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  • Benefits of being an Australian Citizen

Benefits of becoming an Australian Citizen

Citizenship at a glance (2026)

  • Most migrants become citizens by conferral: 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including 1 year as a permanent resident, with limited time overseas.
  • You must pass the citizenship test (75% or more) if you are aged 18 to 59, and meet the character requirement.
  • The application fee for citizenship by conferral is AUD 595 from 1 July 2026.
  • Citizens do not need Resident Return visas, can vote, can get an Australian passport and cannot be deported.

Ever wonder why so many people choose to be an Australian citizen? Before we delve into the benefits, let’s see how you can apply to become an Australian Citizen.

How to become an Australian citizen?

The Australian Citizenship Act 2007 sets out the law on who is and who can become an Australian citizen.  In Australia, citizenship can be acquired automatically or by application.

Ways to become an Australian Citizen include:

For many migrants, the most common way to become an Australian citizen is via citizenship by conferral. The general criteria are:

  • Residency requirement: You are a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for the past 12 months.
  • Residency requirement: At the time of the application, you must have been living in Australia on a valid visa for the past 4 years.
  • Residency requirement: You have not been away from Australia for more than 12 months in total in the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in total in the past 12 months.
  • Character requirement: You must be of good character. The Department of Home Affairs will consider whether you are likely to uphold and obey Australian laws and whether you will meet the other commitments made through the citizenship pledge.
  • Knowledge requirement: To become an Australian citizen, you must show that you understand what it means to be a citizen. You will be required to sit a citizenship test and must score at least 75% on the test. However, if you are under 18, or 60 years old and above, you do not have to sit the test.
  • Language requirement: As English is Australia’s national language, you must demonstrate that you have a basic knowledge of English. By passing the citizenship test, you will be deemed to meet the language requirement.
  • Close and continuing link to Australia: When assessing your citizenship application, the officer can consider if you have any links to Australia. This includes if you have a partner or child who is an Australian citizen, a job in Australia, property in Australia and so forth.

Now that we know how you can become a citizen, let us go through the key benefits.

Key benefits of being an Australian citizen

Visa free travel

An Australian passport is one of the most powerful passports in the world. You can travel to many countries without a visa. In some countries, you will be granted a visa on arrival, so you would not need to worry about the hassle of applying for a visa and waiting a long time for approval.

No more RRV

Australian permanent residents usually have a 5-year travel facility attached to their visa grant. As such, permanent residents who intend to travel must renew their visa every 5 years. You would apply for Resident Return Visa Subclass 155 (RRV) in order to travel.

However, as an Australian citizen, you have the privilege to travel and be overseas as long as you like. You would no longer need to apply for an RRV once every five years.

Consular Support

The Australian Government provides consular support to its citizens in the event of natural disasters or other crises where they are. The emergency consular assistance is available 24 hours. The government delivers consular assistance via the embassies, high commissions, and consulates around the globe.

See here for the list of Australian embassies and consulates overseas.

In emergencies, Australia consular support may include:

  • deploy expert teams to support affected Australians
  • liaise with the families of any Australians who are killed or injured
  • work with local authorities to support affected Australians
  • support Australians trying to leave the area and put them in contact with their families
  • provide crisis updates through Smartraveller
  • advise of options to leave a dangerous area
  • arrange an evacuation, in exceptional circumstances

For more information, please visit the government’s smart traveller website.

Federal government jobs

Interested in working for the federal government? As a permanent resident you have the same general work rights as an Australian citizen, but many federal government jobs are open only to citizens, including most roles in the Australian Federal Police and security agencies. Since 2024 the Australian Defence Force has accepted some permanent residents (initially from New Zealand, and then from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States), but citizenship is still required for many roles.

Vote for your political party

Australian citizens can participate in politics. As a citizen, not only are you able to vote for your favourite political party, you may also decide to join politics and run for election.

In fact, in Australia, voting is mandatory for every Australian aged 18 years or over. Failure to vote may incur fines.

No deportation risks

Any resident in Australia has a risk of being deported if they are considered a threat to national security or have been sentenced to imprisonment of 12 months or more. This includes Australian permanent residents. However, the government would not be able to deport Australian citizens.

HECS-HELP Loan

As a permanent resident, you may be eligible to pay domestic fees for education. However, you would not have the option of delaying the payment until you have earned a certain income level. For Australian citizens, the HECS-HELP loan is a scheme which allows students to postpone the payment of their university fees. This scheme is available to students with a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).

For the 2026-27 income year, the minimum repayment threshold is $69,528 (it was $67,000 in 2025-26). If your repayment income is below this amount, you do not need to make compulsory repayments. When this post was first written (2020-21), the threshold was $46,620.

Above are just some of the benefits of becoming an Australian citizen.

Your children can become Australian citizens

A child born overseas can be registered as an Australian citizen by descent if at least one of the biological parents was an Australian citizen at the time of the child’s birth. A parent can apply for registration of Australian citizenship by descent on behalf of the child before the child reaches 18 years of age.

Living and working in New Zealand

If you are an Australian citizen, you will usually be allowed to live, work or study in New Zealand and will not need to apply for any type of visa before travelling.

Permanent resident vs citizen

Permanent resident Australian citizen
Live and work in Australia Yes Yes
Travel in and out freely Only with a valid travel facility (usually 5 years) Yes, on an Australian passport
Vote in elections No Yes (compulsory from 18)
Most federal government jobs Limited Yes
Risk of visa cancellation or deportation Yes, on character grounds No
HECS-HELP loans for eligible places Generally no Yes
Live and work in New Zealand Need a visa Yes, usually without a visa
Children born overseas Not automatically citizens Can usually register as citizens by descent

Frequently asked questions

Usually after you have lived in Australia for 4 years on a valid visa, including at least 1 year as a permanent resident, and have not been away for more than 12 months in total (and no more than 90 days in the last year). See our residence requirement guide.

Australia allows dual citizenship, but your other country may not. Check the rules of your current country of citizenship before you apply.

Since 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia for 4 years can apply for citizenship directly. See our direct pathway for New Zealanders.

The application fee for citizenship by conferral is AUD 595 from 1 July 2026, with concessions for some applicants. See our citizenship fees page.

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