Other
Subclass 444 — Special Category visa (New Zealand citizens)
Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Compiled from official Department of Home Affairs sources — practitioner verification pending.
Granted automatically and free to most New Zealand citizens on arrival. Since July 2023 a direct citizenship pathway exists for long-term resident SCV holders.
Eligibility snapshot
In general terms, the Special Category visa (subclass 444) is a temporary visa associated with New Zealand citizenship. The defining feature of this visa is that it is not lodged through the usual online application process. Typically, an eligible New Zealand citizen is granted this visa at the point of immigration clearance when they arrive in Australia and present a valid New Zealand passport, rather than by completing a form in advance. Broadly, eligibility centres on three things: being a New Zealand citizen who holds and presents a current New Zealand passport, meeting Australia's health requirements, and meeting Australia's character requirements. Because the grant happens on arrival, the assessment is generally made as part of the border clearance process. The visa allows the holder to live, work and study in Australia, and it generally remains in effect for as long as the holder is in Australia and continues to hold New Zealand citizenship. This is a snapshot only and the rules can change. The exact eligibility conditions, health and character standards, and the precise way the visa interacts with arrival processing are set out on the official Home Affairs subclass 444 page, which should be checked for current requirements. A registered migration practitioner can advise on how these rules apply to an individual's specific circumstances, including any situation where character or health matters might be relevant, or where someone is not a New Zealand passport holder.
Common questions
Q: Do I apply for the subclass 444 online before I travel? A: Generally, no. The distinctive feature of this visa is that it is typically granted at the border when an eligible New Zealand citizen arrives in Australia and is immigration cleared, rather than through an online application form. The official page should be checked for the current process and any exceptions. Q: What do I usually need to have with me? A: In broad terms, the central document is a valid New Zealand passport, because the grant is connected to New Zealand citizenship and is assessed at arrival. Health and character requirements also apply. Exact requirements are set out on the official Home Affairs page and can change. Q: How long does the visa last and what can the holder do? A: Typically, it is a temporary visa that lets the holder live, work and study in Australia, and it generally continues for as long as the person remains in Australia and holds New Zealand citizenship. The precise conditions and duration are described on the official page. Q: What if I have a health or character matter, or I'm not a New Zealand passport holder? A: These situations can affect eligibility and are handled case by case. The official page outlines the general standards, and a registered migration practitioner can advise on how they apply to an individual's circumstances and what alternatives might exist.
Health and character considerations
New Zealand citizens are generally granted the Special Category visa (subclass 444) when they enter Australia, so health and character are considered as part of that process rather than through a separate application. Official information indicates the visa is generally not granted to a person who is a health concern non-citizen, or (except in certain circumstances) a behaviour concern non-citizen. To be granted the visa on arrival, a person is generally asked to complete an Incoming Passenger Card and show a valid New Zealand passport to an officer; the same assessment applies where a person uses SmartGate. Official information also notes that all visa holders must continue to meet the character requirements, and that the visa may be cancelled if they do not. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Health cover and Medicare
Health cover for New Zealand citizens in Australia is generally handled through the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement and Medicare, rather than through a private health-insurance condition attached to this visa. Under the agreement, a New Zealand citizen visiting Australia is generally covered for medically necessary care as a public patient in a public hospital (inpatient and outpatient), but not for out-of-hospital services. For care under the agreement, official information indicates a person does not need to enrol in Medicare and will not get a Medicare card, and can ask public hospital or pharmacy staff to be treated under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement by showing a current New Zealand passport. New Zealand citizens who can show they live in Australia may instead be able to enrol in Medicare and be sent a Medicare card. Official guidance indicates a person can generally enrol at any time in the 6 months after first arriving in Australia. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Costs
Official information indicates the subclass 444 visa is free, so it does not carry a Visa Application Charge. Eligible New Zealand citizens are generally granted the visa on arrival in Australia and do not need to pay for the visa itself. Any service or platform fee charged by a third party would be separate from, and additional to, any Australian Government charge. Current government visa fees and charges are published on the Department of Home Affairs website. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Validity and processing
Official information describes the subclass 444 visa as a temporary visa that allows a New Zealand citizen to stay in Australia for as long as they remain a New Zealand citizen. While it is held, a person can generally visit, work and study in Australia. The visa is generally granted at the border on arrival, after a person completes an Incoming Passenger Card and shows a valid New Zealand passport, or by using SmartGate; applications made on arrival are processed at the airport or seaport. Official information notes the visa ceases when the holder leaves Australia, and that a new subclass 444 visa is generally granted on the next arrival if the person still meets the eligibility requirements. People who became New Zealand citizens after entering Australia, or who entered on a passport that is not a New Zealand passport, are generally directed to lodge the online application form instead. Official guidance also notes that, from 1 July 2023, Special Category visa holders may be able to apply directly for Australian citizenship (by conferral) without first being granted a permanent visa, subject to meeting other eligibility requirements. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Conditions and ongoing requirements
Unlike most Australian visas, the Special Category visa is generally granted without the numbered Schedule 8 conditions (such as 8501, 8503 or 8558) that appear on many other visas. There is no mandatory health-insurance condition, work limitation or study limitation attached to it. Instead, a small number of ongoing requirements apply to holders. A holder is expected to remain a New Zealand citizen for the whole time they hold the visa. The visa is tied to that citizenship: the Department of Home Affairs states that if a holder's citizenship status changes so that they are no longer a New Zealand citizen, the visa ceases. The visa is digitally linked to the holder's passport, and no label is placed in the passport. It also ceases when the holder leaves Australia. Holders are expected to obey Australian laws while in Australia and to continue to meet the character requirements. The department states that the visa may be cancelled if a holder no longer meets those character requirements. The department recommends that holders take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment, noting they may be liable for their own healthcare costs. This is a recommendation rather than a binding condition. Separately, a person cannot apply for this visa while they hold a visa that carries a 'no further stay' condition. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Who is eligible and what is assessed
This visa is available only to New Zealand citizens and is effectively a single stream. There are no skilled, family or business sub-streams, no points test, no English-language test, no skills assessment and no occupation list. The central requirement is that the applicant holds and presents a valid New Zealand passport. The visa is usually applied for and decided at the border each time the person enters Australia, by presenting a completed incoming passenger card together with a valid New Zealand passport (health and character questions can also be answered at SmartGate). A person who already holds another temporary visa cannot apply on arrival, but may apply online from within Australia after entering. A person cannot apply at all while they hold a permanent visa, or a visa that carries a 'no further stay' condition. Decision-makers generally focus on character. An applicant may be refused, or refused entry, if assessed as a 'behaviour concern non-citizen'. According to the department, this can arise from matters such as a conviction carrying a sentence of death or of at least one year's imprisonment, two or more convictions with sentences of imprisonment totalling at least one year, being charged with and found guilty of a crime while of unsound mind, or having been removed, deported or excluded from Australia or from another country. Health is also considered. A person may be assessed as a 'health concern non-citizen' if, on entry, they declare that they have tuberculosis (TB), in which case the department asks for further information. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Family members and what the visa allows after grant
This visa does not include family members as dependants. Each family member who is a New Zealand citizen must make their own Special Category visa application, usually by presenting their own valid New Zealand passport with a completed incoming passenger card on arrival. Family members who are not New Zealand citizens cannot be granted this visa and generally need to apply for a separate Australian visa. After grant, holders can generally live, visit, work and study in Australia for as long as they remain a New Zealand citizen. The visa is digitally linked to the passport, with no label placed in it. Travel is limited. The visa ceases when the holder leaves Australia, and a new visa must be applied for, usually on arrival, in order to return. On healthcare, the department lists Medicare among the entitlements this visa may provide. Services Australia generally allows a New Zealand citizen to enrol in Medicare where they can show they will be living in Australia for six months or more, have lived in Australia for six months or more in the last 12 months, or live here and have applied for permanent residence. Until enrolment, a visitor may instead be covered for essential treatment in a public hospital under the Australia–New Zealand Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. On longer-term pathways, holders may apply for a permanent visa if eligible. The department also states that, from 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens who hold a non-protected Special Category visa can apply for Australian citizenship by conferral, subject to meeting other eligibility requirements. Holders are expected to keep meeting their obligations, including remaining a New Zealand citizen, obeying Australian laws, and continuing to meet the character requirements. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Refusal and review at the Tribunal
Because eligibility turns mainly on holding a valid New Zealand passport and meeting the character and health requirements, refusals of this type commonly relate to character. This can occur, for example, where a person is assessed as a 'behaviour concern non-citizen' because of criminal convictions, prison sentences, or a prior removal, deportation or exclusion from Australia or another country. A person also cannot apply on arrival while they hold another temporary visa (they may apply from within Australia after entering), and cannot apply at all while they hold a permanent visa or a visa carrying a 'no further stay' condition. When the department decides an application, it tells the applicant of the outcome. Where an application made after entering Australia is refused, the applicant is generally notified in writing, given the reasons, and told whether a right of review applies. Where a review right exists, merits review of migration decisions is generally handled by the Administrative Review Tribunal, which replaced the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The Tribunal can review some, but not all, visa decisions, and it reconsiders the matter on the facts and the law. Strict time limits apply to lodging a review, and an application fee is generally payable. For migration decisions reviewed under Part 5 of the Migration Act 1958, the Tribunal's published application fee is $3,727, with a 50% reduction available in cases of financial hardship, and 50% of the fee may be refunded if the decision is set aside, varied or remitted. The applicable review right, deadline and fee should be confirmed directly with the Tribunal and against the department's decision letter, as these can change. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Costs
There is no government Visa Application Charge for this visa. The Department of Home Affairs lists its cost as free, whether the visa is granted on arrival or applied for from within Australia. Because there is no base charge, there are also no additional applicant charges for adults or children and no second-instalment charge. Each family member lodges their own free application rather than being added to a single charged application, so there is no subsequent-entrant charge either. Applicants may still meet incidental costs depending on their circumstances. These can include the cost of obtaining or renewing a New Zealand passport and, if the department asks for them, health examinations or police and character checks. Having any non-English documents translated into English can also involve a cost. As there is no application charge, the usual point that visa charges are non-refundable does not arise for this visa. Any separate service or platform fee charged by a third party for help with an application is not a government charge; it is always separate from, and additional to, any government cost. This is general information only and is not immigration assistance or legal advice.
Official forms associated with this visa
Departmental forms that commonly come up for subclass 444, linked to the department’s own files. Whether a form applies to you depends on your circumstances — the note beside each is general only.
- 1022.PDF — Form 1022 - Notification of changes in circumstances ↗To notify a change in circumstances after lodgement.
- 956A.PDF — Form 956a - Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient ↗To appoint an authorised recipient for correspondence.
Official information and lodgement
Applications are lodged through your own ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website — never through this platform.
Visit the official Home Affairs page ↗Important notice: General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. For advice about your circumstances, book a verified practitioner.
Compiled from official Department of Home Affairs sources — practitioner verification pending.