New Zealand Citizen Family

Under the Australian immigration system, New Zealand citizens are entitled to a wider range of benefits than any other non-citizen. A family visa specifically for the family members of a New Zealand citizen (residing in Australia) is available for immigration. Australia has evolved as one of the best and stable economies globally and is a highly attractive destination for an individual to stay. A significant number of skilled migrants come to Australia every year in search of jobs. Australia offers an excellent education system. It is quite common for New Zealand citizens to choose Australian universities and educational institutes for pursuing tertiary education and vocational training to gain skills and be job-ready for the future.

The Australian Government supports and encourages initiatives to strengthen New Zealand ties and to honour their Trans-Tasman economic relations. A lot of progress has been made, New Zealanders in Australia can now access the education sector, explore the job market, apply for student loans, and the Australian Government has also devised a pathway to citizenship for eligible New Zealanders in Australia.

Under the family visa scheme, a visa is usually granted to an applicant who is a relative of an eligible New Zealand citizen to live and work in the country for up to five years. This immigration category is generally designed to allow the family members of the New Zealand citizen to-

Stay and in the country while the visa is valid.
Work in the country while the visa is valid.
Study in their respective field of interest in the country.
To travel to and fro from the country as many times as they wish to for five years.
Include members of the family unit in the visa application form.
Apply again to extend your stay in the country.

Subclass 461 -New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) visa-

This visa is a temporary visa in Australia. It is structured for eligible individuals who wish to reside in Australia and are members of a New Zealand Citizen (living in Australia). Simply put, an individual can apply under this subclass if they are married or are in a de-facto relationship with their partner who lives in Australia but is a New Zealand citizen. This visa is also available for other eligible family members of the eligible New Zealand citizen. New Zealand citizens can sponsor their family members for a dependent subclass 461 visa, which provides its holder with full work rights.

There is no permanent residency visa option linked to the subclass 461 visa unless you meet the specific requirements for any other visa stream, such as a skilled visa or employer-sponsored visa. The current fee for a subclass 461 visa application form is AUD 365/- If the fee is not paid in full, the department might not consider the visa application form at all.

The applicants can be inside or outside the country while the application form is filed. However, the applicant must be outside the country when the decision is made if they filed a visa application form from outside and must be inside the country when the decision is made if they lodged the visa application form from inside.

The applicant must ensure that the New Zealand citizen must meet the eligibility requirements per the 461 visa conditions (be a holder of subclass 444 visa).

The usual processing time for a New Zealand family relation visa is not fixed and varies depending upon the applicant’s profile and the visa category requirements. However, the processing for visas might be higher if-

The application form is not filled incorrectly
The application form is not accompanied by all the documents needed as per the visa conditions.
The department seeks more information

The department generally asks for additional information (for processing the application form as per the visa conditions) both from the candidates and/ or external agencies for the application’s decision. A temporary visa category is assessed less thoroughly than a permanent visa category.

This visa provides opportunities to individuals (New Zealand citizens) with personal or financial interests and links to Australia.

If you move to Australia as a New Zealand citizen, it will not automatically secure your permanent residency status in the country. However, you will have a Special Category (subclass 444) visa, which assures you can live, study and work in Australia for as long as you like, but this does not mean you have permanent residency.

Contact Us

E-help is a migration firm providing all the available relocation solutions to Australia. We provide due assistance in all kinds of immigration matters. We take pride in providing visa assistance based on the need of our clients.

Here at E-Help, we understand how overwhelming and necessary a migration process can be. We make it our mission to remove the stress and worry surrounding your visa application. Since the visa application process involves a lot of paperwork, we will help you prepare and organize your numerous documents before submission. Get in touch with our highly professional visa consultants/ immigration agents now. To book an appointment, contact us or dial us at +61 7 3172 4965.

If you find yourself eligible for this visa category, but you are unaware of the process to get started, call E-Help at +61 7 3172 4965 to get assistance from the most knowledgeable and experienced team of visa immigration agents/ consultants. From gathering required documentation to preparing a strong immigration case, we cover all the aspects of the visa application process diligently to ensure you receive no disappointments.
Our visa consultants/ immigration agents will be more than happy to assist you in your range of questions on visa eligibility requirements and processing.