Australia Publishes Names of 4 Countries Whose Citizens Can Join its Military Without Citizenship
- The Australian Government announced a plan to open ADF recruitment to permanent residents from four countries
- New Zealanders living in Australia became eligible from July 2024, with three other nationalities following in January 2025
- Applicants must have lived in Australia for at least one year and meet strict ADF entry and security requirements
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The Australian Government has opened Australian Defence Force (ADF) recruitment to permanent residents from four countries, allowing eligible non-citizens to serve without first obtaining Australian citizenship.
The announcement, made on June 4, 2024, and applicable in 2026, names the following countries whose permanent residents can apply to join the ADF:
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1. New Zealand.
2. United Kingdom.
3. United States.
4. Canada.
New Zealanders living in Australia became eligible to apply from July 2024. Permanent residents from the UK, US, and Canada gained the same opportunity from January 2025.
Australian Defence Force: Who qualifies to apply
Beyond meeting standard ADF entry and security requirements, eligible applicants must satisfy three conditions: they must have lived in Australia for at least one year immediately before applying, they must not have served in a foreign military within the two years preceding their application, and they must be able to obtain Australian citizenship.
Director of Military Recruiting at Defence Force Recruiting Group Captain Chris Ellison said the change addressed a long-standing gap.
"For many years, Defence Force Recruiting personnel have been approached by New Zealand permanent residents expressing their keen interest to serve the nation that had adopted them, but we had been unable to accept their applications," he said.
"I am very pleased that ADF Careers can now help New Zealanders who have made a clear commitment to call Australia home to make their impact through service in the ADF."
Why Australia is expanding recruitment
Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh said the move was driven by the need to address recruitment shortfalls through fresh thinking.
"We're being bold in order to grow the Australian Defence Force," he said.
"Recruiting from a wider pool of people will help ensure our Australian Defence Force reflects the full diversity of Australia and is able to draw on the talents of the entirety of Australian society."
Defence Minister Richard Marles added that the policy would also deepen ties with close allies.
He said opening ADF ranks to New Zealanders living in Australia would increase opportunities while strengthening the Anzac bond, and that growing the force was essential to meeting the country's security challenges over the next decade and beyond.
The government said the expanded eligibility aligns with the National Defence Strategy's requirement for Defence to build and retain a highly skilled workforce.
Alongside the new recruitment pathway, the ADF also plans to streamline its Overseas Lateral Recruitment Scheme, which allows the military to fill capability gaps by bringing in skilled personnel who have already served in foreign armed forces.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the Australian Defence Force had explained how foreigners can join its military.
Age limit to join Australia's military
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia had published an age limit for people seeking to join its military.
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According to the Australian Defence Force Careers portal, prospective recruits can begin submitting applications from the age of 16 years and six months. However, the minimum age for actually joining the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and commencing service is 17 years old.
The information applies to all three branches of Australia's armed forces, meaning the same age thresholds govern entry into the Navy, Army, and Air Force.
Source: Legit.ng
