189 Permanent Residence for New Zealand Citizens

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@kieranxsomer

Anyone entering Australia who is not an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident is required to hold a valid visa. This includes all New Zealand (NZ) citizens who generally acquire a subclass 444 Special Category Visa (SCV), automatically, on arrival.

If an SCV holder is not deemed a Former Permanent Resident (in Australia prior to 1 September 1994) nor an Eligible NZ Citizen (in Australia as of 26 February 2001), they may still be able to seek Australian permanent residence by qualifying for the Skilled Independent 189 Visa in the NZ stream.

Skilled Independent 189 - NZ Stream

** 10 December 2022: This pathway is now closed for new applications. Applications lodged prior to 10 December 2022 will continue to be processed.

There are two streams in the Skilled Independent 189 Visa:

Here, we are outlining the general requirements for the NZ stream.

General Requirements

Under this stream, NZ citizens must:

  • Be the holders of a 444 SCV visa

  • Have been usually resident in Australia on or before 19 February 2016

  • Have been usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 5 years before lodging the 189 Visa application

  • Have earned above the minimum taxable salary for at least 3 full, financial years, within the last 5 years unless exempt:

    • Discretionary consideration for those who had taken maternity, paternity or carers leave

    • Inability to leave Australia as a result of being ordered by the Family Court of Australia, to be the primary carer of a child and that child is not able to leave Australia

    • Receiving compensation for an injury where ongoing rehabilitation or compensation would cease if having to leave Australia

  • The minimum taxable salary is currently AUD53,900

  • Meet health and character requirements

Unlike the points tested stream, this visa does not have an age limit nor the requirement to nominate an occupation or provide a positive skills assessment.

If you are a NZ citizen living in Australia and looking for your permanent residence options, contact us to discuss further.