Australian Citizenship by Conferral – Pathway for Permanent Residents and New Zealand SCV Holders

To qualify for an Australian Citizenship by Conferral, you must:

• be a permanent resident or
• be a New Zealand citizen holding a Special Category Visa (subclass 444); and
• meet the residence requirement;
• be of good character, if you’re above 18;
• pass the citizenship test;
• meet the language requirement;
• have and maintain a close and continuing link to Australia.

Residence requirement

At the time of applying for Australian Citizenship by Conferral, you must:

• have been living in Australia on a valid visa for 4 years immediately before the day you apply
• hold a permanent visa or an SCV for the last 12 months immediately before the day you apply, and
• not have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in total in the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in the 12 months immediately preceding the application.

There’s an exemption to meet the residence requirement if you:

• are under 16 years of age
• were born to a former Australian citizen who lost their Citizenship before 4 April 2002
• were born in Papua before 16 September 1975 and one of your parents was born in Australia and was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth.

You can calculate your residency period in Australia here.

Character Requirement

To ensure that you’ve met the character requirement, the Department will assess:

• any recorded criminal convictions
• obligations you may have to a court in Australia or overseas
• your association with people of concern
• incidents of reported domestic violence
• whether you have been honest in your dealings with the Australian community, including providing false or misleading information about a visa or citizenship application.

Pass the Australian Citizenship Test and English Requirement

The purpose of the Australian Citizenship Test is to assess your knowledge of Australia. At the time of your test, you must show:

• basic knowledge of the English language,
• understanding of what it means to become an Australian citizen,
• adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of Citizenship,
• understanding and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality.

Regarding the language requirement, you must score at least 75% on the citizenship test and answer all 5 questions on Australian values correctly.

If you’re 60 years old and above, you don’t need to sit the citizenship test.

Check here if you don’t need to sit a citizenship test, but are required to have an interview to confirm your identity and explain the nature of your application.

You can also practice for a citizenship test here.

Close and Continuing Link to Australia

Maintaining a close and ongoing connection to Australia is essential, as the Government expects you to reside continuously in Australia. The Government will assess your living arrangements and migration status, including:

• if you rent or own property, and where this property is located.
• if you have high-value items and where these are located, such as a house, property, car or bank account.
• any commitments or ties to Australia, such as your source of income, employment situation, family situation, and schooling arrangements.
• your travel into and out of Australia, your reason for travel, the number of times you travelled into and out of Australia, and how long you were in each place.
• participation in the Australian community, such as being part of community groups, clubs or charities that provide services or opportunities.
• if you have close Australian permanent resident or citizen family members who intend to reside in Australia, such as a spouse, de facto partner or child/ren.