If you are holding a permanent residence visa and satisfy the residential requirements, you may already be half way through the process to becoming an Australian citizen and gain valuable advantages.

1. Being a Permanent Resident of Australia

You need to hold a valid visa that allows you to reside in Australia indefinitely. This is generally called a Permanent Residence Visa. If you are unsure whether your current visa qualifies for citizenship, you can use the official Visa Wizard from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship or simply use our Australian Citizenship Visa Guide. All you need is your Visa Subclass number which you can find in your passport or online at the Entitlement Verification Online Services website.

and

2. Satisfying the residence requirement

The residence requirement is based on the time you have lived in Australia and the time you have spent outside Australia within the last 4 years.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying
• have been living in Australia for 12 months as a permanent resident
• not have been absent from Australia for more than 1 year in total
• not have been absent from Australia more than 90 days in the year before applying.

If you were granted a migrant visa offshore, your permanent residency is valid from the first date of arrival into Australia on this visa. If you were granted a permanent residence visa onshore your permanent residency is valid from the date that the visa was issued.

Are you eligible for Australian Citizenship? If yes, click here to learn how to apply.

As a husband, wife or partner of an Australian citizen you are still required to go through the same process to become an Australian citizen. This means that you need to have an up-to-date permanent residence visa and also satisfy the residential requirements. There is however an advantageous variation for spouses and partners in terms of the residential requirements. For example,  some of the time spent living in another country may be considered as time spent in Australia.

1. Being a Permanent Resident of Australia

You need to hold a valid visa that allows you to reside in Australia indefinitely. This is generally called a Permanent Residence Visa. If you are unsure whether your current visa qualifies for citizenship, you can use the official Visa Wizard from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship or simply use our Australian Citizenship Visa Guide. All you need is your Visa Subclass number which you can find in your passport or online at the Entitlement Verification Online Services website.

and

2. Satisfying the residence requirement

The residence requirement is based on the time you have lived in Australia and the time you have spent outside Australia within the last 4 years.

Within this 4 year period you must:

• have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying
• have been living in Australia for 12 months as a permanent resident
• not have been absent from Australia for more than 1 year in total
• not have been absent from Australia more than 90 days in the year before applying.

This being the standard residence requirement, as a spouse of an Australian Citizen, the time you spent overseas while a permanent resident may be counted as time spent in Australia, providing you can demonstrate a close connection to Australia. Contact your local Department of Immigration and Citizenship office to discuss these details.

If you were granted a migrant visa offshore, your permanent residency is valid from the first date of arrival into Australia on this visa. If you were granted a permanent residence visa onshore your permanent residency is valid from the date that the visa was issued.

Are you eligible for Australian Citizenship? If yes, click here to learn how to apply.

Being a New Zealand citizen and already living in Australia, your eligibility for the Australian Citizenship depends on whether you are a permanent resident or whether you arrived in Australia before 26/02/2001.

1. Being a Permanent Resident of Australia

You need to hold a valid visa that allows you to reside in Australia indefinitely. This is generally called a Permanent Residence Visa. If you are unsure whether your current visa qualifies for citizenship, you can use the official Visa Wizard from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship or simply use our Australian Citizenship Visa Guide. All you need is your Visa Subclass number which you can find in your passport or online at the Entitlement Verification Online Services website.

or

2. Holding a Special Category Visa (SCV) and arrived in Australia before 26/02/2001

Citizens of New Zealand are automatically granted a Special Category Visa (SCV) when entering Australia, which allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely. Depending on your arrival date in Australia you are fully eligble for citizenship if you:

• have been in Australia since 26 February 2001 on a SCV or
• have spent a period/periods totalling 12 months in Australia on an SCV in the two years immediately before 26 February 2001

or

3. Have a Centrelink certificate issued prior to 26/02/2004

If you have a Centre link certificate that was issued prior to 26 February 2004, stating that you were residing in Australia on a particular date, you are also fully eligible for the Australian Citizenship.

Are you eligible for Australian Citizenship? If yes, click here to learn how to apply.