PHOTO: Australia – THE LUCKY COUNTRY. FILE
Influx of New Zealanders Pushes Number Living in Australia Over 700,000, Challenges Migration Reduction Efforts
A significant increase in New Zealand citizens migrating to Australia has pushed the number of Kiwis living there to over 700,000 for the first time, challenging government initiatives to reduce migration.
Australia’s stronger labor market and a newly established direct pathway to permanent residency attracted 35,000 New Zealand citizens to Australia in the 11 months leading up to May. Before the pandemic, annual arrivals from New Zealand ranged between 8,000 and 10,000.
A combination of a robust labor market and streamlined residency access is drawing record numbers of New Zealanders to Australia.
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Migration expert Abul Rizvi highlighted that the influx of New Zealanders complicates the federal government’s goal to halve net overseas migration from its recent peak within two years.
One significant change is that since January last year, New Zealanders granted an independent skilled visa can immediately apply for Australian citizenship, whereas previously, they had to wait 12 months before becoming eligible for permanent residency.
Overall, 84% of New Zealanders leaving the country choose Australia as their destination.
“The government keeps doing things that add to net overseas migration,” said Rizvi.
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From a record high net migration of 520,000 in the year to 2023, the federal government aims to reduce this number to 260,000 by the end of the financial year. The Coalition has set a further reduction target, aiming for 160,000 by June 2025.
Net overseas migration measures the population gain or loss through immigration to and emigration from Australia. Half of Australia’s net migration is attributed to international students, with the rest comprising bridging visas, temporary skilled migrants, refugees, protection visas, and graduates.
Rizvi noted that international students are likely targets for the Department of Home Affairs to reduce migration numbers. Measures include a significant increase in visa application fees from $710 to $1600, making them the most expensive globally. The government is also expected to implement caps on the number of foreign students at each Australian university and college.
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However, the strong inflow of New Zealanders poses a significant challenge to the government’s migration reduction plans. Rizvi pointed out that the attractiveness of Australia to New Zealanders is closely linked to their domestic economic conditions.
“There were inflows of New Zealand citizens from 2011 to 2013, but these numbers fell sharply as New Zealand’s labor market improved, with unemployment dropping to around 4% while unemployment in Australia rose above 6%,” Rizvi said.
SOURCE: AFR