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What Residence Requirements does Mobility Allowance have?

To lodge a claim and qualify for Mobility Allowance, you must be:

  • in Australia on the day you lodge your claim, and
  • an Australian resident - this means you are living in Australia on a permanent basis and you are either:
    • an Australian citizen, or
    • the holder of a permanent resident visa, or
    • the holder of a Special Category Visa - someone who arrived on a NZ passport and who is not affected by the changes to residence requirements (see below), AND
  • have lived in Australia for long enough to satisfy qualifying residence periods or the newly arrived resident's waiting period (whichever applies to the payment being claimed). Note: there are some exemptions.

Important Note: Changes to the Australian residence requirements MAY affect New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia. Current customers are NOT affected by this change, although a very small number of customers who are living outside Australia MAY be affected if they lose payment for some reason and later wish to reclaim.

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