Visa Options for New Zealanders Moving to Australia in 2026

Understanding Your Starting Point

As a New Zealand citizen, you don't "choose" a visa the way most other migrants do. The Special Category visa (subclass 444) is granted when you arrive on a New Zealand passport, and it already lets you live and work in Australia.

The decisions that come next are different: whether and when to apply for Australian citizenship, and which visa any non-New Zealand family members need.

One change matters more than any other. Since 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens holding an SCV no longer need a permanent visa first — they can apply for Australian citizenship by conferral directly once they meet the residence requirement. The New Zealand stream of the subclass 189 was permanently closed to new primary applications from the same date.

The Special Category Visa (Subclass 444)

What it is: A temporary visa granted to New Zealand citizens on arrival in Australia. Under the Migration Regulations it permits the holder to remain in Australia while the holder is a New Zealand citizen.

How to get it: There is no application form and no visa application charge. It is granted at the border when you arrive on a New Zealand passport.

What it allows:

• Living in Australia with no set end date, for as long as you remain a New Zealand citizen
• Work for any employer — the visa carries no conditions under the Regulations
• Study, without a separate student visa

What to know:

• It is a temporary visa. The Government's own explanatory statement notes it "does not provide all of the benefits of permanent residence".
• It ceases when you leave Australia, and a new SCV is granted when you return (Migration Act s 82(8); Regulations clause 444.511).
• Medicare, Centrelink and study-loan access for New Zealand citizens each run on their own eligibility rules, and many Centrelink payments depend on whether you are a "protected" SCV holder. Our guide to Centrelink, Medicare and HECS for New Zealand citizens covers these separately, and Services Australia publishes the current rules.

Character: The character test in the Migration Act applies to New Zealand citizens. A person sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more has a "substantial criminal record" under the Act, which can lead to refusal or cancellation. Anyone with a criminal history may want advice from a registered migration agent or lawyer before travelling.

The Direct Pathway to Australian Citizenship

What changed: From 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens holding an SCV are treated as permanent residents for citizenship purposes, so they can apply for citizenship by conferral without first getting a permanent visa (Form 1300t, June 2026 edition; explanatory statement to F2023L00853).

The residence requirement, as set out in Form 1300t and section 22 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007:

• Living in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years immediately before applying
• Holding a permanent visa or an SCV for the last 12 months before applying
• No more than 12 months' total absence in those 4 years, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months

The usual conferral requirements, including the citizenship test and character, also apply. Form 1300t notes that SCV holders continue to be treated as permanent residents for citizenship purposes while outside Australia, provided they held an SCV immediately before departing.

No income threshold, points test, skills assessment or age limit applies to this route — those belonged to the closed 189 New Zealand stream or to the skilled visas.

The current citizenship application fee is on the Home Affairs citizenship fees page.

What Happened to the 189 New Zealand Stream

The New Zealand stream of the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa was temporarily closed to new primary applications on 10 December 2022 and permanently closed from 1 July 2023 by the Migration Amendment (Subclass 189 (Skilled—Independent) Visa in the New Zealand Stream) Regulations 2023. The Government's stated reason was that the direct citizenship pathway made it unnecessary.

Partners and dependants could still be added to an undecided application. If you see older guides describing a four-year, income-tested PR route for New Zealanders, they describe this closed stream.

Subclass 461 — New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship Visa

What it is: A temporary visa for people who are not New Zealand citizens and are members of the family unit of a New Zealand citizen who holds an SCV in Australia (or who will enter Australia with them).

Requirements (Schedule 2, subclass 461, Migration Regulations):

• The applicant is not a New Zealand citizen
• The applicant is a member of the family unit of an SCV-holding New Zealand citizen who is not an "eligible New Zealand citizen"
• Health and character (public interest) criteria

Cost: AUD 1,330 base application charge, plus AUD 675 for each additional applicant aged 18 or over and AUD 325 for each additional applicant under 18 (Migration Regulations Schedule 1, item 1214BA, compilation in force 1 July 2026).

What it gives: Permission to travel to, enter and remain in Australia for 5 years from the date of grant. The work and study conditions that apply to many temporary visas are not listed for this subclass.

Limitations: The 461 is temporary and does not itself lead to permanent residence. A non-New Zealand family member needs their own pathway, such as a partner visa or a skilled visa. The partner visa (subclass 820/801) charge is AUD 11,710 from 1 July 2026, and partner visa sponsors must generally be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Other Visa Options (Less Common for New Zealanders)

Most New Zealanders don't need these, but they come up in particular situations — often for a non-New Zealand family member:

Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated

A state- or territory-nominated permanent visa. It requires a skills assessment and the points test. The base charge is AUD 6,140 from 1 July 2026.

Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional

A provisional visa that requires living and working in regional Australia. The subclass 191 permanent visa requires, among other things, ATO notices of assessment for 3 income years while holding the 491 — there is no minimum income amount. The base charge is AUD 6,140 from 1 July 2026.

Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand

An employer-sponsored temporary visa. New Zealand citizens rarely need it, because the SCV already allows work for any employer. It can matter for a non-New Zealand family member.

Subclass 500 — Student Visa

New Zealand citizens can study on the SCV. A student visa may matter for a non-New Zealand family member.

How the Steps Usually Fit Together

For a New Zealand citizen, the sequence on the official rules looks like this:

1. Arrive on your New Zealand passport and receive the SCV.
2. If a partner or child is not a New Zealand citizen, they need their own visa — often the 461.
3. Keep a record of your travel. The citizenship residence requirement counts 4 years of living in Australia, with absence limits.
4. Once you meet the residence requirement, apply for citizenship by conferral using the current form and fee.

The fees that apply are the citizenship application fee for the New Zealand citizen and the 461 charge for each non-New Zealand family member (AUD 1,330 base from 1 July 2026).

Special Situations

You're Over 45

The general eligibility test for citizenship by conferral in section 21 of the Australian Citizenship Act requires the applicant to be aged 18 or over; it sets no upper age limit. The age limits in the skilled visas do not apply to this route.

You Have a Criminal Record

The SCV and citizenship both involve character assessment. Under the Migration Act a sentence of imprisonment of 12 months or more is a "substantial criminal record", and shorter or multiple sentences can still be relevant. Form 1300t also asks SCV holders who have spent time outside Australia since turning 18 for penal clearances from other countries where they spent 90 days or more; Home Affairs requests the New Zealand clearance directly.

You Want to Stay Temporarily

The SCV has no set end date and no obligation to become a citizen. If you keep New Zealand obligations such as a student loan or New Zealand income, those continue under New Zealand rules.

Key Dates

10 December 2022: The 189 New Zealand stream closed temporarily to new primary applications.

1 July 2023: The 189 New Zealand stream closed permanently to new primary applications, and New Zealand citizens holding an SCV became able to apply directly for citizenship by conferral.

Form 1300t also lists children born in Australia on or after 1 July 2022 to a parent holding an SCV among those who may already be Australian citizens.

1 July 2026: Current visa application charges took effect, including the 461 base charge of AUD 1,330.

Next Steps

Our overview guide covers the broader Trans-Tasman move, and the direct citizenship pathway guide goes further into the conferral application.

If cost is a consideration, our cost breakdown covers flights, shipping and settlement expenses.

Need to prepare documents? Our document authentication guide explains the paperwork.

Ready to move? Our settling guide covers your first weeks in Australia.

Is the SCV 444 a permanent visa?

No. It is a temporary visa, even though it has no set end date while you remain a New Zealand citizen. It ceases when you leave Australia and a new one is granted when you return. For citizenship purposes, New Zealand citizens holding an SCV are treated as permanent residents (Form 1300t).

Can New Zealanders still apply for the 189 New Zealand stream?

No. The stream was permanently closed to new primary applications from 1 July 2023. New Zealand citizens holding an SCV can instead apply for citizenship by conferral once they meet the residence requirement: 4 years living in Australia, the last 12 months holding an SCV or permanent visa, with no more than 12 months' absence in the 4 years and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months.

Can I sponsor my parents or partner?

Sponsors for partner and parent visas must generally be an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen (a protected SCV holder). A New Zealand citizen who becomes an Australian citizen through the direct pathway can sponsor as a citizen. Current parent visa queue information is published by Home Affairs.

Do I need a skills assessment as a New Zealander?

Not for the SCV or for citizenship by conferral. Skills assessments apply to the points-tested skilled visas (189, 190, 491) and some employer-sponsored visas.