From permanent residence to Australian citizenship
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Permanent residence is not the last step. Most permanent residents become Australian citizens a few years later, which brings a passport, the vote, and a status that no visa can be cancelled out from under. This is what the citizenship stage involves and how long it takes.
The residence requirement
To apply for citizenship by conferral you must meet the general residence requirement on the day you apply:
- You have been lawfully present in Australia for the four years immediately before applying.
- You have held a permanent visa for at least the last 12 months of that period. Time earlier in the four years can be on a temporary visa, such as a student visa or a 485 graduate visa.
- You were not an unlawful non-citizen at any point in the four years.
- Your total absences from Australia are no more than 12 months across the four years, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months before applying.
Use the department's Residence Calculator to check your exact dates. New Zealand citizens on a Special Category (subclass 444) visa count as permanent residents for this purpose.
Where citizenship sits in the path
For someone who arrived as a student, the sequence usually runs:
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Student visa and study | 2 to 4 years |
| 485 graduate visa and skilled work | 2 to 3 years |
| Skilled visa such as the 189, 190, or 491 | grant to permanent residence |
| Permanent resident, building to the 4-year and 12-month marks | often 1 to 3 more years |
| Citizenship application, test, and ceremony | several months to over a year |
Because the 491 is provisional, its holders become permanent residents through the 191 first, then start the 12-month permanent-resident clock. The full skilled path is in the study to permanent residence guide.
The citizenship test
If you are 18 to 59, you sit the citizenship test after you apply. It is 20 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, drawn from the booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. To pass you need 15 out of 20 overall and all 5 of the Australian values questions correct. A free official practice test is available. Applicants 60 and over, and those 16 and under, do not sit it.
The ceremony and the pledge
If your application is approved, the final step is a citizenship ceremony, usually run by your local council. You make the Australian citizenship pledge of commitment, and you are a citizen from that moment. Attend within the period stated in your approval letter, generally within 12 months, or the approval can be cancelled.
Dual citizenship: check your home country
Australia allows dual citizenship. Your country of origin may not. India and Nepal do not permit dual citizenship, so becoming Australian generally means losing or renouncing your original citizenship. India offers an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card as a partial substitute, which is a long-term entry and residence right, not citizenship. Confirm your home country's rule before you apply, because this decision is hard to undo.
What it costs
The citizenship application fee is set out in the department's Form 1298i and rises each 1 July. It is in the several-hundred-dollar range, well below what the visa stages cost. A permanent-resident child aged 15 or younger included on a parent's application pays nothing. A child aged 16 or 17 must apply on their own and pay the fee.
How long after getting permanent residence can I apply for citizenship?
You can apply once you meet the general residence requirement: four years of lawful residence in Australia immediately before applying, with at least the final 12 months held as a permanent resident. If you already spent two or three years in Australia on a student or graduate visa before getting permanent residence, you may only need to wait about a year as a permanent resident. If permanent residence was your first time living in Australia, expect closer to four years.
Do I have to give up my original citizenship to become Australian?
Australia does not require it, but some countries do. India and Nepal, among others, do not allow their citizens to hold another citizenship, so acquiring Australian citizenship generally ends the original one. Check the law of your country of citizenship before you apply.
Does time on a student or graduate visa count towards citizenship?
Yes, for the four-year lawful residence part. Any period you were lawfully in Australia in the four years before you apply counts, including student and 485 graduate visa time. Only the final 12 months must be spent as a permanent resident.
Common questions
How long after getting permanent residence can I apply for citizenship?
You can apply once you meet the general residence requirement: four years of lawful residence in Australia immediately before applying, with at least the final 12 months held as a permanent resident. If you already spent two or three years in Australia on a student or graduate visa before getting permanent residence, you may only need to wait about a year as a permanent resident. If permanent residence was your first time living in Australia, expect closer to four years.
Do I have to give up my original citizenship to become Australian?
Australia does not require it, but some countries do. India and Nepal, among others, do not allow their citizens to hold another citizenship, so acquiring Australian citizenship generally ends the original one. Check the law of your country of citizenship before you apply.
Does time on a student or graduate visa count towards citizenship?
Yes, for the four-year lawful residence part. Any period you were lawfully in Australia in the four years before you apply counts, including student and 485 graduate visa time. Only the final 12 months must be spent as a permanent resident.