3. Do New Zealand citizens need to apply for permanent residence?
The 1973 Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement allows New Zealand citizens to enter Australia to visit, live and work. You need a valid New Zealand passport to enter Australia.
You are considered to have applied for a visa and, subject to health or character concerns, will automatically receive a Special Category visa (SCV) which is recorded electronically. You do not need to seek a visa before travelling, unless there are medical or character concerns.
New Zealand citizens with medical conditions or criminal convictions should approach the nearest Australian diplomatic office overseas to discuss their entry before travelling to Australia.
As a result of changes announced by the Australian and New Zealand governments on 26 February 2001, some New Zealand citizens will be required to obtain Australian permanent residence if they wish to:
access certain social security payments (subject to the two year eligibility waiting period for most payments);
be eligible for Australian citizenship; or
sponsor people for permanent residence
These changes do not affect New Zealand citizens who:
were in Australia on 26 February 2001 as Special Category visa (SCV) holders
were outside Australia on 26 February 2001, but were in Australia as an SCV holder for at least one year in the two years prior to that date, and subsequently returned here, or
have a certificate, issued under the Social Security Act 1991, stating that they are residing in Australia on a particular date (contact Centrelink for more details).
See:
Fact Sheet 17, New Zealanders in Australia
Centrelink website
4. I am a New Zealand citizen who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001. How do I apply for permanent residence?
To enable New Zealand citizens to remain in Australia and to apply for a permanent visa under the General Skilled Migration categories, a new permanent visa class, called Skilled-New Zealand Citizen (Residence), has been created. This visa class contains three permanent visa categories:
Skilled-Onshore Independent New Zealand Citizen: if you do not have a sponsor or choose not to be sponsored;
Skilled-Onshore Australian-sponsored New Zealand Citizen: if you or your spouse have a relative in Australia who is willing to sponsor you and provide financial support;
Skilled-Onshore Designated Area-sponsored New Zealand Citizen: if you or your spouse have a relative in Australia who is willing to sponsor you and provide financial support, and your sponsor lives outside a designated area.
Complete details of the categories are contained in the Migration Booklet 6 General Skilled Migration.
In addition, only New Zealand citizens in Australia on an SCV may apply, and the applicant must be in Australia when the visa is granted.
See: Migration Booklet 6, General Skilled Migration
http://www.immi.gov.au/faq/perm_res/01.htm#q3
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