THE HON ANDREW GILES MP, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
THE HON SHAYNE NEUMANN MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BLAIR
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
New Zealanders living in Ipswich are keen to call Australia home, with more than 800 making an application to become citizens since the process was fast-tracked by the Albanese Labor Government this year.
802 New Zealanders living in the Ipswich Local Government Area have applied for Australian citizenship since the introduction of the fast-tracked pathway to citizenship on 1 July 2023, a change which has brought the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia for more than four years more in line with Australians living in New Zealand.
Queensland based Kiwis make up more than a third of applicants at 34%, closely followed by New Zealanders living in Victoria (30%) and New South Wales (21%).
Nationwide, more than 30,000 New Zealanders who have lived in Australia for more than four years have jumped at the opportunity to apply for citizenship just 100 days after Albanese Labor Government’s direct pathway to citizenship opened.
Among the 30,000 are families like the Adlingtons, who have lived in Queensland for over a decade and currently work in Queensland’s health, hospitality and correctional services sectors.
The family have participated in their local community, paid taxes and worked in areas of critical shortage throughout the pandemic and will finally be able to feel as though they belong to the country they have called home for more than a decade.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles said the overwhelming interest in the first 100 days of the Albanese Labor Government’s pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders demonstrated the incredible connection that our Kiwi family has to Australia.
“Thanks to the Government’s 50% reduction in citizenship processing times, we’re able to get people from application to ceremony quicker, to make it fairer for so many that have been living and working in our local communities for so long.
“The fact that some applicants have already become citizens shows the Albanese Government is delivering on our commitment to rebuild the migration system in the national interest and provide a fast-tracked pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders,” Minister Giles said.
Speaking about the positive impact that the change has had on local communities, Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann thanked New Zealanders for making Ipswich their home.
“Thank you for cementing your commitment to Australia by joining us as our community’s newest Australians, and contributing your skills and talents to our vibrant, multicultural community.
“I would like to congratulate the more than 800 Kiwis for their ongoing commitment to being a part of our growing and diverse region. I look forward to celebrating with you at a local citizenship ceremony soon,” Mr Neumann said.
Many New Zealanders have chosen to settle in Ipswich in recent years, with newer eastern suburbs like Augustine Heights and Collingwood Park proving popular, according to 2021 Census data.
