15,000 and Counting: New Zealanders Eager to Become Australian Citizens

An Australian passport pictured in Brisbane, Australia, on July 25, 2013. AAP Image/Dan Peled

More than 15,000 New Zealanders are currently in the process of getting Australian citizenship after a new fast-tracked pathway launched on July 1.

The new direct pathway to Australian citizenship removed the hurdles introduced in 2001, allowing eligible New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia for more than four years to skip the permanent residency stage entirely.

Additionally, Kiwi children born in Australia now automatically gain citizenship at birth. Previously, they needed to wait until they reached 10-years-old.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said 15,000 of “our closest friends” had applied in the past six weeks, and almost 500 had already passed the citizenship test.

“Australia and New Zealand share a common bond,” he said. “The Government’s common-sense change has created a pathway to citizenship for so many who have been living and working in Australia for years and contributing to our local communities.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on July 26 that over 10,000 people had applied at the time, a number that is expected to “increase significantly in the months ahead.”

It comes as Statistics NZ, the official data agency, revealed that the country had a net loss of 34,800 citizens during the 12 months to June 2023. Specifically, about 61,200 Kiwis left (a 68 percent increase from 2022), while 26,300 Kiwis returned.

That is the highest annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens in over a decade.

Of the citizens who left, over half (33,900) moved across the Tasman to Australia.

New Zealand traditionally loses more citizens to Australia than it gains, but in 2022 the net loss was 12,700 people, up from 5,400 in 2021.

The libertarian ACT party raised concerns about a potential brain drain when the direct pathway to citizenship was initially announced in April.

Party leader David Seymour said Australia was creating a “far more lucrative future for ambitious Kiwis” and that New Zealand needed to keep up.

“We can have a better future, but money talks and Kiwis walk. Men and women are finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat in New Zealand,” he told The Epoch Times.

“As well as earning more, people in Australia pay less. Interest rates are two percent lower than New Zealand.”

He noted that the wage gap between Aussies and Kiwis has widened from $17,400 (US$11,294) to $23,400 in the last six years and proposed a two-tier tax system of 17.5 and 28 percent.

“People need the opportunity to get ahead,” he said ahead of the general election in October. “If you’re a nurse on $70,000, our tax cuts let you keep $2,500 more a year.

‘Seamless’ Border

Australia and New Zealand are also currently working together to simplify travel between the two countries, with the potential for complimentary smart gates on the table.

“Two-way travel links our people and drives economic opportunities. And that’s why we want to make this a much more seamless experience for the benefit of both of us,” Mr. Albanese said in July during the annual Australia-New Zealand leaders’ meeting.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins noted that despite the benefits a simplified border would bring to tourism and business, there were important issues that would need to be worked through.

“But it’s not straightforward. Our border is a big part of what keeps us safe. It’s where we manage major biosecurity, people, health, and security risks,” he said.

“This process will bring the experts together to talk about whether there are ways in which we reduce barriers at the border while not compromising our security.”

He also thanked Mr. Albanese for his work in establishing the “historic” citizenship pathway.

“I’m so pleased that as of this month, it’s now easier for New Zealanders who call Australia home to become Australian citizens,” Mr. Hipkins said.