30,000 applicants in 100 days: Why so many Kiwis are rushing to stay Down Under
More than 30,000 New Zealanders who had lived in Australia for more than four years have applied for citizenship in just 100 days, a third of them in Queensland.
New Zealanders have jumped at the chance to be Australians. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
The Federal Government said it was delivering on its commitment to provide a fast-tracked pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders who had been blocked for years from citizenship.
The blockage has meant that many New Zealanders, who lived most of their lives in Australia, were not able to access services. Previously, New Zealanders had to apply for permanent residency before getting citizenship.
The changes came in after several years of tensions between Australia and New Zealander over issues such as the deportation of New Zealanders who had committed serious crimes even though they had spent most of their lives in Australia.
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison was accused of “deporting your people and your problems” by the NZ Government.
About 700,000 New Zealanders live in Australia.
“Queensland Kiwis make up more than a third of applicants, closely followed by New Zealanders living in Victoria and New South Wales,” Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said
“Among the 30,000 are families like the Adlingtons, who have lived in Queensland for over a decade and currently work in Queensland’s health, hospitality and correctional services sectors.
“The family have participated in their local community, paid taxes and worked in areas of critical shortage throughout the pandemic- and will finally be able to feel as though they belong to the country they have called home for more than a decade.”
“The overwhelming interest in the first 100 days of the Albanese Labor Government’s pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders demonstrates the incredible connection that our Kiwi family feels towards Australia.”
