On 22 April 2023, the Australian Government announced a direct pathway for New Zealand Citizens living in Australia to acquire Australian Citizenship.
From 01 July 2023, New Zealand Citizens who have been living in Australia for at least four years will be eligible to apply for and acquire Australian Citizenship. They will no longer be required to apply for a permanent visa in Australia, as the change will effectively treat them as a permanent resident for the purposes of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.
With effect from 1 July 2023:
- All New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category Visa (subclass 444) (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 a permanent resident for citizenship purposes from the date of their SCV grant.
The above will also apply to New Zealand citizens outside of Australia who held an SCV immediately before they last departed Australia.
It is however important to note that partners of people in this cohort who are not New Zealand citizens may not be eligible for the Australian Citizenship. Children born in Australia to an SCV holder may also be impacted.
If you are a New Zealand citizen, or a family member of a New Zealand citizen and you wish to become an Australian citizen, contact our office to discuss your options.
