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These new arrangements will give many New Zealanders permanent residence status and enable them to apply for Australian citizenship if they meet certain criteria, including contributing to Australia, demonstrated through income tax returns which show assessable income at least equivalent to the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) for the qualifying period.
They must also pass the usual mandatory health, character and security checks and the pathway will be made available within the Skilled Independent category of the General Skilled Migration stream of Australia’s annual Migration Programme.
Turnbull explained that a special category visa holder who had been earning more than $54,000 a year, the current minimum pay for a skilled migrant, could seek to become an Australian citizen. It is thought up to 70,000 may decide to do so.'
