New Zealand Increasingly Attracts Indonesians Seeking Permanent Residency

Since 2016, Jakarta native Ridho Akhiro had dreamed of living in Australia. However, at the time he did not have enough points to qualify for settlement. When he felt more prepared, Ridho contacted a migration agent to apply for a visa. His plans failed again because Australia closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In 2023, when he had already received an invitation to apply for Permanent Residence (PR) in South Australia, his migration agent informed him that one of his documents had expired, forcing him to wait another year to apply. After waiting a year, he did not receive an invitation from South Australia. “We looked for another alternative,” Ridho told ABC Indonesia’s Natasya Salim. “At that time, we looked for places where we could come via a study pathway, because the partner could get a work visa, and the children could attend school for free. That was only in Canada and New Zealand.” New Zealand became Ridho’s choice because he felt familiar with the country after visiting it with his wife in 2017. “So we tried and eventually got the visa, and in the end, we chose New Zealand,” he said. Ridho moved to New Zealand in August 2025, accompanying his wife who is studying. He now works as a Data Engineer and holds a ‘Straight to Residence Visa’, which opens a pathway to apply for PR. He says the visa application process in New Zealand is not as complicated and competitive as in Australia. “The process is more straightforward … for me, the ‘Straight to Residence’ process was really fast,” he said. “Collecting documents, it didn’t even take a month to get approval in principle, meaning it was approved, but we were waiting for the document.” Ridho said more Indonesians are interested in exploring opportunities in New Zealand. “My wife started creating content [on social media], and it has continued until now, content about how to migrate to New Zealand, and our own experience,” he said. “Many people end up sending direct messages, wanting to talk directly … from the content becoming popular, I think New Zealand is gradually gaining traction.” Henny Burnady, a relationship manager at Queen City Law firm in New Zealand, said many Indonesians have wanted to move to New Zealand since she joined the company before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she noted this desire also comes from Indonesians living in Australia who have not yet become Australian permanent residents. “We are told that many regulations there [in Australia] make the pathway to residence very difficult,” she said. Henny said they all move to New Zealand to be able to apply for a residence visa there properly. According to her, most Indonesian clients are actually more interested in Australia, but Australia is now less supportive of migrants, while New Zealand has more relaxed regulations for migrants. “So they don’t get into Australia, they all come here.” In 2025, the New Zealand government introduced two new pathways for migrants to obtain residence as part of an effort to improve the country’s economy. New Zealand’s Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis, said skilled and experienced migrants play an important role in filling labour gaps and ultimately helping businesses to grow. “Businesses tell us about the difficulties some migrants face in obtaining residence, even when they have critical skills and a wealth of experience that the existing workforce lacks. We are fixing that,” she said. Henny stressed the importance of paying attention to the fields of work needed in New Zealand, known as the ‘Green List’. The ‘Green List’ consists of two categories: Tier 1, for the ‘Straight to Residence Visa’, and Tier 2, for the ‘Work to Residence Visa’. The ‘Straight to Residence Visa’ allows applicants to apply for permanent residence if their job is on the Tier 1 Green List. Meanwhile, the ‘Work to Residence Visa’ requires applicants to work in a qualifying Tier 2 field for 24 months before they can apply for permanent residence. At the end of May, New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the country would tighten English language rules for mid-skilled work visa applicants, while also expanding philanthropic options for investor migrants. Yutia Meliani, known as Tia, moved from Indonesia to New Zealand in 2016 on a study pathway. Although she had considered Australia, Tia ultimately chose New Zealand because her age was approaching the Australian permanent residency application limit. In Australia, the age limit for applying for permanent residency is 45, whereas in New Zealand it is 55. “So I thought I still had time to pursue that [Permanent Resident], it was more relaxed,” said Tia, who moved to New Zealand at the age of 36. “Australia is actually more attractive in terms of job opportunities, but the regulations are complicated, and I was also a bit too old when I decided to immigrate.” With her student visa, Tia said her husband could work full-time and her children could attend state schools for free in New Zealand. She obtained permanent residence in 2018. “New Zealand is a country that is straightforward, so I also just found out that the regulations in New Zealand are legislated to not be complicated,” she said. Tia advised that to get PR in New Zealand, applicants must ensure they are in the right ‘skillset’ and not make decisions based solely on other factors.