Payments
Residence requirements
To lodge a claim and qualify for Carer Allowance (caring for a person 16 years or over), you and the person you are caring for must be an Australian resident and in Australia on the day that you lodge your claim.
To qualify you must be living in Australia permanently as:
- an Australian citizen, or
- the holder of a permanent resident visa, or
- a New Zealand citizen who was in Australia on 26 February 2001, or for 12 months in the 2 years immediately before that date, or was assessed as ‘protected’ before 26 February 2004.
More information
- Changes which affect New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia
- Carer Allowance (caring for a person 16 years or over) section
On the Department of Immigration and Citzenship website