Matua Kahurangi
Just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes.
Nearly half of the people applying for Australian citizenship as ‘New Zealanders’ were not born in this country. That is according to newly released data from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, and it is raising serious questions about whether New Zealand is being used as a backdoor into Australia’s booming economy.
Between July 2023 and June 2025, more than 92,000 New Zealand citizens applied to become Australians. Almost half, or 48 per cent, were born overseas.
It is time New Zealand faced a difficult truth. Our immigration system is being exploited by people with no intention of staying here long-term.
One such example is Max Siqueira, a Brazilian national who arrived in New Zealand in 2016 on a visitor visa. He got a job, gained residency, then citizenship. A year later, he packed up and moved to the Gold Coast.
“It’s really easy once you get the New Zealand passport,” Siqueira told RNZ. “I just bought a plane ticket. At the airport, I gave them my passport and said I was moving to Australia. They said ‘Welcome, good luck’ – that’s it.”
He applied for a tax number the next day and was working almost immediately.
This reflects a wider pattern that has emerged since Australia relaxed its rules for New Zealand citizens. Since July 2023, Kiwis who have lived in Australia for four years can apply directly for citizenship without first needing to become permanent residents. There is no cap on the number of Special Category Visas issued. If you hold a New Zealand passport, you are eligible.
For many foreign-born residents of New Zealand, that is the real goal.
Stats NZ data shows that migrants born outside of New Zealand now make up a growing share of those heading across the Tasman. In 2024, 35 per cent of New Zealand citizens who moved to Australia were foreign-born. Many will go on to become Australian citizens.
On paper, they are Kiwis. In practice, they were never planning to stay.
New Zealand has become a kind of waiting room, a place to qualify for something better. That “better” is just across the ditch, where jobs are more plentiful, wages are higher, and cities like Melbourne and Brisbane offer more opportunities.
Former Auckland immigration adviser Shane Cole says the numbers speak for themselves.
“New Zealand’s residency pathway is easier than Australia’s. Once someone has their New Zealand passport, the door to Australia swings wide open,” he says. “We’ve basically created a system that trains and processes migrants for another country’s benefit.”
The impact on New Zealand is more than just symbolic.
We are investing public resources in healthcare, education and infrastructure for people who may never contribute in return. At the same time, the country is grappling with a housing shortage, overstretched hospitals and an economy struggling to retain talent. Meanwhile, Australia gets the worker and the tax revenue and we are left short.
Professor Richard Bedford, a population geographer, says retaining migrants is a serious issue.
“We bring in many highly skilled migrants and it does help balance the overall flow,” he says. “But making them stay is another story.”
He points to wage gaps, limited professional opportunities and New Zealand’s high cost of living.
“It’s not always about money, but money is a big one. We need to make it worth their while to stay.”
Others argue we are making it far too easy for people to treat New Zealand as a transit lounge. Some migrants arrive here with the long-term intention of moving on. Others realise once they are settled how simple it is to move to Australia.
This has prompted calls for a tougher approach. Should New Zealand place stricter conditions on the path to citizenship? Should we revisit our agreements with Australia to close the loophole?
The issue is politically awkward. Governments past and present have preferred to talk about trans-Tasman mobility and regional partnerships rather than admit the obvious. Our smaller economy, lower wages and softer immigration settings have made us a soft target.
Emeritus Professor Jacques Poot says New Zealand and Australia have always functioned as part of a shared labour market. The imbalance, however, is getting worse.
“Australia’s economy is five times the size of ours,” he says. “They do not need to offer much. People are pulled there by higher wages and more opportunity.”
For many foreign nationals, New Zealand has become a stepping stone. A place to wait and qualify before making the real move.
As the numbers show, tens of thousands are walking that path. And so far, no one in Wellington seems willing to shut the door.
This article was originally published on the author’s Substack.
