Australian permanent resident

Australian permanent residents are residents of Australia who hold a permanent residency visa but are not citizens of Australia. A holder of a permanent residency visa may remain in Australia indefinitely. A 5-year initial visa, which corresponds to the underlying migration program, is granted alongside the permanent residency. Until the initial visa expires, the visa holder may leave and re-enter Australia freely. A notable feature of the permanent residency visa is that, even after the initial visa expires, the holder is entitled to stay in Australia indefinitely without breaching immigration regulations.

Permanent residency may be revoked at the discretion of the responsible Minister, for example in cases of criminal misconduct.

Permanent residents enjoy many of the rights and privileges of citizens, including access to free or subsidised legal and health services. They do not have the right to vote in federal or state/territory elections, unless they were registered to vote prior to 1984, but may vote in some local government elections. Permanent residents are not entitled to an Australian passport.

Most permanent residents are eligible to become citizens after a waiting period. When the waiting period is complete, the process of sitting the citizenship test and attending the ceremony will add an additional three to twelve months.

There are a number of programs under which a person may enter and obtain permanent residency in Australia, including:

Citizens of New Zealand are allowed to enter and work in Australia under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, being granted a Special Category Visa on arrival. If they decided to become Australian citizens, then they need to apply for permanent residency visa first.

Benefits of permanent resident status include:

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Wikipedia