Which is more stable for overseas workers to obtain permanent residency, Australia or New Zealand?

Australia and New Zealand have become popular choices for many overseas workers to achieve long-term development or even permanent residency due to their stable economic development, good quality of life, and diverse cultural environment. However, there are significant differences between the two countries in visa types, permanent residency application conditions, and policy stability. Overseas workers should be cautious when choosing the appropriate path to land.

Australia’s overseas permanent residency path

Australia provides various pathways for overseas workers to transition from work visas to permanent residency, suitable for applicants with different skills and backgrounds. The more common pathways include Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (TSS 482 visa), Skilled Independent Visa (189 visa), and Skilled Nominated Visa (190 visa).

Among them, the TSS 482 visa is applicable to skilled workers who have obtained employer sponsorship. Holders can work in Australia for up to 4 years, and some categories can also apply for permanent residency after meeting the conditions. In contrast, the 189 visa is an independent skilled migration visa that does not require employer sponsorship and is suitable for high-skilled talents in Australia’s shortage occupation list. Once approved, they can directly obtain permanent residency. For migrant workers who meet specific state or territory nomination conditions, the 190 visa is a popular choice. This visa requires applicants to obtain state nomination and meet relevant technical, language, and age standards.

During the process of transitioning from visa to permanent residency, Australia usually requires applicants to have a certain number of years of relevant work experience, meet the list of in-demand occupations, pass a skills assessment, and reach a certain level of English proficiency. For example, workers holding TSS 482 visas can apply for a transition to permanent residency after a specific number of years, while 189 and 190 visas provide a more direct path to permanent residency.

In terms of landing speed, the permanent residency application process in Australia is relatively transparent. Independent skilled migration applicants can usually complete the application within 1 to 2 years. Thanks to the relative stability of the policy, especially for migrant workers who meet the demand for scarce occupations in Australia, they have a higher success rate, making Australia an ideal choice for high-skilled talents to land.

New Zealand’s overseas permanent residency path

New Zealand also provides various ways for overseas workers to achieve permanent residency, so that qualified skilled talents can live and work in New Zealand for a long time. The main types of visas in New Zealand include Essential Skills Work Visa and Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, which allow workers to smoothly transition from a work visa to permanent residency under certain conditions.

The Essential Skills Work Visa is applicable to foreign employees who are employed by employers and engaged in scarce skilled positions in New Zealand. After working continuously for a certain number of years, workers holding this visa can accumulate residency requirement points, which gives them the opportunity to apply for a skilled migration visa and ultimately achieve permanent residency. For high-skilled workers who meet the New Zealand Immigration Bureau’s skilled migration standards, the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa provides a direct path to permanent residency application. This type of visa uses a scoring system, and applicants need to obtain certain points based on factors such as age, work experience, education, and industry scarcity. After meeting the requirements, they can directly apply for permanent residency.

The permanent residency application process in New Zealand is relatively simplified, but policy adjustments may be made based on industry demand and labor market conditions. Therefore, the application time and success rate of migrant workers may fluctuate. Overall, New Zealand’s immigration policy is more flexible, especially for industries that urgently need skilled talents. Migrant workers holding Essential Skills Work Visa have relatively more opportunities to obtain permanent residency through work accumulation points.

Cost of living and career development potential

When choosing a country for work and permanent residency, Australia and New Zealand have their own advantages in terms of cost of living and career development opportunities. Major cities in Australia such as Sydney and Melbourne have higher cost of living, especially housing and daily expenses, but overall salary levels are higher, especially in high-skilled industries such as healthcare, engineering, finance, and information technology, providing abundant career development and promotion opportunities. In addition, Australia’s work environment is open and inclusive, providing diverse training and skill enhancement resources, suitable for workers pursuing stable career development.

In contrast, the cost of living in New Zealand is relatively low, and housing is particularly friendly, suitable for migrant workers who want to control costs. Although the salary level is slightly lower than that in Australia, industries such as agriculture, tourism, and information technology in New Zealand have a strong demand for technical talents, providing diverse employment opportunities. The working environment in New Zealand emphasizes work-life balance, suitable for migrant workers who hope to enjoy a higher quality of life in addition to career development.

For overseas workers, the convenient flow and remittance of funds is one of the important considerations. Through platforms like BiyaPay , workers can easily convert multiple currencies and securely transfer funds. BiyaPay supports real-time exchange of multiple fiat and digital currencies, which not only simplifies the cross-border remittance process, but also provides workers with a convenient way to manage funds, with low fees, fast arrival, and no limit on the amount.

Comparison of policy stability and immigration difficulty

In terms of policy stability, Australia’s immigration policy is relatively stable, especially in high-skilled immigration, which continues to support scarce industries such as healthcare, technology, and engineering, and is suitable for high-skilled workers with English proficiency and rich experience. Although there are occasional policy changes, the overall direction is relatively stable.

New Zealand’s immigration policy is more flexible. The government regularly adjusts the list of in-demand occupations based on labor market demand, providing more opportunities for skilled talents to land. New Zealand’s scoring system evaluates applicants’ skills, age, and industry background, providing a more open path for urgently needed talents. Policy changes are relatively frequent, but they bring more possibilities for migrant workers.

In summary, Australia and New Zealand have their own advantages in converting migrant workers to permanent residency. Australia has stable policies and strong demand for high-paying industries, suitable for high-skilled talents; New Zealand has flexible policies, low cost of living, and more opportunities for technical talents to land. For Career Development, Australia is preferred, while for those who value quality of life, New Zealand is chosen.