Applying for Australian citizenship
As a New Zealand citizen, you can apply for citizenship if you hold either:
- a permanent visa, or
- an SCV.
The process to become an Australian citizen is the same for all New Zealand citizens holding an SCV and does not depend on when you first arrived in Australia.
- New Zealand citizens must meet the general residence requirement of being lawfully present in Australia for four years, including 12 months as a permanent resident, immediately before the date of citizenship application.
- You do not need to first apply for and be granted a permanent visa to meet the 12 months as a permanent resident requirement. Time on your SCV will be considered permanent residence for citizenship purposes with effect from 1 July 2023.
- Note: if you are a New Zealand citizen who was born in Australia, you may already be an Australian citizen by operation of law.
General Residence Requirement
When you apply you must:
- have been living in Australia on a valid visa for 4 years immediately before the day you apply and
- hold a permanent visa or an SCV for the last 12 months immediately before the day you apply and
- not have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in total in the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in total in the 12 months immediately before applying.
For children 16 or 17 years old, if meeting this requirement would cause significant hardship or disadvantage, you will need to provide proof.
Children under 16 do not need to meet the general residence requirement but must be a permanent resident.
If you are an SCV holder you will continue to be considered a permanent resident for citizenship purposes while outside Australia, provided you held an SCV immediately before your departure.
Changes to the permanent residency commencement date apply for certain New Zealand citizens holding an SCV or a New Zealand stream Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa.
Keystone Visa and Migration Services can assist with your Citizenship Application.
For further assistance with applying for Australian Citizenship, please contact us at [email protected]