As a foreigner, a person can become a permanent resident in Australia through several legal pathways; however, all of them require the issuance of a permanent visa. You can find out the complete process involved in this case from our Australia immigration lawyer.
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How can your lawyers assist me?
Our team can help offer legal assistance on:
- the permanent immigration pathways;
- the applicable law;
- the conditions that must be met;
- our lawyers can help clients in gathering the paperwork;
- maintain the connection with the immigration/other institutions involved in the process.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Temporary residence permit types | They vary based on the visa issued for the foreigner (for business purposes and non-business purposes, such as employment, study, family reunification, etc.)
|
Time needed to obtain the temporary residence permit (approx.) | It depends on the reason of arrival (it can take approximately 3 months) |
Temporary residence permit validity | It depends on the visa (it can vary between 1 and 4 years) |
| Documents for obtaining temporary residence | Specific application form, valid passport, recent photos, supporting documents regarding the purpose of arrival, payment of the fee, etc. |
| Mandatory registrations with state authorities (i.e. with the population/municipality register) | It depends on the visa and the residence permit (it can be the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Immigration Office or the local police offices) |
| Dependents can join the temporary permit holder (Yes/No) | Yes – for certain categories of temporary visa holders (such as the temporary worker visa) |
| Temporary or permanent residency for investment purposes | Yes, both temporary and permanent residency are granted to investors based on the visa program they are interested in |
| Minimum temporary residence before applying for permanent residence | 3 years / 4 years, depending on the visa program |
| Documents for obtaining permanent residence | Application form, passport, birth certificate, health examination, police clearance, income tax proof, payslips, English language skills, documents attesting the residential address |
| Naturalization requirements | The applicant is a permanent resident, has an age of at least 16 years old, has been living in Australia for 4 years minimum, permanent residency is obtained for at least 12 months at the moment of the application, has a good character, pass a citizenship test |
| Citizenship after permanent residence | One can apply for citizenship after being a permanent resident for at least one year |
| Visa for partners/spouses that grants permanent residency | Subclass 801 – Partner visa |
Parties that must apply for a residence permit | Students, workers, highly skilled employees, businessmen, athelets, persons reuniting with their family members, etc. |
When is a person required to apply for a residence permit | The obligation to apply for a residence permit appears when an individual plans to reside in Australia for a period longer than 90 days. |
| Where to collect the permanent residence permit? | Individuals interested in how to become a permanent resident in Australia should know that the procedure, and the issuance of the document, is handled by the Department of Home Affairs. |
| Renewal possible (yes/no) | Yes |
| Deadline to apply for the renewal of permit | In the last 3 months prior to the expiration date of the permit. |
| Is it necessary to apply for a tax number? | Yes |
| When it is required to have a tax number | The tax number is necessary for those who need to file tax returns and to access various governmental benefits and authorities. It is necessary when being employed in Australia, when starting a business, when claiming tax relief as a natural person, when obtaining various types of income, etc. |
| Fees charged for the issuance of the residence card | One of the requirements imposed to those interested in how to become a permanent resident in Australia refers to paying processing fees. In 2026, the fee is AUD 4,770. |
| Fees charged for the issuance of the residence renewal | The same fee system applied for the first time issuance. |
| Law regulating residency in Australia | Migration Act 1958, Migration Regulations 1994 |
| Does Australia apply penalties for expired permits? (yes/no) | Yes |
| When can Australia apply penalties for expired documents? | After the expiration of the document. For overstays longer than 28 days, the Australian authorities can impose a 3 years ban from entry in the country. |
| Application requirements for minors | Applications are similar to the ones of adult applicants, but the parent/legal guardian has to give his/her consent for the application, by signing specific forms. |
| Health insurance requirements | Any person interested in how to become a permanent resident in Australia should know that there is an obligation to have a valid health insurance (through state or private entities). |
What are the basic options for becoming a permanent resident in Australia in 2026?
The basic legal options through which a foreign person can be granted residency in this country are prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs. One can become a permanent resident in Australia when applying for a permanent visa that can be issued for the following purposes:
- family-related purposes;
- business purposes or investment-related matters;
- for work reasons.
What are the main visa streams for residency in Australia for skilled persons?
Those who want to apply for Australian residence through this legal pathway can choose between the following visa options:
- the Skilled Independent Visa;
- the Skilled State-Sponsored Visa;
- the Skilled Regional (provisional) Visa;
- the Skilled Work Regional (provisional) Visa.
In the infographic below, we have highlighted some of the ways for obtaining permanent residency in Australia:
What conditions should I comply with in order to qualify for a skilled work visa in Australia?
In order to obtain residency in Australia under the skilled program, an applicant should expect the process described in the list below:
- first, you should select the occupation you currently have, which has to be listed amongst the occupations of skilled employment that is necessary for the Australian economy;
- then, you must present information on your overall English proficiency;
- after this, you must make an Expression of Interest, which means that you are interested in obtaining a visa for a particular skilled work activity, which will then be reviewed by the Australian authorities only in the case in which your application has at least 65 points;
- if the application is positive, then you must receive an Invitation to Apply for the visa, which is made by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection;
- after you receive the Invitation to Apply, you will have 60 days in order to apply for the visa and for the residency in Australia;
- if you will want to respond to the Invitation to Apply, you will submit an additional set of papers, along with the documents that show that you applied for the Australian residence.
How can I obtain permanent residency as a foreign investor?
Foreign investors have the possibility of acquiring permanent residency in Australia by apply for a Business Visa or an Investor Visa. Read more about it here.
What are the fees charged for permanent residency obtained via business immigration in 2026?
The fees charged by the Australian authorities vary from one visa program to another. For instance, in 2026, investors are required to pay a fee of AUD 3,500 if they apply for the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa.
How can I migrate to Australia for permanent residency under the family reunification program?
Permanent residency in Australia can be obtained through the family reunification program, as long as the foreign applicant has any of the following qualities:
- partner, child, parent, dependent relative of an Australian citizen;
- partner, child, parent, dependent relative of an Australian permanent resident;
- partner, child, parent, dependent relative of a New Zealand citizen (certain eligibility criteria applies to the latter);
- children in the process of adoption or those who have already been adopted;
- carers who will provide long-term assistance to relatives living in Australia.
Can students obtain residency in Australia on a permanent basis?
Permanentresidency in Australia can be obtained in certain cases, if the applicant’s future occupation is eligible under a permanent residency visa; after graduating, foreign students who are not included in any of the visa categories that could allow them the right to permanent residency can apply for the Post Study Work Visa.
How many permanent visas are granted by the Australian immigration authorities?
For the financial year of 2025-2026, the permanent immigration program has been capped at 185,000 visas, maintaining the same number of visas as in the previous year. Below, we invite you to watch a video on permanent residency in Australia:
How long does it take to process a permanent residency application?
The processing times for a permanent residency application is highly influenced by the visa category the foreigner qualifies. In the list below, our immigration lawyer in Australiapresents the timeframes in which the Australian authoritiescan process a permanent visa application:
- applications for permanent skilled work visas can take around 10 months (it varies from one visa type to another);
- for instance, the Skilled Nominated visa has a processing time that varies between 6 to 18 months;
- family visas, for first time applicants, can have a processing time of at least 1 year;
- in the family stream, those who hold temporary visas as the parents of eligible sponsors (Australian citizens, permanent residents) and who want to apply for a permanent visas can have their applications processed in a period of 4 weeks;
- those who want to immigrate to Australia for business purposes should expect to have their application processed in a period ranging from 9 to 18 months.
Can I request to have my application prioritized?
In general, no, applicants do not have the right to request to have their applications prioritized. The Australian immigration system has its own priority system in processing visa applications, which is regulated by law. Requesting to have priority in front of other applicants can only happen in exceptional cases, where there is an urgency or another plausible reason accepted by the authorities.
What are the basic rights one has when becoming a permanent resident in Australia in 2026?
As a foreigner, one should be aware that the legislation for immigration in Australia makes a clear distinction between the rights of a permanent resident and those of an Australian citizen (having Australian citizenship allows you to vote, while being a permanent resident does not offer this right, for example).
As a permanent resident, you will be able to:
- enroll in the local health system;
- work and study here;
- apply for a bank loan for the purpose of purchasing a property;
- act as a sponsor for other family members living abroad and who want tomigrate to Australia;
- participate in free English classes, etc.
Persons who want to find out information on how to apply for a visa that grants the right of becoming a permanent resident in Australia are invited to address our lawyer.
