There's been an increase in the number of not just New Zealanders moving to Australia, but those applying to become citizens.
Widespread changes were brought in on July 1, making it easier for Kiwis to go through the process, after years of issues raised by the New Zealand Government.
New statistics from Australia's Home Affairs department reveal in the first ten days of the new process going live, 5538 people applied for citizenship.
In May 2023, two months before the changes were active, on average 4738 people applied over the same period.
The majority of applicants (35%) are in Queensland, with 30% in Victoria and 20% in New South Wales.
One of those who has applied for citizenship is Alistair Stewart, who moved to rural NSW in 2008 from North Canterbury.
He said the appeal was career development.
"A lot of that has been based around working in schools and developing my career as a teacher then moving into leadership to being a principal now."
Previously happy to be on a less-permanent Special Character Visa, citizenship became a priority when his children needed disability support.
He said it was tough to discover children of New Zealanders, even those born in Australia, don't get access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
"So even though our children are born in Australia, we don't get the access to the NDIS as a permanent resident or a child of a permanent resident, or a child of the citizen of Australia would be eligible for."
It comes as new data from Statistics New Zealand confirms 2022 saw the largest annual net migration loss to Australia in nearly a decade.
Last year 33,863 people left New Zealand for Australia and 20,431 moved in the other direction, resulting in a loss of 13,400 people.
Immigration Minister Andrew Little told 1News that it was to be expected.
"Kiwis go to Australia, to other parts of the world," he said.
"They work, they live there for a while, some come back quickly, some take a little longer; but most come back."
The Minister's focused on the wider picture and said there were always going to be restless Kiwis when the borders reopened.
"In terms of New Zealand and filling skills gaps and having people come here, we're doing okay given we're only 18 months, two years after Covid."
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