Citizenship pathway from permanent residence

Once you have permanent residence, the path to citizenship has three parts: residence, the test, and the ceremony.

Residence requirements

• Lived in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years immediately before applying.
• At least the last 12 months as a permanent resident.
• Total absences of no more than 12 months in those 4 years.
• Absences of no more than 90 days in the 12 months immediately before applying.
• "Lived in Australia" — your home base, with reasonable absences allowed.

Time on a temporary visa counts

• Time you held a substantive temporary visa (student, 482, 485, partner provisional) counts toward the 4 years. Only the final 12 months must be on PR.
• Time spent unlawful does not count.

The citizenship test

• 20 multiple-choice questions, 45 minutes.
• 5 of the questions are "Australian values" — you must score 100% on those.
• Overall pass mark is 75%.
• Most applicants between 18 and 59 sit the test. People 60 and over, and applicants with permanent or enduring incapacity, may be exempt.
• Study the official booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. The test draws from it.

The ceremony

• After approval, you receive an invitation to a citizenship ceremony — usually run by your local council.
• You make the Pledge of Commitment at the ceremony. Citizenship begins on that day.
• You can then apply for an Australian passport.

Common gotchas

• The 90-day absence rule in the final 12 months catches a lot of people. Plan trips home accordingly once you've decided to apply.
• Continuous residence is calculated from the application date, not the lodgement plan. Don't book international travel between applying and the ceremony without checking the implications.
• Children born in Australia to PR / citizen parents are usually Australian citizens by birth — verify per your circumstances.

Where to read more

• Become an Australian citizen: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/become-a-citizen
• Citizenship test and interview: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/test-and-interview
• Learn about the citizenship test: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/test-and-interview/learn-about-citizenship-interview-and-test/learn-about-citizenship-test
• Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/test-and-interview/learn-about-citizenship-interview-and-test/learn-about-citizenship-test/our-common-bond