Training manual · Australia · Residence & Other

Special Category visa (NZ) (subclass 444)

New Zealand citizens who live, work and study in Australia - granted automatically on arrival with an NZ passport.

Temporary (special)Residence & OtherOnshore (granted on arrival)

Overview Process flow Eligibility checklist Document checklist Cost checklist Qualification checklist Eligible cases Refusal cases Self-exam

1. Overview

Know these facts cold before the first client conversation - they are also what the exam below tests. Not PR itself, but eligible NZ citizens have a direct pathway to citizenship (and to PR via the NZ stream of 189).

Visa typeTemporary (special)

LodgementOnshore (granted on arrival)

StayIndefinite while you remain an NZ citizen present in Australia

Work rightsUnlimited

Study rightsYes

Government chargeFree (granted on arrival)

Processing timeOn arrival

2. Process flow

The handling sequence for a 444 file, from first consultation to decision. Each step assumes the one before it is genuinely finished - not "mostly done".

Explain the automatic grant
NZ citizens on an NZ passport receive the 444 on arrival - there is no application to lodge. Your work is advisory.
Check the client's real question
Most 444 enquiries are actually about PR, citizenship or family members. Non-NZ family need the 461; eligible NZ citizens may have a direct citizenship pathway.
Brief on status
The 444 is temporary despite indefinite stay - it ends on each departure and is re-granted on arrival. It is not PR.

3. Eligibility checklist

Every box must be confirmable with evidence, not the client's say-so, before you advise that the 444 is viable.

Be a New Zealand citizen holding a valid NZ passportPresent in Australia (granted on arrival)No serious character or health concerns

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4. Document checklist

The lodgement pack. Aim for decision-ready: a case officer should be able to grant without asking for anything further.

Valid passport biodata page for every applicant - check expiry against expected processing timeCertified identity documents: birth certificate, national ID, any change-of-name evidencePolice certificates for every country the client lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years (since turning 16)Health examinations with an approved panel physician when requested (record the HAP ID)Form 956 appointing you as the registered agent, signed before you deal with the DepartmentValid NZ passport - the 444 is granted on arrival; there is no document pack to lodge

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5. Cost checklist

Quote the full stack, in writing, before the client signs. Surprise costs are the fastest way to lose a client's trust (and earn a complaint).

Item	Indicative amount
Base visa application charge (2025-26, indicative)	Free (granted on arrival)
Health examinations (where requested)	~$300-500
Police certificates	~$42-150 each
Your professional fee	Per your agency's schedule - quote in writing before Form 956
Rule of thumb	Government charges usually change every 1 July - re-quote any file that lodges after 30 June

6. Qualification checklist

Run this in the first consultation, before taking a retainer. It screens the client, not the visa: history, hard stops and honesty come first.

Full visa history for every applicant: refusals, cancellations and overstays anywhere in the world - undisclosed history is a PIC 4020 problem that surfaces at the worst timeIf onshore: what visa they hold now, its expiry, any 8503/8534 'no further stay' condition, and any section 48 bar from a refusalHealth: significant medical conditions in the family unit (for permanent visas the health requirement can apply to non-migrating dependants too)Character: criminal history anywhere, ever - a substantial criminal record is a hard stopIdentity: names and dates consistent across every document the client holdsMoney: the client understands the full cost stack and your fee before signing anythingConfirm: Be a New Zealand citizen holding a valid NZ passportConfirm: Present in Australia (granted on arrival)Confirm: No serious character or health concerns

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7. Case studies - eligible cases

Illustrative composites showing what a grantable 444 file looks like in practice.

Grant: Tunde from Nepal

Background: Tunde, a long-term permanent resident from Nepal. New Zealand citizens who live, work and study in Australia - granted automatically on arrival with an NZ passport.
Why it qualified: (1) Be a New Zealand citizen holding a valid NZ passport. (2) Present in Australia (granted on arrival). (3) No serious character or health concerns.
What made the file strong: Every claim was evidenced before lodgement - nothing was left 'to follow'.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (On arrival).

Grant: Anya from Thailand

Background: Anya, a hospitality worker from Thailand. New Zealand citizens who live, work and study in Australia - granted automatically on arrival with an NZ passport.
Why it qualified: (1) Be a New Zealand citizen holding a valid NZ passport. (2) Present in Australia (granted on arrival). (3) No serious character or health concerns.
What made the file strong: The file opened with a short submission mapping each criterion to its evidence, so the case officer never had to hunt.
Outcome: Granted within the indicative processing window (On arrival).

8. Case studies - refusal cases

The same visa, handled badly. Every one of these failure modes is screenable at the first consultation.

Refusal: Farid from the Philippines

Background: Farid, a warehouse supervisor from the Philippines, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 444.
What went wrong: Assuming it is permanent residence - it is a temporary visa
Outcome: The application was refused, and the refusal must now be declared on every future application, for any country.
Lesson for the agent: Screen for this at the first consultation, before money changes hands. It is cheaper to delay a lodgement than to fight a refusal.

Refusal: Sofia from Turkey

Background: Sofia, a community worker from Turkey, engaged an agent late and pushed for a fast lodgement of the 444.
What went wrong: Family members who aren't NZ citizens needing a 461
Outcome: The Department refused; the client lost the application charge, months of lead time, and in this subclass a refusal also complicates any onshore follow-up.
Lesson for the agent: Put this issue on the document checklist on day one and refuse to lodge until it is closed out.

9. Self-exam

10 questions drawn from this manual. Pass mark 80%. Answers are graded on the server and your result is recorded against your agent profile - retakes are unlimited and your best score is kept. Log in to the agent portal first so your result is saved to My trainings.

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