Chapter 5
New Zealanders in Australia • At 30 June 2009, an estimated 548 256 New Zealand citizens were present in Australia, an increase of 5.2 per cent from 30 June 2008. • More than half of these citizens had been here for 12 months or more, and more than two‑thirds described themselves as Australian residents on their most recent arrival in Australia. • In 2008–09 there was a net permanent and long‑term movement of 32 013 New Zealanders to Australia. This is 5.6 per cent fewer than in 2007–08, and the first decline in net movement since 2002–03. • The New Zealand‑born in Australia have a higher participation rate in the labour market than do the Australia‑born—79.0 per cent compared with 68.7 per cent—reflecting their younger age profile.
New Zealanders in Australia Arrangements for New Zealanders Since the 1920s there has been virtually unrestricted movement of people between Australia and New Zealand under various reciprocal entry arrangements. In 1973, the Trans‑Tasman Travel Arrangement was introduced allowing Australian and New Zealand citizens to enter each other’s country freely to visit, live, work and remain indefinitely without the need to apply formally for authority to enter. Under this travel arrangement, New Zealand passport holders arriving in Australia are granted a Special Category visa in the immigration clearance process provided they satisfy health and character requirements. This visa remains valid for as long as the person remains in Australia. New Zealand citizens coming here permanently on these visas are not counted as part of Australia’s annual Migration Program, but they are included in settler arrival and net overseas migration figures. On 26 February 2001, the Australian and New Zealand governments announced new bilateral social security arrangements which introduced an approach for sharing the social security costs of Australians and New Zealanders living in each other’s country. Under these arrangements, Australians and New Zealanders reliant on Australian age pensions, New Zealand superannuation and veterans’ pensions are guaranteed continued payment of their entitlements regardless of which side of the Tasman they choose to live. Where people have spent part of their working lives in both countries, both governments contribute to their retirement incomes. In conjunction with these arrangements, the Australian Government also introduced new residence and citizenship rules for New Zealand citizens who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001. Under these rules, New Zealand citizens wishing to access certain social security payments, obtain Australian citizenship or sponsor their family members for permanent residence, can only do so if they have been granted Australian permanent residence under a permanent residence visa subclass.
The New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa (subclass 461) was also created in 2001. This temporary visa enables non‑New Zealand citizen family members, to accompany Special Category visa holders to Australia and/or allow them to remain onshore lawfully with work rights. More recently, as part of the government’s 1 September 2007 reforms to General Skilled Migration, specific New Zealand permanent residence visas were abolished. Now New Zealand citizens must apply for the same permanent visas as do applicants from other countries. None of these recent changes affect the Trans‑Tasman Travel Arrangement, and the Special Category visa remains the primary means by which New Zealand citizens travel to and stay in Australia. In 2008–09 there were 1 398 528 Special Category visas issued, the vast majority of which were for New Zealand visitors. This compares with just 1596 permanent residence visas (Table 5‑1) and 1608 temporary New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visas. Table 5‑1: Permanent visas issued to New Zealand citizens in 2008–09 Visa category
Offshore
Onshore
Total
237
87
324
Skilled Australian Sponsored
25
20
45
Employer Sponsored
23
881
904
Skilled State/Territory Sponsored
17
n/a
17
Business Skills
24
4
28
0
4
4
30
244
274
356
1240
1596
Skilled Independent
Distinguished talent Partner and other family Total Source data: MPMS and IMIRS
Population flows—Immigration aspects
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New Zealanders present in Australia
Fig. 5‑2: Length of stay: New Zealanders in Australia at 30 June 2009
At 30 June 2009, an estimated 548 256 New Zealand citizens were present in Australia, compared with 521 223 at 30 June 2008. As Figure 5-1 shows the number of New Zealanders in Australia rose steadily over the last five years and at 30 June 2009 was 23.2 per cent higher than at 30 June 2004. Fig. 5‑1: Estimated number of New Zealand citizens in Australia at 30 June, 2003 to 2009 Australian residents
Persons (’000)
12 months to less than 10 years 37%
3 to less than 12 months 29%
Migrating permanently
Arrivals of New Zealand citizens
Not stated
500 400
In 2008–09, 1 402 270 New Zealand citizens arrived in Australia, an increase of 10 134 on the previous year. Of these arrivals, the vast majority (96.6 per cent) were here for short‑term visits of less than 12 months. The remainder comprised 33 034 permanent arrivals and 14 748 long‑term arrivals of 12 months or more.
300 200
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
100 0
Less than 3 months 19%
Source data: Stock of New Zealand Citizens, DIAC
Visitors
600
10 years and over 15%
Years
Source data: Stock of New Zealand Citizens, DIAC
More than half (52.0 per cent) of the New Zealanders in Australia at 30 June 2009 had been here for 12 months or more, and on their most recent arrival, more than two‑thirds (67.7 per cent) described themselves as Australian residents.
Permanent and long‑term movement The size of the movement of New Zealanders to and from Australia is the result of various factors, including relative economic conditions in the two countries (such as differences in relative real incomes and employment opportunities). Traditionally, the number of New Zealanders in Australia increases in times of relative economic buoyancy here and declines when economic conditions are relatively more depressed. In 2008–09 the net movement of New Zealanders to Australia was 32 013, comprising 47 782 arrivals and 15 769 departures. This positive net movement was 5.6 per cent lower than the net movement of 33 912 recorded in 2007–08, and the first decline in net movements since 2002–03. The declines which occurred in 2002–03 (and in 2001–02) were a consequence of the large increase in arrivals in 2000–01 before the introduction of Australia— New Zealand social security arrangements.
90
Population flows—Immigration aspects
Appendix G includes a table showing the components of permanent and long‑term movement for the past 10 years.
Fig. 5‑4: Participation rates by birthplace at 30 June
Fig. 5‑3: New Zealand citizen permanent and long‑term arrivals and departures
90
Per cent
80
Arrivals Departures
70
30
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
40 2001
40
2000
50
1999
50
1998
60
Net Permanent and Long-Term movement
1997
Persons (’000)
60
Australia-born New Zealand-born MESC Other countries
100
Years
20
Source data: ABS Labour Force (6291.0)
Australia-born New Zealand-born MESC Other countries
14 12 10 8 6 4
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
0
2001
2 2000
At 30 June 2009, the New Zealand‑born in Australia had a higher labour force participation rate (79.0 per cent) compared with the Australia‑born (68.7 per cent) and migrants from the Main English Speaking Countries (MESC) at 68.4 per cent. This is mostly related to the higher proportion of working‑age New Zealand‑born living in Australia. According to the 2006 Census, 82 per cent of the New Zealand‑born living in Australia were aged 15 to 64 compared with just 67 per cent of the general population.
Fig. 5‑5: Unemployment rates by birthplace at 30 June
1999
New Zealanders in the labour market
1998
Source data: OAD Statistics, DIAC
1997
Years
At June 2009, the New Zealand‑born living in Australia had an unemployment rate of 6.7 per cent, slightly higher than the 5.3 per cent unemployment rate for the Australia‑born and the 5.1 per cent rate for MESC migrants.
Per cent
2008–09
2007–08
2006–07
2005–06
2004–05
2003–04
2002–03
2001–02
2000–01
1999–00
0
1998–99
10
Years
Source data: ABS Labour Force (6291.0)
Data from the 2006 Census shows that the main employers of the New Zealand‑born living in Australia are manufacturing (12.1 per cent), construction (10.3 per cent), healthcare and social assistance (10.1 per cent) and retail trade (9.2 per cent).
Population flows—Immigration aspects
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