A New
Pathway to PR for
New Zealanders

Apply for the PR Pathway

WHAT IS THIS ADDITIONAL PATHWAY?

The New Zealand Citizen to Permanent Residency Pathway is a new sub section of the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa. It allows New Zealand Special Category Visa holders ( SCV subclass 444 holders) to gain permanent residency.

Unlike most pathways to permanent residency, applicants are not required to have a skilled occupation on Australia’s skilled occupation list nor lodge a skilled assessment. Thew new additional pathway to permanent residency allows New Zealand citizens to obtain permanent residency outside of other skilled migration pathways.

Applications for new pathway open 1st July 2017. Between 70,000 to 80,000 New Zealand Citizens are expected to be eligible for this new pathway.

ENTITLEMENTS OF SCV HOLDERS

Although Special Category Visa holders enjoy indefinite rights to remain in Australia, SCV holders are still classified as temporary visa holders and thus do not have access to some benefits that Permanent Residents and Australian Citizens enjoy. We have compiled a side by side comparison of the current entitlements for special category visa holders, permanent residents and citizens. Special category visa holders enjoy similar
benefits to permanent residencies, however, only citizenship allows SCV access to unlimited benefits and entitlements.

Current Special Category Visa holders do not suffer substantial disadvantages to Permanent Residents except in the areas of Family Visa Sponsorship, Citizenship & Work Opportunities, Tertiary Education Fee Assistance as we all as Welfare & Aged Pension Access.

New Zealanders and their families seeking to make Australia their home on a permanent basis will benefit the most from applying for permanent residency and ultimately citizenship.

 
  • Migration Sponsorship
  • Education Assistance (HELP)
  • Pension
  • Healthcare (Medicare)
  • Welfare Payments
  • Travelling Abroad
  • Voting Rights
  • Federal Employment
SCV
  • Non-protected SCV holders are unable to act as sponsors for partner and parent visas. SCV holders can only sponsor temporary visas for No options exist to sponsor non- NZ parents
  • NZ SCV holders can obtain HELP loans and VET Loans. Eligible apllicants must have been Australian residents for 10 years
  • NZ SCV holders are eligilbe for pension payments after 10 years of residency.
  • SCV holder can only access a one-off payment of: Newstart, sickness and youth allowence after 10 years of continuous residency.
  • Unable to apply for certain Federal Government positions: - Australian Defence Force - Australian Federal Police - Australian Border Force - Depart of Foregin Affairs
PR
  • PR residents are eligible for Commonwealth support places However they are not eligible to access a HELP loan for tertiary studies
  • PR holders are able to leave Australia for up to 5 years and need to apply for a resident return visa in order to return after 5 years.
  • Unable to apply for certain Federal Government positions: - Australian Defence Force - Australian Federal Police - Australian Border Force - Depart of Foregin Affairs
CITIZENSHIP

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PR?

Achieving permanent residency status brings additional benefits that Special Category Visa Holders currently do not enjoy.

CITIZENSHIP

Permanent residency is the next step towards achieving Australian citizenship and opening doors to employment opportunities limited to Australia citizens.

SPONSORSHIP

Permanent residency is the next step towards achieving Australian citizenship and opening doors to employment opportunities limited to Australian citizens.

EDUCATION

Permanent residents and their children gain full accesss to tertiary education fee assistance.

WELFARE

Permanent Residents receive complete access to Australia’s welfare and pension system.

MAINTAIN NEW ZEALAND CITIZENSHIP

Achieving permanent residency status brings additional benefits that Special Category Visa Holders currently do not enjoy.

REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN THIS VISA?

No occupation needs to be nominated and no skill assessment needs to be performed. Furthermore, no English test is required.

RESIDENCY

NZ Citizens must have arrived in Australia on a special category visa after the 26th February 2001 and before the 19th February 2016.

Applicants must have lived in Australia for a continuous period of 5 years prior to lodging their PR application.

VISA

Applicants must be holding a New Zealand Special Category (sublass 444) Visa.

Applications can also include a partner and children in their application. Family members can hold any visa and are not required to be of New Zealand origin

HEALTH CHECKS

All applicants including partners and children must undergo health, character and national security checks.

A health waiver is available for applicants (additional information is provided below)

INCOME CHECKS

Applicants must have a taxable Income equal to or above the income threshold for the five years prior to lodging application.

Exemptions can be claimed under certain circumstances (additional information is provided below).

INCOME TEST

The TSMIT is the statutory minimum wage paid to visa applicants on employer sponsored visas. The primary applicant needs to demonstrate his contribution to Australia by meeting the yearly minimum income threshold levels. A dependent partner is not required to demonstrate minimum income threshold levels. The TSMIT for the last 5 years is:

YEAR
  • 2012/13
  • 2013/14
  • 2014/15
  • 2015/16
  • 2016/17
INCOME THRESHOLD
  • $51, 000
  • $53, 900
  • $53, 900
  • $53, 900
  • $53, 900

EXEMPTIONS

Limited exemptions to the income test requirement will be considered for particularly vulnerable New Zealand citizens. The mandatory residence criterion, including all other relevant criteria, will still need to be met before a visa could be granted.

Examples of income test exemptions include the following special cases:

FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES

  • Family Court of Australia assigned the care of a child to a New Zealand Citizen; then placed restrictions on New Zealand citizen from removing the child from Australia. Injury
  • A New Zealand citizen received compensation for an injury, which is then preventing them from achieving the income threshold. Parental and Carer’s Leave
  • A wavier can also be obtained if the during the mandatory five years, the applicant endured a period of maternity, paternity or carer’s leave.

FAMILY APPLICATIONS

Applications can include family members. Secondary Applicants must hold one of the following visas

  • Subclass 444
  • Bridging Visa A
  • Bridging Visa B
  • Bridging Visa C
  • Another substantive Visa

Children under the age of 18 and dependent children over 18 can be added to the application.

Mandatory health, character, and security checks will apply but a health waiver can be submitted.

HEALTH CHECKS

Health checks are done online through the department of Immigration. All applicant currently living in Australia need to complete their health examinations.

EXEMPTIONS
A health waiver can be lodged via the department of immigration in limited circumstances. The department of immigration will access each health waiver case based on the average medical cost of a comparable Australian citizen. Applicants will need to demonstrate to the department of immigration why a health waiver should be exercised.

COSTS

APPLICANT TYPE
  • Primary Applicant
  • Partner
  • Dependant Child -18
FEE
  • $3, 760
  • $1, 835
  • $920

Applicants will only have to pay 20 percent of the application fee when the initially lodge their application, the remainder must be paid before the visa can be granted.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU


ASSIS TO LODGE YOUR APPLICATION


ASSIST TO LODGE HEALTH AND INCOME WAVIERS


IMMEDATELY LODGE YOUR APPLICATION