Payments
Residence requirements
To qualify for Carer Payment (caring for a child under 16 years), both you and the child you are caring for must be Australian residents (that is, you live permanently in Australia) and be in Australia when you claim. You must also be:
- an Australian citizen, or
- a permanent visa holder, 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 who was assessed as "protected" before 26 February 2004.
Newly arrived residents generally have a 104-week waiting period. There are some exemptions including for refugees, the holders of certain other permanent visas, Australian citizens and in some circumstances their partners and dependent children.
More information
- Changes which affect New Zealand citizens claiming payment in Australia
- Newly arrived resident's waiting period
- Carer Payment (caring for a child under 16 years) section
On the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website