Hipkins 'optimistic' of progress on Kiwi citizens Aus pathway

New Zealanders living in Australia look set to get better citizenship rights soon, as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visits his counterpart Anthony Albanese in Brisbane this weekend.

The issue has been a long and contentious one, with the New Zealand Government calling for fair treatment of the 700,000 odd New Zealanders living in Australia for decades.

Hipkins said his two-day visit to Australia was to "celebrate and advance" the cultural and economic ties between the two countries.

He said the visit was "deliberately timed" for Anzac weekend, and said the two prime ministers would discuss the common interests and issues between Australia and New Zealand, including "major geostrategic issues" and shared economic challenges.

"That conversation is likely to cover the 700,000 New Zealanders who are currently living in Australia."

He said he was "looking forward" to hearing more from Australian leaders on what they had "been doing regarding citizenship and rights for New Zealanders living in Australia".

Hipkins would be joined by a business delegation and senior Māori leaders, aimed at strengthening the trans-Tasman business and cultural links, on the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER) agreement.

"Australia is our second largest export market and is our biggest source of tourists, so how we refresh and evolve CER in its 40th year is vital to our continued economic prosperity," he said.

"We have a situation at the moment where there's a number of New Zealanders who have been living and working in Australia for a long period of time - they've made their lives in Australia."

He said those people were effectively "permanently temporary" in Australia.

New Zealanders living in Australia do so on a special category visa, which is a temporary visa, and does not hold the same rights and benefits as an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

"That's not something that Australians find when they come to New Zealand, there are pathways for them to establish themselves. Free movement between our two countries is integral to the CER relationship.

"This has been a challenging couple of decades where that free movement has been limited on one side, so I'm looking forward to us being able to make some progress there."

Hipkins said it had been frustrating for New Zealanders living in Australia to find they didn't have the same rights available to an Australian moving to New Zealand.

"I'm optimistic that we'll be able to make progress... that's an announcement for the Australian government to make."

He said there had been "a lot of good will" from Australia to resolve the issue.

"We appear to be on the eve of making some significant progress.

"It's a sign that the relationship [between Australia and New Zealand] is in good heart."

Asked if improved rights in Australia could incentivise New Zealanders to move, Hipkins said the nature of free movement of people was that it went both ways.

"We want to make New Zealand a very attractive place to live, work, to raise a family, so that we encourage more New Zealanders to stay here, so that we encourage New Zealanders who are in Australia to come home to New Zealand."

He said New Zealanders moved to Australia for many reasons and the Government wanted to make sure they were "treated fairly while they're there".

Trade relations would be a focus of a gala dinner in Brisbane on Saturday night, he said, where Hipkins would discuss the relationship with Australian treasurer Jim Chalmers.

On Sunday he will attend an unveiling of plaques for previously unmarked graves of New Zealand soldiers who served in two world wars. He would also meet with senior representatives from the Queensland state government to discuss risks from natural disasters and share experiences, insights and expertise.

Trade and export growth Minister Damien O'Connor would accompany Hipkins on the trip, he said.

It's the second time in his premiership Hipkins will visit Albanese in Australia - he visited Canberra in February.

National Party MP Todd McClay - who was Trade Minister under the Key Government, said Australians in New Zealand had similar rights to New Zealand citizens and it was time for New Zealanders and Australians to be treated "exactly the same" in both countries.

"Let's take the politics out of this - this will be good for Kiwis there, if it's delivered on, we should celebrate that."

He said he would also like to see the Prime Minister heading to India and China as those relationships were also good for New Zealand's economy.

Sandy Boyce, a New Zealander who moved to Australia 15 years ago, said she wanted security in her retirement - but said it was a "hard road" for Kiwis to get citizenship in Australia.

"I personally don't feel it's fair."

She didn't believe seeking citizenship was unrealistic.

"I'm a Kiwi and that's where my heart will always be, but... here I'm not really anything, I just feel sort of lost."

She said if the rules changed she would be "over the moon".

"This is the country that we want to live in. We want to be here. We have a freehold house here, we both have jobs here - we just want that final security that in our retirement years, we can actually stay here.

"I've committed to this country, I love this country... it just suits us, but I just don't feel like I'm getting a fair deal... from the [Australian] Government."

Source: Australian Parliament.

The Special Category visa (subclass 444) (SCV) allows New Zealanders to remain in Australia as long as they are a New Zealand citizen.

The SCV is a temporary visa, and holders do not have the same rights and benefits as an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

To access such rights, temporary migrants, must obtain permanent visas.

All Australian citizens and permanent residents are automatically granted residence visas and may apply for permanent residence after having held a residence visa continuously for two years.

Before 2001, New Zealanders on SCVs could access social security and obtain Australian citizenship without first becoming permanent residents.

Under a 2001 rule change, New Zealand citizens who arrived in Australia after February 26 that year could not access some social security payments, obtain citizenship or access other rights and privileges without first successfully obtaining permanent residence through Australia's migration programme.

There are limits on New Zealand citizens in Australia receiving the Australian age pension, disability support pension and carer payment

New Zealand citizens who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001 may not access the National Disability Insurance Scheme - despite being required to pay the Medicare levy, which partially funds the scheme.

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