New Zealand Australians

New Zealand Australians refers to Australian citizens whose origins are in New Zealand, as well as New Zealand migrants and expatriates based in Australia. Migration from New Zealand to Australia is a common phenomenon, given Australia's proximity to New Zealand, its larger economy and cultural links between the two countries.

New Zealand Australians
Map of the New Zealander diaspora in the world. Australia has the largest New Zealander population outside New Zealand.
Total population
530,491 (by birth, 2021)[1]
203,507 (by ancestry, 2021)[2]
Regions with significant populations
New Zealand-born people by state or territory
Queensland192,037[3]
New South Wales114,231[3]
Victoria80,235[3]
Western Australia70,735[3]
Languages
Australian English · New Zealand English · Māori
Related ethnic groups
Australian · European Australians · Anglo-Celtic Australians · New Zealander

History

20th century

Under various arrangements since the 1920s, there has been a free flow of people between Australia and New Zealand.[4] Since 1973 the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement has allowed for the free movement of citizens of one nation to the other. One major exception to these travel privileges has been for individuals with outstanding warrants or criminal backgrounds.

New Zealanders in Australia were previously granted permanent residency upon arrival in Australia with, like all permanent residents, access to the Australian social security system. In 1986 the Hawke Labor Government brought in the rule whereby New Zealanders had to wait six months after arrival to qualify for social security benefits.[5]

Special Category Visa

In 1994, the Keating Labor Government introduced special category visas for New Zealand citizens, which included the denial of HECS fee help and Austudy payments for tertiary study unless SCV holders became Australian citizens.[5] Despite the increased immigration restrictions, net migration from New Zealand to Australia has still continued.[6]

In 1998, the Howard Government increased the stand down period for general welfare payments to two years, which is the standard waiting period for all permanent residents in Australia. It is important to note that, during these changes, New Zealand citizens remained as Permanent Residents upon arrival in Australia, with the same basic rights and pathway to citizenship as all Permanent Residents.

2001 immigration legislative changes
People with New Zealand ancestry as a percentage of the population in Australia divided geographically by statistical local area, as of the 2011 census

Regulations were dramatically changed in 2001 by The Family and Community Services Legislation Amendment (New Zealand Citizens) Bill 2001 which categorizes New Zealanders who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001 as non-protected special visa holders. That makes them ineligible for many social security benefits. Those New Zealanders can stay in Australia indefinitely but without any civic rights (they cannot vote in any Government elections) or route to citizenship. More than 175,000 people – or 47 per cent of the New Zealanders living in Australia – are thought to be affected by the law, which has been labelled "discriminatory" by campaigners.[7]

In 2011, a series of anti-discrimination lawsuits overturned decisions to deny New Zealand citizens social security benefits under 2001 Howard government laws that restricted access to permanent residency.[7] Australian citizens who go and live in New Zealand continue to enjoy the social security benefits and are treated as permanent residents in New Zealand.[8]

In June 2011 Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key discussed the issue and Australia was reported to be looking at easing residency requirements for up to 100,000 New Zealanders stuck in limbo after the rule change in 2001.[9][10] There are complaints in New Zealand that there is a brain drain to Australia.[11][12]

Section 501 character test and subsequent developments

In 2014, the Australian Government amended the Migration Act to allow the cancellation of Australian visas for non-citizens on character grounds, including having been sentenced to prison for more than twelve months. The stricter character requirements also target non-citizens who have lived in Australia for most of their lives. By July 2018, about 1,300 New Zealanders had been deported from Australia on character grounds.[13][14][15] At least 60% of New Zealanders living in Australia who were deported on character grounds were of Māori and Pasifika descent. While Australian officials have defended the tougher deportation measures, their New Zealand counterparts have warned that these would damage the historical "bonds of mateship" between the two countries.[14]

In February 2016, the Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers Malcolm Turnbull and John Key reached a deal to grant a pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealanders living in Australia who were earning five times over the average wage.[16] In July 2017, the Australian Government introduced the "Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)" to fast-track the Australian citizenship naturalisation process for New Zealanders living in Australia. Under this visa, New Zealanders who have lived in Australia for at least five years and earning an annual income over A$53,900 can apply for Australian citizenship. Between 60,000 and 80,000 New Zealanders are eligible for the Skilled Independent Visa. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 1,512 skilled independent visas had been issued by late February 2018 with another 7,500 visas still being processed.[17][18] This visa scheme was criticized by the "Ozkiwi lobby" since two thirds of New Zealanders living in Australia did not meet the qualifying wage.[19]

In mid-July 2018, the ABC aired a controversial documentary entitled "Don't call Australia Home" showcasing the accelerated deportation of New Zealand nationals under Australia's immigration "character test." ABC guest host Peter FitzSimons interviewed three of the deported New Zealanders, who had subsequently resettled in New Zealand. The documentary featured the Justice Minister of New Zealand, Andrew Little, who criticized the high deportation rate on human rights grounds.[15] The ABC documentary and Little's remarks provoked criticism from several Australian officials, including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Assistant Home Affairs Minister Alex Hawke, who defended Australia's immigration policies on law and order grounds.[20]

Many New Zealanders living, studying and working in Australia under the Special Category Visa were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; with many being unable to access Centrelink payments. On 30 March 2020, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Special Category Visa holders would be eligible for AU$1,500 fortnightly payments as hardship assistance following negotiations with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.[21]

On 6 July 2022, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that entitled New Zealand Special Category Visa holders would be eligible for flood relief assistance in response to the 2022 New South Wales floods. This flood relief assistance consists of a one-off means-tested payment of A$10,000 for adults and A$4,000 for small kids. NZ Prime Minister Arnerd welcomed the development as a positive welfare step in Australian-New Zealand bilateral relations.[22]

Citizenship pathway

On 8 July 2022, Albanese confirmed plans to expand voting rights and citizenship pathways for New Zealand citizens residing in Australia. In addition, he also indicated that the Albanese government would "tweak" the Section 501 deportation policy to consider individuals' long-term connection to Australia.[23][24][25]

On 22 April 2023, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles announced the creation of a new direct pathway to Australian citizenship for Special Category Visa holders. From 1 July 2023, SCV holders who have resided in Australia for four years and meet other residency requirements will be eligible to apply directly for Australian citizenship without having to apply for permanent residency first.[26] In addition, children born in Australia to a New Zealander from 1 July 2023 will automatically be eligible for New Zealand citizenship.[27] The announcement was welcomed by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Oz Kiwi chairperson Joanne Cox for improving New Zealanders' access to Australian citizenship and social security while potentially reducing the deportation of New Zealanders.[28][27]

By 15 August 2023, over 15,000 New Zealanders residing in Australia had applied for Australian citizenship under the new criteria, with 500 passing the Australian citizenship test at the time of publication. According to The Guardian, New Zealand citizens made up for half of Australian citizenship applications since 1 July 2023. 35% of applicants came from Queensland, 30% from Victoria, and 20% from New South Wales.[29]

Demographics

By 2001 there were eight times more New Zealanders living in Australia than Australians living in New Zealand.[30] Many such New Zealanders include Māori Australians and Pasifika New Zealanders.[14] People born in New Zealand continue to be the second largest source of immigration to Australia, representing 11% of total permanent additions in 2005–06 and accounting for 2.3% of Australia's population at June 2006.[31] Australians make up a similar proportion of New Zealand's population.[7]

According to the 2011 Census, there were 187,212 people of New Zealand descent in Australia and 483,398 New Zealand-born people residing in the country at the moment of the census, an increase of 24.1 per cent compared to the 2006 Census. The largest New Zealand-born community in Australia was in the state of Queensland, with 192,037 people.[3]

In 2013, there were about 650,000 New Zealand citizens living in Australia,[32] which was about 15 per cent of the population of New Zealand.[33]

Geographic distribution
As of 2011, Brisbane, the capital and most populous city in the state of Queensland, was home to 99,285 New Zealand-born people.[34]

More New Zealand-born people in Australia were concentrated in Queensland than any other state, with more than half of those in Queensland living in the city of Brisbane. New South Wales was home to the second largest Kiwi-born population with 114,231 people of which 81,064 were located in its largest city, Sydney.[35] The third largest population was found in the state of Victoria with 80,235 people.[3] The state of Western Australia had the fourth largest population with 70,735 people of which 33,751 were located in the city of Perth.[36]

Socio-economics

New Zealand citizens have a high labour-force participation rate (78.2 per cent at July 2012) compared with those born in Australia (78.0 per cent).[37] New Zealanders living in Australia also have a higher median weekly income ($760) than Australians born in Australia ($597) and immigrants in general ($538), which may be partially due to working longer hours (51.8 hours per week) than the Australian-born (45.6 hours) or immigrants in general (44.7 hours).

Cultural background

New Zealand is a multicultural country with a multiethnic society. Because of this, New Zealanders have different and diverse ethnic backgrounds. However, the majority of New Zealanders, both in Australia and New Zealand, are New Zealanders of European descent, mainly of British ancestry. In the 2011 Census most New Zealand-born people living in Australia reported being of English descent (222,956), followed by those of New Zealander (86,724), Scottish (83,156) and Māori (82,577) descent.[3]

Language

The main languages spoken by New Zealand-born people in Australia were English (440,649), Samoan (11,931) and Māori (8,067).[3]

See also

References
  1. "Birthplace | Australia | Community profile".
  2. "Ancestry | Australia | Community profile".
  3. "The New Zealand-born Community: Historical Background (2011 census)". Australian Government, Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  4. "Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship Fact Sheet – New Zealanders in Australia". Immi.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  5. "New Zealand Citizens". Department of Home Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  6. Chapman, Paul (13 May 2006). "New Zealand warned over exodus to Australia". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
  7. Dickison, Michael; Ansley, Greg (14 January 2013). "Australia: Kiwis struggling without a lifeline across the ditch". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  8. "Migrating to New Zealand from Australia". New Zealand Now. Immigration New Zealand. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  9. "Reprieve for Kiwis in limbo in Australia". The Dominion Post. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  10. "Welfare payments to be restricted for Kiwis in Australia". ABC. 26 February 2001. Retrieved 27 June 2006.
  11. Mahne, Christian (24 July 2002). "New Zealand voters fear brain drain". Business. BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2006.
  12. Miss Kiwi (24 June 2011). "Kiwis discriminated in Australia".
  13. Migration Act 1958 (Cth) s 501 Refusal or cancellation of visa on character grounds.
  14. O'Regan, Sylvia Varnham (3 July 2018). "Why New Zealand Is Furious About Australia's Deportation Policy". New York Times. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  15. "Don't Call Australia Home!". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  16. Roughan, John (2017). John Key: Portrait of a Prime Minister (Revised ed.). New Zealand: Penguin Books. pp. 251–52. ISBN 9780143771180.
  17. Karp, Paul (13 April 1018). "Visa pathway for New Zealanders resident in Australia will cut migrant intake". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  18. Goethe-Snape, Jackson (13 April 2018). "Government's immigration tweak sees overseas Asians out, integrated Kiwis in". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  19. Roughan 2017, p. 252.
  20. Khalil, Shireen (19 July 2018). "'Program did not consider the impact on victims': ABC slammed by MP over NZ deportation piece". news.com.au. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  21. "Covid-19 coronavirus: New Zealanders living in Australia able to access payments". New Zealand Herald. 30 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  22. "Australia flood relief for New Zealanders a 'significant shift' - Prime Minister Cindy Arnerd". Radio New Zealand. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  23. McClure, Tess; Karp, Paul (8 July 2022). "Anthony Albanese offers New Zealanders fresh approach on voting rights in Australia and deportation policy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  24. Tibshraeny, Jenee; Neilson, Michael (8 July 2022). "Jacinda Ardern in Australia: Albanese on 501s - Countries to show 'common sense' and work 'as friends'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  25. Hevesi, Bryant (8 July 2022). "Anthony Albanese says Australia will take a 'common sense' approach to deporting New Zealand criminals under Section 501". Sky News Australia. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  26. "Direct pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealanders". Prime Minister of Australia. 22 April 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  27. Neilson, Michael (22 April 2023). "New Zealanders in Australia to get pathway to citizenship; PM Hipkins says biggest improvement in rights 'in a generation'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  28. "'A blimmin' good day for Kiwis living in Australia' - Hipkins on citizenship changes". Radio New Zealand. 22 April 2023. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  29. Hurst, Daniel; Karp, Paul (13 August 2023). "More than 15,000 New Zealanders apply for Australian citizenship in six weeks". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  30. Walrond, Carl (4 March 2009). "Kiwis overseas – Migration to Australia". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  31. "Migration: permanent additions to Australia's population". 4102.0 – Australian Social Trends, 2007. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 7 August 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  32. "Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship". Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  33. Collett, John (4 September 2013). "Kiwis face hurdles in pursuit of lost funds". Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  34. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Brisbane (Major Statistical Region)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 27 December 2009.refer "Basic Community Profile – Brisbane" sheet B10
  35. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Sydney (Statistical Division)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  36. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Perth (Statistical Division)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  37. "Fact Sheet 17 – New Zealanders in Australia". Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
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