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What you need to know
- Employment Service Providers - Overview
- Selecting an Employment Services Provider
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- Complying with Employment Service Providers and Centrelink
- Changing your Employment Service Provider
- Your rights and Employment Service Providers
- Complaining is OK
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New Zealanders
There are special rules about Centrelink payments for New Zealanders. While it is easy for New Zealanders to come to Australia, it is not so easy for them to qualify for Centrelink payments.
To qualify for a Centrelink payment you have to:
- be an “Australian resident”
- “reside” in Australia
Residence issues are very complicated. Even if you qualify for a Centrelink payment, you may find that the payment is still not payable, due to a “waiting period”.
News Flash: Change in eligibility requirements for New Zealanders
From 26 February 2011, New Zealand citizens who hold a Special Category Visa and who have lived continuously in Australia for at least 10 years will be able to access a once only payment of Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or Sickness Allowance.
To be eligible, a person needs to have lived continuously in Australia for at least 10 years.
A temporary absence such as a holiday can be included in the 10 years, but any break during which the person ceases to reside in Australia will restart the 10 year clock.
If eligible, payment of Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or Sickness Allowance can be made for up to six months.
Where a person loses qualification within the six month period, their payments will be stopped and cannot be restarted. It is not possible to transfer between payments in the six month period.
But I live here - I must be a "permanent resident"...
show moreNot necessarily as far as Centrelink is concerned: –
An “Australian resident” is a person who lives in Australia and
- Is an Australian citizen, or
- Holds a permanent visa, or
- Is a New Zealand citizen who holds a “Protected Special Category Visa”
But I don't have a visa...
show moreNew Zealand citizens are automatically granted a “Special Category Visa” (SCV) on entry into Australia.
As there is no visa stamp in your passport, you may not have known you have a visa.
A Special Category Visa (SCV) means you can live and work in Australia as long as you like, however -
- An SCV holder is not a “permanent resident”.
- An SCV holder is therefore not eligible for most Centrelink payments.
Under the International Social Security Agreement between Australia and New Zealand, some SCV holders may be eligible for certain Centrelink payments.
Contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for information on:
- Your visa status
- How to apply to become a permanent resident
How do I know if I am a "protected" Special Category Visa holder?
show moreA “protected” Special Category Visa means that you may be eligible for any of a range of Centrelink payments.
The rules about “protected” Special Category Visas are very complex. If you are uncertain, you can still claim a payment.
If you arrived after February 2001, you probably do not have a “protected Special Category Visa”.
Ask Centrelink International Services or contact your local Welfare Rights Centre for advice.
To find out more about “protected Special Category Visas”, see the factsheet, "Social Security Payments for New Zealand Citizens Living in Australia". You can download this factsheet here.
What about the International Social Security Agreement?
show more- There are special rules for New Zealanders about claiming
- Age Pension
- Disability Support Pension
- Carer Payment.
- If you have a Special Category Visa, you may be eligible for one of these payments, no matter what date you came to Australia.
- The rules under the Agreement are very complex.
- Tell Centrelink you wish to claim one of these payments under the International Social Security Agreement between Australia and New Zealand.
- For further information, see the factsheet: Social Security Payments for New Zealand Citizens Living in Australia.
- “Qualifying Residence periods” may apply.
- This means you have to have lived in Australian and/or New Zealand for a certain number of years before you can obtain a payment.
What about my kids?
show moreYou may qualify for
- Family Tax Benefit
- Child Care Benefit
For these payments, it doesn’t matter when you arrived in Australia or what kind of visa you have.
You may also qualify for various concession cards.
If you are caring for a child who is an Australian citizen, the child may be eligible for Special Benefit.
For more information on Special Benefit access the "Newly arrived residents and social security" Factsheet here.
Contact Centrelink or your local Welfare Rights Centre for further information.
My child is an Australian citizen...
show moreIf you are caring for a child who is an Australian citizen, the child may be eligible for Special Benefit.
Special Benefit is a payment for people who are
- in financial hardship and
- who are unable to claim any other Centrelink payment.
You can claim Special Benefit on your child’s behalf.
There are no age limits for Special Benefit. To find out if your child is an Australian citizen, contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
You may need to ask a Centrelink Social Worker to help you claim.
For more information on Special Benefit access the "Newly arrived residents and social security" Factsheet here.
If there is a problem with making a claim, contact your local Welfare Rights Centre.
Why do they want to know if I plan to stay?
show moreAs well as being an “Australian resident’, you must “reside” in Australia to qualify for a Centrelink payment.
This is about where you actually live and where you plan to live in the future.
Your links to Australia can be shown by factors such as property, bank accounts and family ties.
I've got a "waiting period"...
show moreAlthough you qualify for a payment, you may find that it still isn’t payable as you have a “newly-arrived residents’ waiting period” (NARWP).
This is the period of time you have to wait before you can receive a Centrelink payment.
The NARWP is usually 2 years (104 weeks).
Centrelink can tell you if the payment you wish to claim is subject to a NARWP.
Where can I get further information or help?
show more- Factsheet: Social Security Payments for New Zealand Citizens Living in Australia
- Factsheet: Appeals – how to appeal against a Centrelink decision
- Form: Request for a review by an Authorised Review Officer
- Contact your local Welfare Rights Centre
- Contact Centrelink
- Contact Department of Immigration and Citizenship
The Welfare Rights Centre would like to thank the National Welfare Rights Network for permitting the links to their factsheets and self-help materials.