More than 400 people a week are using an easing of migration rules for those across “the ditch” to apply for Australian citizenship, even though they weren’t born in New Zealand. There has been a 462 per cent surge in applications since the Albanese government [eased citizenship requirements ](https://www.pm.gov.au/media/direct-pathway-australian-citizenship-new-zealanders)in July 2023, allowing New Zealand residents who have lived here for four years or more to become Australian citizens without having to first become a permanent resident.
Department of Home Affairs data provided to this masthead reveals that 48 per cent of the 92,000 New Zealanders who took advantage of the relaxed requirements were born in third-party nations rather than New Zealand. Those numbers, combined with a recent rise in New Zealanders moving to Australia, have raised doubts about Australia’s ability to meet a planned slowdown in migration, as well as concerns it is robbing New Zealand of both its professional and low-skilled workforce.
It has also prompted New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters to flag concerns his country is being used a stepping stone by migrants wanting to come to Australia, and that the trend will further accelerate under an easing of its own migration rules which will grant residency in just 18 months for some workers.
“We are concerned that those who gain residency will become citizens then, using their New Zealand passports, leave for fast-tracked visas in Australia. Almost half of our citizens already applying for Australian citizenship last year were not born here,” Peters said in a statement. “New Zealand is being used as a stepping stone into Australia. We take them in, train them, up-skill them, look after their families, and then they emigrate. How is this an effective immigration policy?” As previously revealed by this masthead, there has also been a [significant increase in the numbers of overseas workers using mutual recognition agreements](https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/new-zealand-the-stepping-stone-to-an-aussie-job-20251202-p5nk3c.html) with New Zealand as a back door to avoid Australian regulators and gain a shortcut to employment. Despite confirming that almost half of those granted citizenship under the revised New Zealand rules originate from third-party countries, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs does not request information about the country of birth from the applicants.
jongtoolio on
Albanese government literally has to stop shooting itself in the foot constantly if it wants to maintain power.
mildurajackaroo on
Stupid idea. We don’t want to become another Canada-US scenario.
New Zealanders can immigrate here, but they get no special pass. They follow the same orderly queue that everybody else is on.
MannerNo7000 on
Labor party are addicted to mass immigration and international students.
All they care about is total GDP and not quality of life.
Classic capitalists
bundy554 on
Does anyone know if Ireland gets any special privileges for obtaining citizenship for the UK as something similar to the proximity of Aus and NZ?
Bob_Spud on
In the article this is very misleading…
>***There has been a 462 per cent surge in applications*** *since the Albanese government* [*eased citizenship requirements* ](https://www.pm.gov.au/media/direct-pathway-australian-citizenship-new-zealanders)*in July 2023, allowing New Zealand residents who have lived here for four years or more to become Australian citizens without having to first become a permanent resident.*
The 462% surge in applications is mostly from people that were already living in Australia for a long time. In the 22 years between 2001 and 2023 it was difficult for them to become Australian citizens. It makes sense for them to become Australian citizens once the rules have been changed.
In 2001 John Howard and his government changed the rules of the 444 visa making hard for New Zealanders to become Australian citizens. Apparently this was done to prevent Kiwi Asians and Pacific Islanders from becoming Aussies.
Electrical-College-6 on
>It has also prompted New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters to flag concerns his country is being used a stepping stone by migrants wanting to come to Australia, and that the trend will further accelerate under an easing of its own migration rules which will grant residency in just 18 months for some workers.
This really benefits neither country. NZ probably needs more restrictive citizenship laws to combat it.
AggravatingParfait33 on
Wait isn’t the unemployment rate the lowest since the 60s?
Veledris on
By “raises migration concerns” they mean that the NZ foreign minister is concerned that NZ is being fucked by losing their skilled workers and migrants.
Australia is a huge beneficiary of this. We get pre vetted skilled migrants who’ve spent years in a similar cultural environment. Migration has fallen YoY since this policy came into effect so clearly it’s not adding extra migrants which makes sense because despite what the media wants you to believe, migration is controlled through issue of PR. You will see fluctuations of temp workers or students but PR has limits.
WhatAmIATailor on
Throw an arbitrary limit on kiwis migrating. Must have held NZ citizenship for 10 years before unrestricted entry into Australia. It won’t slow the flow of Kiws migrating but will substantially decrease the “backdoor” migrants that never intended to live in NZ.
10 Comments
More than 400 people a week are using an easing of migration rules for those across “the ditch” to apply for Australian citizenship, even though they weren’t born in New Zealand. There has been a 462 per cent surge in applications since the Albanese government [eased citizenship requirements ](https://www.pm.gov.au/media/direct-pathway-australian-citizenship-new-zealanders)in July 2023, allowing New Zealand residents who have lived here for four years or more to become Australian citizens without having to first become a permanent resident.
Department of Home Affairs data provided to this masthead reveals that 48 per cent of the 92,000 New Zealanders who took advantage of the relaxed requirements were born in third-party nations rather than New Zealand. Those numbers, combined with a recent rise in New Zealanders moving to Australia, have raised doubts about Australia’s ability to meet a planned slowdown in migration, as well as concerns it is robbing New Zealand of both its professional and low-skilled workforce.
It has also prompted New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters to flag concerns his country is being used a stepping stone by migrants wanting to come to Australia, and that the trend will further accelerate under an easing of its own migration rules which will grant residency in just 18 months for some workers.
“We are concerned that those who gain residency will become citizens then, using their New Zealand passports, leave for fast-tracked visas in Australia. Almost half of our citizens already applying for Australian citizenship last year were not born here,” Peters said in a statement. “New Zealand is being used as a stepping stone into Australia. We take them in, train them, up-skill them, look after their families, and then they emigrate. How is this an effective immigration policy?” As previously revealed by this masthead, there has also been a [significant increase in the numbers of overseas workers using mutual recognition agreements](https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/new-zealand-the-stepping-stone-to-an-aussie-job-20251202-p5nk3c.html) with New Zealand as a back door to avoid Australian regulators and gain a shortcut to employment. Despite confirming that almost half of those granted citizenship under the revised New Zealand rules originate from third-party countries, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs does not request information about the country of birth from the applicants.
Albanese government literally has to stop shooting itself in the foot constantly if it wants to maintain power.
Stupid idea. We don’t want to become another Canada-US scenario.
New Zealanders can immigrate here, but they get no special pass. They follow the same orderly queue that everybody else is on.
Labor party are addicted to mass immigration and international students.
All they care about is total GDP and not quality of life.
Classic capitalists
Does anyone know if Ireland gets any special privileges for obtaining citizenship for the UK as something similar to the proximity of Aus and NZ?
In the article this is very misleading…
>***There has been a 462 per cent surge in applications*** *since the Albanese government* [*eased citizenship requirements* ](https://www.pm.gov.au/media/direct-pathway-australian-citizenship-new-zealanders)*in July 2023, allowing New Zealand residents who have lived here for four years or more to become Australian citizens without having to first become a permanent resident.*
The 462% surge in applications is mostly from people that were already living in Australia for a long time. In the 22 years between 2001 and 2023 it was difficult for them to become Australian citizens. It makes sense for them to become Australian citizens once the rules have been changed.
In 2001 John Howard and his government changed the rules of the 444 visa making hard for New Zealanders to become Australian citizens. Apparently this was done to prevent Kiwi Asians and Pacific Islanders from becoming Aussies.
>It has also prompted New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters to flag concerns his country is being used a stepping stone by migrants wanting to come to Australia, and that the trend will further accelerate under an easing of its own migration rules which will grant residency in just 18 months for some workers.
This really benefits neither country. NZ probably needs more restrictive citizenship laws to combat it.
Wait isn’t the unemployment rate the lowest since the 60s?
By “raises migration concerns” they mean that the NZ foreign minister is concerned that NZ is being fucked by losing their skilled workers and migrants.
Australia is a huge beneficiary of this. We get pre vetted skilled migrants who’ve spent years in a similar cultural environment. Migration has fallen YoY since this policy came into effect so clearly it’s not adding extra migrants which makes sense because despite what the media wants you to believe, migration is controlled through issue of PR. You will see fluctuations of temp workers or students but PR has limits.
Throw an arbitrary limit on kiwis migrating. Must have held NZ citizenship for 10 years before unrestricted entry into Australia. It won’t slow the flow of Kiws migrating but will substantially decrease the “backdoor” migrants that never intended to live in NZ.