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Permanent migration from New Zealand

​​​​​​​​​​Country profile – New Zealand

Population

At the end of June 2021, 559,980 New Zealand-born people were living in Australia, 2.9 per cent more than the number (543,950) at 30 June 2011. This is the fourth largest migrant community in Australia, equivalent to 7.5 per cent of Australia's overseas-born population and 2.2 per cent of Australia's total population.

For Australia's New Zealand-born migrants:

  • The median age of 45.2 years was 6.9 years above that of the general population.
  • Males outnumbered females—50.8 per cent compared with 49.2 per cent.1

1 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s Population by Country of Birth​

Permanent migration

Australia's permanent Migration Program incorporates economic and family migration and is the main pathway to permanent residence. It includes the Skill stream, Family stream and Special Eligibility visas. The only other way to obtain permanent residence is on humanitarian grounds.

Skill stream visas

The Skill stream is designed for workers who have the skills, qualifications and entrepreneurship most needed in the Australian economy. There are seven components:

  1. ​​Business Innovation and Investment

  2. Distinguished Talent

  3. Employer Sponsored

  4. Global Talent (Independent)

  5. Regional

  6. Skilled Independent

  7. State/Territory Nominated.

Family and Child stream visas

The Family stream allows the permanent migration of close family members, of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens. It focuses on partners and parents, but also provides the opportunity for additional family members, such as aged dependent relatives, carers, remaining relatives and orphan relatives, to join their family in Australia.

Child visas allow the permanent migration of children, of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens. The Child visa comprises two categories, namely Child and Adoption visas.

Special Eligibility visas

Special Eligibility visas allow former residents and certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force to live in Australia as permanent residents.

The following table shows the size of permanent migration from New Zealand by migration category.

​ ​ ​
Table 1: Permanent migrant places granted, 2018–19 to 2021–22
Migration category2018–19
2019–20
2020–21
2021–22
Business Innovation and Investment< 5
13
17
7
Employer Sponsored
309
254
246
248
​Skilled Regional 1
< 5
​n/a
n/a
​n/a
​Skilled Independent
5,517
​4,300
​2,939
​3,557
​State/Territory Nominated
113
80
80
90
​Regional 2
​n/a
​78
55
48
​Global Talent (Independent) 3​
​n/a
​51
120
​55
Partner
124
122
327
266
​All other categories ​4
146
99
​194
​150
Total places granted 6,209 4,997 3,978 4,421

Source: Department of Home Affairs

The Skilled Regional category closed to new applications from 1 July 2019.

2​ The Regional migration category commenced 1 July 2019.

3 Global Talent (Independent) category commenced 4 November 2019.

4 Data has been perturbed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Note: To protect the privacy of individuals, various data confidentiality techniques have been applied. These techniques include:

  • ​​data masking — using primary and secondary suppression methods for values that are deemed to be a disclosure risk

  • perturbation — a data security technique that allows for random data adjustment to prevent the release of identifiable data.

​Temporary migration

People can come to Australia for a temporary stay for a range of purposes, for example, visiting Australia for tourism or attending a conference, or for more specific purposes, such as medical treatment, study, skilled work, working holidays or other specialist activities. There are six main categories of temporary residents, which can cover stays of more than three months in Australia.

Note: Not all categories apply to migrants from each country

Visitor visas

Visitor visas are mostly used by people visiting Australia for holidays, tourism and recreation, or to see family and friends. People may also use Visitor visas for certain short-term business activities that do not entail working in Australia.

Working Holiday Maker Program

The Working Holiday Maker Program allows young adults to have an extended holiday and engage in short-term work and study.

Student visa

The Student visa program enables international students to come to Australia to study full-time in a registered course.

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa

Allows a business to sponsor a skilled overseas worker if they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian citizen or permanent resident to fill a skilled position.

Other temporary visas

Other temporary visas include visas that allow people to undertake short-term, non-ongoing highly specialised work, enrich social and cultural development, strengthen international relations or provide training opportunities of benefit to Australia.

New Zealand citizens

Under the 1973 Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealand citizens can enter and leave Australia freely and live in Australia indefinitely on grant of a Special Category visa (subclass 444).

The following table shows the number of visa grants from New Zealand, for Visitor, Special Category, Student and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visas.

Table 2: Temporary visas granted by selected categories, 2018–19 to 2021–22
Temporary visa category
2018–19
2019–20
2020–21
2021–22

Visitor​
280
235
54
89
Special Category 1​
1,889,988​
1,396,835​
143,023​
302,226​
Student​
< 5< 5
< 5
0
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment)​
18
19
19
23
Other temporary visa grants 2
59
58
48
53
Total temporary visa grants​ 1,890,345​ 1,397,147​ 143,144​ 302,391​​

Source: Department of Home Affairs

1 Note: Most New Zealand citizens obtain the Special Category visa (subclass 444) to enter Australia for visiting, studying, working or residing permanently.

2 Excludes Transit visa (subclass 771), Border visa (subclass 773) and Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988). Data has been perturbed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Note: To protect the privacy of individuals, various data confidentiality techniques have been applied. These techniques include:

  • data masking — ​using primary and secondary suppression methods for values that are deemed to be a disclosure risk
  • perturbation — ​a data security technique that allows for random data adjustment to prevent the release of identifiable data.​

Main occupations

The following table shows the main occupations for nationals of New Zealand, based on Skill stream migration outcomes and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa grants.

Table 3: Main occupations, 2018–19 to 2021–22
PeriodTemporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visas
No. of migrantsSkill stream migrationNo. of migrants
2021–22
Advertising, public relations and sales managers​
< 5Registered nurses
34
Research and development managers​
< 5Software and applications programmers
20
Land economists and valuers​
< 5Accountants​
7
Chemical and materials engineers​
< 5General practitioners and resident medical officers6
Registered nurses​
< 5ICT business and systems analysts​
6

Software and applications programmers
< 5​
Solicitors​
6
-
-University lecturers and tutors​
< 5
-​
-​
Computer network professionals​
< 5
-
-Health and welfare services managers​
< 5
--Management and organisation analysts​
< 5
2020–21​
General managers< 5Registered nurses
32
Advertising, public relations and sales managers​
< 5Software and applications programmers
17
Engineering managers​
< 5General practitioners and resident medical officers​
9
Other specialist managers​
< 5Other medical practitioners​
8
Technical sales representatives​
< 5Civil engineering professionals​
5

Agricultural and forestry scientists​
< 5​
University lecturers and tutors​
5
Software and applications programmers​
< 5​
Specialist physicians​
5
Database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists​
< 5​
ICT business and systems analysts​
5
Judicial and other legal professionals​
< 5​
General managers​
< 5
Solicitors​
< 5​
Computer network professionals​
< 5
2019–20
General managers< 5Registered nurses
26
Engineering managers
< 5Software and applications programmers
12
General practitioners and resident medical officers
< 5University lecturers and tutors
7
ICT business and systems analysts
< 5General practitioners and resident medical officers5
Motor mechanics
< 5General managers
< 5

-
-Management and organisation analysts
< 5
-
-Civil engineering professionals
< 5
-
-​
Other medical practitioners
< 5
--ICT business and systems analysts
< 5
--Dental practitioners
< 5
2018–19
General managers< 5Registered nurses41
Chemists, and food and wine scientists< 5Other medical practitioners13
Life scientists< 5University lecturers and tutors9
University lecturers and tutors< 5General practitioners and resident medical officers9
General practitioners and resident medical officers< 5Software and applications programmers9
Other medical practitioners< 5Civil engineering professionals5
Software and applications programmers< 5ICT business and systems analysts5
Judicial and other legal professionals< 5Computer network professionals5
--Police5
--General managers< 5​

Source: Department of Home Affairs

Note: To protect the privacy of individuals, various data confidentiality techniques have been applied. These techniques include:

  • data masking — using primary and secondary suppression methods for values that are deemed to be a disclosure risk
  • perturbation — ​a data security technique that allows for random data adjustment to prevent the release of identifiable data.​

Note: Occupation level information is available for primary applicants only, and is based on Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations unit level data.

Geographic distribution

The following table shows the geographic distribution of migrants, based on permanent additions for the Skill and Family streams, international student visa grants, and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa grants.

Table 4: Geographic distribution
PopulationNSWVic.QldSAWATas.NTACT
Census 2021 (%)
Of all persons32
26
207
10
2
1
2
Of New Zealand-born22
19
393
14
111
Permanent additions - 2021–22 (%)
Skill stream25
32
25
2
14
1
1
1
Family and Child stream20
17
44
2
13
1
01
Temporary visa grants - 2021–22 (%)
International student visa grants-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa (primary) grants 150
17
17
0
17
00
0

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Home Affairs

Note: Permanent additions consist of two components; those persons who, while already in Australia on a temporary basis, are granted permanent residence status or those persons who have subsequently arrived from overseas during the reporting period and are entitled to stay permanently in Australia.

Country ranking

This table uses rankings to show the significance of ​New Zealand migration for the past four financial years.

Table 5: Country ranking, 2018–19 to 2021–22
Ranked position of migrants2018–19
2019–20
2020–21
2021–22
Population in Australia 1 4
4
4
4
Regional
n/a
30
27
29
Employer Sponsored24
21
21
20
Total Skill stream5
5
6
6
Total Family and Child stream35
37
30
28
International students180
148
145
n/a
Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa 2 82
78
76
75
Visitors116
116
82
109

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Home Affairs

1 Population level data is by country of birth and lags one year behind the financial year specified. Data based on the estimated residential population at 30 June; 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.


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