From today, New Zealanders living in Australia can use an expedited system to access citizenship.
The changes reduce the price of the application process and remove income and health requirements, which have been a barrier for many.
1News spoke with Debbie Baird, who has been living in Australia for the past 8-years.
Changes announced by Chris Hipkins and Anthony Albanese come into effect today. (Source: 1News)
Originally from Hamilton, she says she’s felt like a temporary resident for too long.
“If I got sick while living here, it’d mean I’d need to move to New Zealand.”
Debbie says many of the barriers have been removed due to the changes announced earlier this year, so she plans to be one of the first to put in an application.
“It’s huge, and you’d be silly not to apply before there were income restrictions which locked a lot of part-time employees out,” she said.
“Now, if you’ve lived here four years, go ahead and apply.”
In April this year, when the specifics were revealed, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said it was the "biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation", restoring most of the privileges Kiwis had before they were revoked in 2001.
However, there are many New Zealanders who feel like they’ve been negatively affected by the changes.
A petition has been registered with Australia’s Federal Parliament, calling on the government to refund visa fees for the New Zealanders who were in the permanent visa application process, which became redundant under the new pathway.
Erina Morunga, a registered migration agent behind the petition, told 1News that many people paid fees that run “into the thousands.”
“Especially if you've got children and partners, and then only by April, suddenly they find out you didn't need to pay all that money,” she said.
“The Australian Government have done the right thing, and they look, we are so grateful.
“In the spirit of the changes, we just wish that they had considered or even consulted with professionals.”
Kiwis' new path to Aussie Citizenship
• Rights come into effect on July 1 this year
• Applies to Kiwis on temporary, special category visas who have lived in Australia for four years and meet the standard Australian citizenship criteria (e.g. pass a character check, have adequate knowledge of Australia, a basic English competency, will continue to reside in or have a connection with Australia) and attend a citizenship ceremony
• Is retrospective - those in Australia since 2001 will be able to apply directly for citizenship without gaining permanent residence first
• Will cost $490 AUD
• No minimum income requirement or health requirement
• Gives Kiwis access to services and benefits once they become citizens
• Allows Kiwi children born in Australia to become citizens at birth (rather than waiting till they turn 10, as they do now)
• Applies to New Zealand citizens, including New Zealand citizens from the states and territories within the Realm of New Zealand (the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau)
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