On his first international visit as prime minister, Mr Malcolm Turnbull has announced that New Zealanders who have been living in Australia since childhood will be given access to student loans for the first time next year.

Under the plan, Kiwis who have lived in Australia for at least 10 years and hold a Special Category Visa will be eligible for a loan to help them study at TAFE or university from January, according to a report on the ABC.

Mr Turnbull said if the bill is passed this year, about 2,600 Kiwis will be able to take advantage of the scheme in 2016.

The announcement that New Zealanders will be able to access student loans in Australia, was however overshadowed by the continued criticism in New Zealand of Australia’s stance on deporting non-citizens who have been cumulatively sentenced to 12 months or more in prison.

Australia is reportedly deporting 1 New Zealander a day under the tough laws. It is estimated that up to 1000 criminals could be sent back to New Zealand in the next five years, despite having few or no ties with the country.

Mr Turnbull made no apologies for the tough stance but said that New Zealanders in detention centres will have the option of returning to their home country while their appeals were being processed, rather than remaining locked up.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the large number of Kiwis being deported, but said he expected numbers to decline once the Immigration Department worked through a backlog of cases

He has promised to devote "considerable additional resources" to speed up processing and clear the backlog.

"That process of appeal will be made much faster, it'll be expedited, that is essentially giving more administrative resources to it," Mr Turnbull said.