The Benefits of Australian PR

Stay Indefinitely in Australia

There is a bit of confusion about how long you can stay in Australia after you get a permanent residency visa approved. Some people think that it allows you to stay 5 years at a time, as what appears as the ‘must not enter date’ on visa grant letters is usually 5 years after the visa grant date.

This is not correct.

If you have a permanent residency, you can stay in Australia indefinitely as long as you never leave. The 5 year or 10 months expiry dates are for your authority to travel or remain outside Australia while still maintaining your status as a permanent resident.

For example if you live in Sri Lanka, when your visa is approved, usually you are given 10 months to make the initial arrival to Australia (basically fly in to ‘activate’ you via, you can then leave back to Sri Lanka). After that you stay in Sri Lanka until the ‘5 year date’ on your visa latter. At this point if you choose to stay outside of Australia after that date, then yes, you could lose your residency status.

However, if you fly to Australia within 05 years you could stay onshore in Australia forever. The expiry dates will come in play when you want to travel outside the country. After 5 years, your travel facility expires. You will need to apply for and be granted either:

A Resident Return visa – if you wish to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident
Australian citizenship – if you wish to travel as an Australian citizen.

Get a job in Australia

Working in Australia is challenging without a valid visa. Permanent residents can work for any employer in any occupation. But, working in the Public Service or Armed forces is strictly restricted to the Australian Citizens. However, this does not distinguish the industrial laws between the permanent residents and citizens. Permanent residents enjoy the same benefits under these laws as the citizens. They can become a part of trade unions and can claim worker’s compensation.

That’s why most Australian companies hire almost exclusively permanent residents, even if you are overseas at the time of applying, as long as you are a permanent resident you would at least be open for consideration for the role.

Childcare Rebates

The daycare and childcare industry is a very high demand one in Australia, with places in them very highly sought after by parents for their kids. As a result of this, the daily price of childcare can be quite high depending on the type and location of your chosen provider.

The Child Care allowances are managed by Centrelink and can include:

Child Care Rebate helps with the cost of child care fees. It covers up to 50% of your out of pocket child care expenses up to an annual limit of $7,613 per child.
There are other childcare rebates as well, such as the Child Care Benefit that is a cash payment to help with childcare costs. Some of these benefits are income tested, but you would qualify for them immediately upon settling in Australia.

Healthcare entitlement

An all-inclusive Medicare health coverage will be available for you as a PR which grants you cheaper health insurance, free treatment at public hospitals, and subsidized medicine.

Privilege for the children of PR

One of the greatest benefits of becoming a PR is felt when your children are born in Australia as they will be deemed automatically as Australian citizens by birth. In essence, they will be provided with utmost benefits in the field of education and health care.

Access for certain social security benefits

The permanent residents must hold on for a period of two years before they are entitled to receive social security benefits like sickness, unemployment and student benefits that are offered by Australia’s Social Security Department.

Eligibility to apply for an Australian citizenship

Permanent residence acquired after 1 July 2007 may be qualified to apply for Australian citizenship if you have lived lawfully in Australia for at least 4 years and have lived in Australia for at least 12 months as a permanent resident.

Access to student loans

The Higher Education Support Act 2003 dictates that Australian citizens and permanent visa holders are given the privilege of receiving assistance financially on their study through the Higher Education Loans Program (HELP). This is helpful for you if ever faced by financial crisis while you are studying

Credit rating

Your credit rating as an Australian Permanent Resident will promptly rise enabling you to gain approval easier on personal loans, car loans, home loans, credit cards, and so on.

Buy Existing Residential Property

In most cities buying second hand residential property is only allowed by citizens and permanent residents. This measure was put into place to protect the market from an influx of foreign funds coming in and buying up entire neighborhoods and pushing locals out to further suburbs. Foreign buyers need to buy off the plan (brand new) residences as well as pay certain tax surcharges, making the price higher than what a local would pay.

As a permanent resident you would incur no surcharge for buying property of any type. You will be eligible for the FHOG (First Home Owner Grant) worth $10,000 if you signed your contract on or after 1 July 2013 on your first house acquisition. Your new home can be an apartment, unit, house, townhouse, or similar which costs at $750,000 or less and it must be the first sale of the property as a residential address.

Work in New Zeeland

The permanent resident of Australia is also granted the right to travel to New Zealand and apply for a New Zealand Visa. This is a provision that has been granted by the government of New Zealand.

Sponsoring family members

You may sponsor your family members for an acquisition of permanent residence but only after you met the residence and support assurance prerequisites.