Permanent Residency

You can become a permanent resident of Australia by applying for and being granted a permanent visa that allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely. The most common permanent visas include some skilled work and family visas.

As an Australian permanent resident, your right to re-enter Australia after travelling overseas will depend on whether the travel facility on your permanent visa is valid. You do not have automatic right of entry to Australia.

You may be eligible to become an Australian citizen after meeting certain requirements, including being a permanent visa holder and residing in Australia for a certain amount of time.

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Do you have family in Australia? You may be eligible for permanent residency.

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Qualified workers may be eligible for permanent residency. Live and work in here indefinitely. There are three streams to this visa: Temporary Residence, Direct Entry, and Agreement.

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This visa requires you to be nominated by an approved employer for a job in regional Australia. There are three streams to this visa: Temporary Residence, Direct Entry, and Agreement.

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This allows you to own and manage a new or existing business, or to invest in Australia.

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Foreign-national skilled workers who hold occupations on Australia’s Skilled Occupations List may be eligible.

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Certain foreign-national skilled workers who hold occupations on Australia’s Skilled Occupations List may be eligible. You need to be nominated.

Establish a new business or expand your existing business in Australia.

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This is for permanent residents whose visa has or is about to expire, or by former Australian citizens who have renounced their citizenship status.

Meeting the health requirement

Australia enjoys some of the best health standards in the world. To maintain these standards, most visa applicants must meet minimum health standards before they are granted a visa. They call this 'meeting the health requirement'. They might assess your health as part of the visa application process.

The health examinations you will need are as follows:

- General medical examination

- Chest x-ray

- HIV test

If you are travelling with children under 11 years of age, they will need a TB screening test as well.

Unlike Australian citizens, a permanent resident generally cannot:

– Have an Australian passport
– Vote in Australian Government elections unless you enrolled (as a British subject) before 26 January 1984
– Access student loans
– Join the Australian Defence Force
– Obtain ongoing work in the Australian Government
– Return to Australia from overseas without a valid travel facility (you do not have an automatic right of entry to Australia).