Fact Sheet 40 - Special Eligibility Stream
Australia's permanent immigration program has two components – Migration (non-Humanitarian) and Humanitarian for refugees and others with humanitarian needs.
On 1 July 2005, 500 places were allocated in the categories under the Special Eligibility Stream for the 2005-06 program year.
The Special Eligibility stream of Australia's Migration Program covers the Former Resident category.
This Fact Sheet generally describes the current criteria to be met by applicants in the following category:
Outside Australia: Former Resident subclass
This subclass provides for two groups of people seeking to return to Australia as permanent residents who had not acquired Australian citizenship. These are:
- people who have spent at least nine out of their first 18 years in Australia, are under the age of 45 at the time of lodging their application and have maintained business, cultural or personal ties with Australia and
- former permanent residents who served in the Australian armed forces before 1981. Applicants must have either completed at least three months' continuous Australian Defence Force service or have been discharged on medical grounds before completing three months' continuous service. No age limit applies to this new category.
In Australia: Former Resident subclass
This subclass covers people seeking to remain in Australia as permanent residents. Applicants must meet the former resident subclass criteria outlined above at Outside Australia: the Former Resident subclass, provided that they apply within 12 months of the expiry of their last substantive visa.
Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au
The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.
Fact Sheet 40. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 30 January 2007.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2007.