Discrimination Based on SCV Holder Immigration Status: The Systemic Removal of Rights from New Zealanders in Australia

Abstract

In 1973 the Governments of Australia and New Zealand announced a ‘complete open door policy’ between the two countries. Today, Australian citizens in New Zealand still enjoy virtually identical rights to those that a New Zealand citizen is entitled to. The rights of New Zealand citizens in Australia, on the other hand, have not fared nearly so well with the passage of time.

This account documents the progressive undermining of the rights of New Zealand citizens in Australia in 3 distinct phases: Australia’s implementation of the TTTA from 1973 to 1994; the conversion of New Zealand citizens onto the SCV and its effects between 1994 and 2001; and the worsening situation as a consequence of the Howard Government’s 2001 changes.

Keywords: Australia, New Zealand citizens, special category visa, discrimination