A new pathway to permanent residency for New Zealand Citizens

A new pathway to permanent residency has just become available to New Zealand citizens who live in
Australia. This means that if you’re a New Zealand citizen who has shown a commitment and a continuous contribution to the Australian workforce over at least five years, you may now have an easier way of becoming a permanent resident. The new Skilled Migration pathway is obtainable for eligible New Zealand citizens, and it also provides a quicker path to citizenship.

Are you eligible for the Skilled Migration pathway?

Use our handy checklist to find out:
• Did you arrive in Australia on or before 19 February 2016?​
• Do you currently hold a subclass 444 special category visa? This is the most common visa given to New Zealanders who visit, study, stay or work in Australia.​
• Have you resided in Australia for 5 years or longer?​
• Are you contributing to Australia through employment?​
• Have you earned at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) for the qualifying period? This is $53,900 for the past 5 financial years. ​
• Do you meet the mandatory health, character and security checks?

For more information on the mandatory health check, click here [
https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Heal/meeting-the-health-requirement.

Get more information on the mandatory character check here [https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Char].
How can this help you on the path to becoming an Australian citizen?

Generally, immigrants must remain permanent residents for at least four years before they are eligible for citizenship. If you are granted this new visa, this will be fast-tracked, and you will be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship after only 12 months. This is as well as the minimum of five years spent living in Australia as an eligible New Zealand SCV holder.

Do you need assistance with any part of your application? We’re here to help. Give our friendly and experienced team a call at Migrate With Us today for advice