Australia Mentions How Long Eligible Foreigners Must Live in Country Before Joining Military
- Australia's Defence Force lists specific countries whose citizens qualify to enlist without holding Australian citizenship
- Non-Australian applicants must meet several conditions, including a minimum period of residency before they can apply to join the ADF
- The rules also cover what happens when a position cannot be filled by an Australian citizen, with a separate pathway available
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Australia has published the eligibility requirements for joining the Australian Defence Force (ADF), detailing exactly how long foreign nationals must have lived in the country before they can apply to serve.
According to the official ADF Careers website, non-Australian citizens from five countries are eligible to apply: New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, and Papua New Guinea. However, holding one of those passports alone is not enough.
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Military: How long foreigners must stay in Australia
To qualify, a foreign national must also be a permanent resident living in Australia or hold a 444 sub-class visa, and must have resided in Australia for at least one full year immediately before submitting an application.
Additionally, the applicant must not have served in any foreign military within the two years before applying.
Military: What Australian citizens must provide
For those who are Australian citizens, the ADF requires documentary proof of citizenship at the time of application.
Accepted documents include a current Australian passport issued on or after 1 January 2000, an expired Australian passport issued after that same date provided it expired less than three years before the application date and had a validity period of more than two years, an Australian Birth Certificate, or an Australian Citizenship Certificate.
Those born on or after 20 August 1986 who submit a birth certificate must also demonstrate that at least one parent held Australian citizenship or permanent residency at the time of their birth.
Australian military: Exceptional circumstances clause
The ADF does make provision for rare situations where a suitable Australian citizen cannot be found to fill a particular role.
In such cases, the citizenship requirement may be waived, and applications can be accepted from permanent residents who can show they have already applied for Australian citizenship, or from permanent residents who are not yet eligible to apply, provided they commit to lodging a citizenship application within 90 days of beginning their service.
The ADF also advises anyone holding dual or sole foreign citizenship to seek independent legal advice before applying, as enlisting in the Australian military could have implications under the laws of their home country.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
