New visa centres to make it easier to move across the Tasman

File photo / Thinkstock

Two new Australian visa application centres are to open in New Zealand, making it easier for people to move across the Ditch.

It is not necessary for people with New Zealand citizenship to apply for an Australian visa - unless they have criminal convictions or health issues - but those with permanent resident status still require the necessary documentation.

The two new centres, in Auckland and Christchurch, will make it easier and quicker for people to access Australian immigration and citizenship services here.

Australian Consulate-General principal migration officer Jenny Bell said there were about 30,000 applications for Australian visas each year - and that number was increasing.

Previously people would have to apply for a visa from the Australian Consulate-General in Auckland, which could be a lengthy process.

"The centres will have longer opening hours and will be focusing on those client services and administrative side of that process so it should be a much easier and much more straightforward process," Ms Bell said

"I'd say it would make it easier to apply for their visa but there still needs to be the actual decision process, and that won't change."

The centres will be run by Indian company TT Services.

New Zealanders moving to Australia has become an important election issue, with Labour Party leader Phil Goff attacking Prime Minister John Key over the 106,050 who have made the move since the National-led Government took office three years ago.

"John Key has been given a resounding vote of no confidence with 100 kiwis leaving New Zealand for a 'brighter future' in Australia each day over the last month," Mr Goff said today.

"Not only are wages better across the ditch but unemployment is consistently lower, meaning there are more jobs up for grabs.

"The whole process will be made even easier with news today that the Australian Government has opened two immigration offices in New Zealand to fast track visa applications."

Figures calculated by the New Zealand Herald, based on Statistics NZ data, show that chronic net loss of people to Australia has averaged almost 25,000 a year in the past three years.