As the Albanese government restructures the migration system, New Zealand citizens residing in Australia will now have a more streamlined way to apply for citizenship.
This decision overturns the 2001 coalition government's ruling that removed citizenship eligibility from New Zealand citizens, forcing them to apply for the particular category or temporary residency visas.
Lawyer, Oliver Slewa, told SBS Assyrian that under the Pathway rules, as of 1 July, 2023, any New Zealand citizen who had lived in Australia for four consecutive years could apply for Australian citizenship.
Further, even those New Zealand citizens who did not hold permanent residency status but had resided in Australia continuously for four years could now apply for Australian citizenship, he said.
Oliver Slewa is a certified lawyer and a regular contributor to SBS Assyrian.
