Australia (AU)
Australia is the world's sixth-largest country by area and one of the most urbanised nations on Earth, with over 85% of its 27 million people living in coastal cities.
Capital: Canberra
Region: Oceania
Language: English
Currency: AUD ($)
Cost of living: Expensive (index 74)
Emergency: 000
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Citizenship & Permanent Residency
Long-term settlement options in Australia.
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Permanent Residency
Name
Australian Permanent Resident Visa
Eligibility
Permanent residency can be obtained through several streams: skilled migration (points-tested General Skilled Migration — subclasses 189, 190, 491 pathway); employer sponsorship (subclass 186, 187, 494 pathway); partner visa (subclass 801/100 — requires 2 years in temporary partner visa stage); family stream (parent, child, sibling); and humanitarian/refugee stream. Most permanent visas are applied for from within Australia after holding a temporary visa.
Duration
Indefinite (5-year travel validity; travel facility renewed every 5 years or citizenship obtained)
Requirements
- ✓Varies by visa subclass — skilled stream typically requires points test score (65+ for 189 invitation), skills assessment, and English proficiency
- ✓Partner visa (801): 2 years of genuine de facto or married relationship with an Australian citizen/PR
- ✓Employer-sponsored (186 Transition stream): 3 years employment with sponsoring employer on a 482 visa
- ✓Health requirement: medical examination by a designated panel physician
- ✓Character requirement: police clearances from all countries lived in for 12+ months in the past 10 years
- ✓No outstanding Australian government debts
Permanent residents have almost all rights of citizens — work rights, Medicare, Centrelink (after NARWP), and public schools. Key difference: no Australian passport, no voting obligation, and must maintain a genuine residence connection to renew travel facility. PRs are eligible for citizenship after 4 years total residency (at least 1 year as PR immediately before applying).
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Citizenship
Name
Australian Citizenship by Conferral
Eligibility
Permanent residents who have been ordinarily resident in Australia for 4 years total, including at least 1 year as a permanent resident immediately before applying. Time on a temporary visa counts toward the 4-year total. Australian citizenship is not automatic — you must apply and pass the citizenship test.
Duration
Permanent
Requirements
- ✓4 years of lawful residence in Australia (including time on temporary visas)
- ✓At least 1 year as a permanent resident immediately before applying
- ✓Not absent from Australia for more than 12 months in the 4-year period (no more than 90 days in the final year as PR)
- ✓Pass the Australian citizenship test — 20 multiple-choice questions on Australian values, history, government, and rights and responsibilities (pass mark: 15/20)
- ✓Demonstrate adequate English proficiency (citizenship test is in English — no formal test required)
- ✓Be of good character — no serious criminal convictions
- ✓Intend to live in Australia or maintain a close association with Australia
Application fee: $575 (adult, 2025–26 — verify current fee at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au as fees increase annually from 1 July). Processing times: 12–24 months (2025–26 average). After approval, citizenship is conferred at a citizenship ceremony where you make the Australian Citizenship Pledge. Citizenship ceremonies are held by local councils and Department of Home Affairs — attendance is mandatory. Children under 18 of an approved applicant are generally included in the application.
Other Routes to Residency & Citizenship
Citizenship by Descent
Eligibility
People born outside Australia to at least one parent who was an Australian citizen at the time of birth. There is no age limit to claim citizenship by descent, but you must apply — it is not automatic.
Duration / Outcome
Permanent citizenship
Requirements
- ✓At least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth
- ✓Your parent was not a diplomat or consular representative of a foreign country at the time of your birth
- ✓Provide your birth certificate, your parent's Australian citizenship certificate or passport, and evidence of the parent's citizenship at the time of your birth
- ✓Application fee: $370 (citizenship by descent, 2025–26)
- ✓If your parent acquired citizenship by descent, your claim depends on whether your parent was registered before your birth (second-generation rule)
Second-generation limit: if your Australian citizen parent was themselves born overseas and acquired citizenship by descent, you are only eligible if your parent was registered as a citizen by descent before your birth. Great care is needed for second-generation claims. Apply through the Department of Home Affairs.
Partner Visa Pathway to Citizenship
Eligibility
Foreign nationals in a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, or Australian permanent resident. The process begins with a temporary Partner visa (subclass 820/309) and progresses to permanent Partner visa (subclass 801/100) after 2 years.
Duration / Outcome
PR granted after 2 years; citizenship eligibility 1 year after PR grant
Requirements
- ✓Subclass 820 (onshore) or 309 (offshore) application: genuine de facto or married relationship, sponsor is Australian citizen/PR, health and character checks
- ✓Subclass 801/100 (permanent): 2 years from initial application, relationship is ongoing and genuine
- ✓Evidence of shared life: joint finances, lease, photos, correspondence, statutory declarations from mutual friends
- ✓Sponsor eligibility: must not have previously sponsored 2 other partners, and must be 18+
- ✓Application fee: $9,365 (primary applicant, 2025–26 — verify at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au as fees increase annually from 1 July)
De facto relationships qualify if the couple has been together for at least 12 months (waived if registered relationship). There is no minimum co-habitation period for married couples. The visa is formally split into two stages — if the relationship ends before the permanent stage, the visa may be refused. Domestic violence provisions exist to protect applicants in abusive relationships.
Child of Australian Citizen or PR
Eligibility
Children born in Australia to at least one parent who is an Australian citizen are automatically Australian citizens at birth (by birth, not by descent). Children born outside Australia to an Australian citizen may acquire citizenship by descent (see above).
Duration / Outcome
Citizenship from birth (if born in Australia to a citizen parent)
Requirements
- ✓Born in Australia and at least one parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of birth
- ✓If born in Australia to two non-citizen parents: child may be eligible for citizenship after 10 years of continuous residence in Australia
- ✓Register birth at the state/territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
- ✓Apply for Australian passport for the child to confirm citizenship
Australia does not have full birthright citizenship (jus soli) — being born in Australia to two non-citizen visitors does not automatically grant citizenship. The 10-year rule applies for children born in Australia to non-citizen parents who remain in Australia continuously.
Special Eligibility (New Zealand Citizens)
Eligibility
New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia as a permanent resident equivalent (Special Category Visa — subclass 444) for 4 years, including 1 year as a permanent resident, are eligible to apply for citizenship. New Zealanders who arrived before 26 February 2001 are treated as permanent residents. Those who arrived on or after that date hold a temporary SCV (444) but are treated similarly.
Duration / Outcome
Permanent citizenship
Requirements
- ✓New Zealand citizen holding a Special Category Visa (subclass 444)
- ✓Arrived before 26 February 2001: treated as permanent residents — standard citizenship timeline applies
- ✓Arrived on or after 26 February 2001: must apply for a permanent visa (189 or similar) first before the 1-year PR clock starts, OR apply under special NZ pathway introduced in 2023 (subclass 189 NZ stream — no points test)
- ✓Pass citizenship test
- ✓Standard character and health requirements
The 2023 subclass 189 NZ stream simplified the pathway for New Zealanders — previously they had to go through the full points-tested process. Under the new pathway, eligible NZ citizens can apply for PR without a points test after holding an SCV for 4 years and meeting income requirements.
🌍 Dual Citizenship
✓
Dual citizenship is allowed — Australia generally allows dual citizenship — there is no requirement to renounce your previous nationality when you become an Australian citizen. However, some countries do not allow their nationals to hold dual citizenship — check the rules of your country of origin. Australian citizens who acquire another citizenship do not lose their Australian citizenship. Exception: Australian citizens who acquire a foreign citizenship in time of war, or who take an oath of allegiance to a foreign country, may lose their citizenship in rare circumstances. Politicians and public servants subject to constitutional section 44 must check dual citizenship implications before standing for federal office.
Citizenship & Permanent Residency
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