Benefits and NZ residents

[squidipa]

I am an NZer and was entitled to FTB when I was in Australia when my DS was born. Australia and NZ have a reciprocal arrangement for health and welfare. There is a 6 month (I think) stand down before you can get the dole and other benefits, but after that time you are eligible for all benefits. A NZer automatically has Permanent Residence, it does not need to be applied for. It is also only a few hundred to become a citizen, not the thousands for other nationalities.

Australia and NZ do not make you renounce your original citizenship to become a citizen.

we had cenetrlink ring up on our behalf and find out costs of cit and there were several payments to become one in total it was over 2000. Every time i go to centerlink i ask can dh claim any beinifts to be told NO. i wish he could at times.

[diannescruffy]

DH is not an Australian Citizen and he receives payments from Centrelink, he is a permanent resident though.

Regards,
Dianne

[LimeSlice]

DH is a Kiwi - and NO he is not automatically gratned Permanent Resident Status becaue of that.

He is also NOT entitled to ANY sort of unemployment or CLink benefit, aside from FTB.

We have been down that road several times and he MUST apply for officlal Perm Res Status (and be approved) to get any form of benefit.

[Artechim]

My mistake! I guess it is lucky I never needed any benefits then, cos I would have been out of luck!

But I did only pay about $200 when I applied for citizenship? Weird.

[onthefly]

Stupidly, we went via a spouse visa to try and fast-track permanent residency and paid about $2000. Still had to wait 2 years though.
It is possible to have dual citizenship, but yes you need to apply for permanent residency through the immigration office.

[briggsy's girl]

there is a date in place (can't recall it from the top of my head) after which the rules changed for NZ attempting to claim c'link benefits. prior to that date, you could fly in today and claim unemploymnet etc today. after that date, a whole different set of rules applied. as i said, i can't recall the date, or the exact rules as residency stuff isn't something i deal with a lot, but all you can do is try and see what happens...

FTB and income support payments have very different rules as to claiming

[squidipa]

yep and we are after that date

[e_p]

there is a date in place (can't recall it from the top of my head) after which the rules changed for NZ attempting to claim c'link benefits. prior to that date, you could fly in today and claim unemploymnet etc today. after that date, a whole different set of rules applied. as i said, i can't recall the date, or the exact rules as residency stuff isn't something i deal with a lot, but all you can do is try and see what happens...FTB and income support payments have very different rules as to claiming

February 26 2001 is when the rules changed - everyone who arrived from NZ after this date is subject to the same rules as arrivals from any other country.

NZ citizens may still be entitled to claim FTB in Australia.