 were trades persons and 1969 were managers or administrators.
New Zealanders in the labour market
New Zealand citizens have a high labour-force participation rate (76.3 percent at June 2005), compared with the Australian born (68.2 percent) and all migrants from the main English speaking countries (MESC) (64.9 percent). This is partly because New Zealanders in Australia are concentrated in the young adult age group.
At June 2005, the unemployment rate of New Zealand citizens was 4.7 percent, the same as for the Australian-born and slightly higher than the 4.1 percent for MESC migrants.
Short-term visitors
During 2004–05, short-term visitor arrivals of New Zealand citizens totalled 1 266 419, an increase of 8.6 percent over the previous year.
Notes
1New Zealand citizens with medical conditions or criminal convictions should approach the nearest Australian immigration office to discuss their entry to Australia before travelling to Australia.
2An 'exempt non-citizen' was a person who was exempt from the requirement to hold an entry permit and was regarded as a permanent resident for periods spent in Australia.
Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au
The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.
Fact Sheet 17. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship,
Canberra.
Revised on 27 July 2007.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2007.