If you are planning to move to New Zealand from Australia, the immigration procedures you should follow will definitely differ based on your residency/citizenship. Persons arriving from Australia should know that the rules for immigration in New Zealand are very similar with the ones available in Australia. You can read more on the subject in this article.
Persons who were granted Australian citizenship or those who have become permanent residents in Australia are not required to apply for a visa when they immigrate to New Zealand, but those who have only a permanent residence document issued by the Australian authorities will most likely need to obtain a visa, and this aspect will depend based on the purpose of stay and its duration. They will also need a New Zealand residence permit.
For an in-depth presentation on the visa system available here, as well as on the visa categories available for persons arriving from Australia, you can always address to our immigration lawyer in New Zealand, who is ready to assist you in any immigration matter.
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What are the rights of Australians in New Zealand?
As a permanent resident of Australia or as an Australian citizen who wants to immigrate to New Zealand one should know that the relocation process is very simple from a legal point of view. These categories of persons do not need a visa if they move to New Zealand from Australia for the purpose of simply living here or working here.
More importantly, Australians who will work in New Zealand have the right of accessing a government subsidized scheme, which allows them to save for retirement, as per the retirement plan prescribed by the New Zealand government. Australians are also entitled to all the publicly funded medical services after living in New Zealand for at least two years.
Persons who move to New Zealand from Australia can benefit from various public medical services even in the case in which they have been living in this country for less than two years, following the regulations of the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement signed between the two countries. This grants the right to certain hospital care services, obtaining pharmaceutical products or maternity services.
Please mind that residence in New Zealand for Australian citizens is granted without having to complete immigration formalities prior to the arrival. However, upon the arrival, there are certain formalities to comply with.
After the arrival, Australians will have to apply for the Australian Resident Visa, which grants the right to stay here on an indefinite basis (the visa is not available for persons who received temporary residency in Australia).
Persons who want to obtain residency in New Zealand on a long-term basis or permanent basis must also take into consideration the cost of living. In general, in large cities, the monthly cost of living per 1 person is estimated at minimum NZ$3,000.
For a family, the average cost of living in large cities is estimated at around NZ$6,000. These costs also include the costs associated with rent.
How many Australians live in New Zealand?
Those who want to move to New Zealand from Australia must know that there are numerous Australians living in this country, as the two countries have very well established relations, with similar economies and cultures. Australians are generally drawn here due to the fact that New Zealand provides the opportunity of living in the rural area, while being close to the country’s largest cities, which is not the case in Australia, given the size of the country. The data on Australians living in New Zealand show the following:
- • in the 2013 Census, a total of 62,712 persons who were Australian natives lived in New Zealand;
• the largest share of Australians were found in the city of Auckland, accounting for 19,593 persons;
• other important regions were Canterbury (8,520 Australians) and Wellington (6,915 Australians);
• in 2015, the number of persons who wanted to move to New Zealand from Australia was of more than 25,000 individuals;
• vice-versa, a total of 24,504 persons from New Zealand chose to relocate to Australia in 2015.
What are the basic visa options in New Zealand?
In the case of those who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents, visas will be necessary; you can find out from our immigration lawyer in New Zealand what types of visas you can access depending on the purpose of stay, but you must know that the basic options refer to the following: visitor visas, study visas, work visas, visas which grant the right to permanent residency by obtaining a New Zealand residence permit, visas for family members or visas for businesses or for investments. Certain visas can simplify the process of obtaining New Zealand citizenship.
Foreigners who want to move to New Zealand from Australia should also know that this country is the home of numerous businesses set up by Australians and this is why we will present here the business visa options and the ones available for investments. One of the options is the Global Impact Visa, which is addressed to businessmen who want to invest in innovative products or ideas.
Businessmen who want to relocate to New Zealand from Australia have the possibility of investing here as an angel investor, purchasing an already set up business, purchasing commercial properties, buying bonds, purchasing shares or starting their own companies; additional options are available through the Investor 1 Resident Visa or the Investor 2 Resident Visa.
Relocating here through the Investor 1 Visa and the Investor 2 Visa is also possible when moving from USA to New Zealand, as this visa type is available for a wide category of nationalities.
As long as the foreign investors are able to make the necessary investment and to respect all the criteria imposed for 1 of the 2 visas, then they can easily relocate here and become permanent residents.
If you want to move to New Zealand from Australia, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer. You can receive up to date information on the immigration procedures and you can also receive full legal representation on the relocation process, provided that you want to move here on a long-term basis and obtain New Zealand citizenship.
