Permanent Residency for New Zealanders in Australia

Update for New Zealand Citizens – Subclass 189 New Zealand Stream

The New Zealand stream of the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) closed to new applications on Saturday 10 December 2022.

 

The stream has now been permanently closed with the recent announcement that as of 1 July 2023 New Zealand citizens who have been residing in Australia for four years will have a direct pathway to applying for Australian citizenship.

 

During this period, the Department of Home Affairs will seek to finalise the majority of on-hand applications in the New Zealand stream and has established a dedicated taskforce to prioritise the processing of this caseload.

The majority of New Zealand stream 189 visa applicants have been waiting several years for their visa application to be finalised due to the limited number of places allocated to this group in recent years.

For further information see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/skilled-migration-program/recent-changes