New year brings changes to citizenship 

Changes to citizenship laws mean that from January 1 not all babies born in New Zealand will automatically become citizens.

If at least one parent is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident or if one parent is a permanent resident of the Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue a baby born to them will be a citizen. But babies born to parents who are for example in New Zealand on holiday will not be citizens.

According to the Department of Internal Affairs http://www.citizenship.govt.nz, the changes were made to "recognise the value of New Zealand citizenship" and to ensure the integrity of the citizenship process.

The department says that "restricting citizenship by birth to the children of citizens and permanent residents, the Act's new provisions ensure that citizenship and its benefits are limited to people who have a genuine and ongoing link to New Zealand".

Tony Wallace, a spokesperson for Internal Affairs, says the change streamlines the law and every child born in New Zealand will now need a birth record in order to register citizenship in its home country.

Until the end of 2005, most children born in New Zealand (or in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau) were automatically New Zealand citizens at birth.

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