14th December 2022
New Zealand Stream – Subclass 189 – Temporary Closure
The following changes to the New Zealand stream of the Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa came into effect Saturday 10 December 2022.
The stream has been temporarily closed to new applications and the regulations have been amended to enable the streamlined processing of the one-hand caseload.
This temporary closure means an application cannot be made from 10 December 2022 until 1 July 2023.
This is a temporary pause on new applications while the Government considers future migration and citizenship pathways for New Zealand citizens in Australia, reflecting on the close ties our two nations have.
During this period, the Department of Home Affairs will seek to finalise the majority of on-hand applications in the New Zealand stream, and has established a dedicated taskforce to prioritise the processing of this caseload.