One Nation has escalated its attack on the Albanese Government’s immigration policies, accusing Labor of creating a “back door” pathway to Australian citizenship through New Zealand and pledging to overhaul the system if elected.

The latest clash centres on changes introduced by the Albanese Government in 2023 that created a direct pathway to Australian citizenship for eligible New Zealand citizens living in Australia on a Special Category Visa (subclass 444), removing the previous requirement to first obtain permanent residency before applying for citizenship. The policy took effect on 1 July 2023 and applies to New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia for at least four years and satisfy the normal citizenship requirements. It does not automatically grant Australian citizenship but simplifies the pathway for eligible applicants.

One Nation argues the policy has produced unintended consequences by allowing people who were not born in New Zealand, but later became New Zealand citizens, to access Australia’s migration system without ever going through Australia’s traditional skilled migration points test.

The party claims this effectively enables migrants to enter Australia on a Special Category Visa, remain indefinitely and eventually qualify for Australian citizenship without first becoming permanent residents under Australia’s skilled migration framework.

According to One Nation, figures supplied by the Department of Home Affairs in response to parliamentary questioning show that only 29 per cent of permanent visas granted during the 2025-26 financial year to 31 March 2026 were awarded through Australia’s points-tested migration programs.

The party says this means approximately 71 per cent of new permanent residents obtained their visas through alternative migration pathways that do not require applicants to compete under the skilled migration points system.

One Nation argues this undermines confidence in Australia’s migration framework and is unfair to migrants who qualified through the country’s long-established skills assessment and points-based process.

The criticism forms part of the party’s broader campaign to significantly tighten immigration and strengthen eligibility requirements for both permanent residency and Australian citizenship.

Party representatives have accused Immigration Minister Tony Burke of focusing on headline migration figures while failing to address structural changes they believe have expanded long-term migration opportunities.

They argue Australia’s migration intake reached record levels following the COVID-19 pandemic before easing slightly, while maintaining that the latest annual intake remains historically high.

One Nation also claims New Zealand has increasingly become a stepping stone into Australia for migrants who originally settled there before obtaining New Zealand citizenship.

The party points to comments from New Zealand political figures expressing concern that some migrants may view New Zealand citizenship primarily as a pathway to Australia rather than as a destination in its own right.

The issue highlights the unique relationship between Australia and New Zealand under the long-standing Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement.

Under that arrangement, most New Zealand citizens are automatically granted a Special Category Visa (subclass 444) when entering Australia, allowing them to live, work and study indefinitely while remaining temporary visa holders under Australian migration law.

For many years, however, most New Zealand citizens needed to obtain Australian permanent residency before becoming eligible for Australian citizenship.

That changed when the Albanese Government announced reforms in April 2023, describing them as measures to recognise the close relationship between the two countries and remove long-standing barriers facing New Zealanders who had already established their lives in Australia.

Since July 2023, eligible Special Category Visa holders who have lived in Australia for at least four years can apply directly for citizenship without first securing permanent residency, provided they satisfy the existing residency, character and citizenship requirements.

Supporters of the reforms argue they simply place long-term New Zealand residents on a fairer footing after many years of contributing to Australian communities, businesses and the economy while facing more limited access to citizenship than other permanent migrants.

Critics, however, contend the reforms create an indirect migration pathway for people who first obtain New Zealand citizenship before relocating to Australia.

Australia’s skilled migration points test has traditionally been used to assess applicants based on factors such as age, English-language ability, work experience, educational qualifications and occupations experiencing labour shortages.

The system is designed to prioritise migrants considered most likely to contribute to Australia’s long-term economic needs.

Not every permanent migration stream requires applicants to complete a points assessment. Family migration, humanitarian visas and several employer-sponsored pathways have historically operated under different eligibility criteria.

As a result, a substantial proportion of Australia’s permanent migration program has always consisted of visas granted outside the points-tested skilled migration categories.

Nevertheless, One Nation argues the current balance demonstrates that Australia’s points-tested migration model no longer serves as the primary gateway to permanent residency.

The party says it would immediately change that approach if elected.

Its policy would deny permanent residency and eventual Australian citizenship to applicants who fail to satisfy the skilled migration points test, significantly narrowing the pathways currently available under Australia’s broader migration program.

The proposal reflects One Nation’s longstanding platform advocating lower migration levels, tighter border controls and stricter citizenship requirements.

Immigration is expected to remain one of the defining political issues leading into the next federal election, with Labor defending its reforms as fair recognition of Australia’s unique relationship with New Zealand, while opposition parties and crossbench voices continue debating whether the current system appropriately balances skilled migration, family reunification, humanitarian obligations and Australia’s long-term workforce needs.