The Australian Government has announced reduced citizenship residence requirements for distinguished applicants for citizenship.
The changes extend the special residence concession to all applicants who are primary holders of a relevant talent visa. The eligible relevant talent visas are:
- Distinguished Talent (Migrant) visa
- Distinguished Talent (Residence) visa
- Global Talent visa processed under the Distinguished Talent pathway
The special residence requirement will now apply to past, present, and future Distinguished Talent stream visa holders.
Under current arrangements, the general residence requirement that must be met to apply for Australian citizenship are as follows:
- Have lived in Australia for the last 4 years on a valid visa including at least the 12 months as a permanent resident visa; and
- During the last 4 years have not spent more than 12 months outside of Australia including not more than 90 days in the last 12 months
The special residence requirement that will apply to the eligible talent visas are as follows:
- Have a valid Australian visa for the last 4 years; and
- Have lived in Australia for at least 480 days during this period;
- Have been a permanent resident for at least 120 days in the year immediately before applying and have been in Australia during this period
According to Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke MP, the reforms seek to recognise the unique difficulties faced by some of the most distinguished applicants. This residence concession will allow for eligible citizenship applicants to undertake significant travel without prejudicing their ability to meet citizenship eligibility requirements.
If you wish to explore Australian citizenship and have your citizenship eligibility assessed under the special residence requirements, or another citizenship category, please contact Migration Affairs today.
