Exemptions to the newly arrived resident's waiting period

Getting an exemption by payment type or concession card

Special Benefit

You may get Special Benefit if you aren’t eligible for any other income support. Read who can get it.

You may not have to wait if since arriving in Australia, all of the following apply:

you’re in severe financial hardship
you can’t get any other income support payment
your circumstances have changed substantially.

A substantial change in circumstances may include any of the following:

being homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
experiencing family and domestic violence
a decline in your health
your sponsor no longer being able to support you.

If your circumstances have changed substantially, you should lodge a claim so we can check if an exemption applies. Read how to claim.

If you need help, contact our social work services.

Family Tax Benefit

You may not have to wait to get Family Tax Benefit Part A if you start getting any of the following:

There's no waiting period for any of the following:

Family Tax Benefit Part A if you got your permanent residence or partner provisional visa before 1 January 2019
Family Tax Benefit Part A if you hold or have held a temporary protection type visa
Family Tax Benefit Part A if you hold or have held a Special Category visa subclass 444
Family Tax Benefit Part A if you hold a Pacific Engagement visa subclass 192
Family Tax Benefit Part B.

Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay

You may have an exemption for the newly arrived resident’s waiting period for Parental Leave Pay or Dad and Partner Pay. This is if any of the following apply:

you hold or have held a Special Category visa subclass 444
you got your permanent residence or partner provisional visa before 1 January 2019
you hold a certain temporary protection type visa, see exemptions by visa subclass for more information
you’re getting an eligible payment on the days we check.

An eligible payment could be any of the following:

If your child’s birth or adoption was before 1 July 2023

Depending on your circumstances, we'll check if you were getting an eligible payment at one of the following times:

on the day before your child’s birth or adoption if your Paid Parental Leave period started on the day of birth or adoption
from your child’s birth or adoption until the day before your Parental Leave Pay started
on the day before your Dad and Partner Pay period starts.

You don’t have to wait to access your Flexible Paid Parental Leave days if both of the following apply:

you don’t have to wait for Parental Leave Pay
you connected all of your Flexible Paid Parental Leave days to the end of your Parental Leave Pay period.

If your Flexible Paid Parental Leave days weren't connected to the end of your Parental Leave Pay period, we’ll check if you need to wait on the day before each Flexible Paid Parental Leave day you want to access.

You may not have to wait for Parental Leave Pay if you’re getting an eligible payment. If so, we recommend you connect your Flexible Paid Parental Leave days to your Parental Leave Pay period. This means you can access all of your Flexible Paid Parental Leave days.

Find out more about Flexible Paid Parental Leave days.

If your child’s birth or adoption is on or after 1 July 2023

We'll check if you’re serving the newly arrived resident’s waiting period, or have an exemption, on the day before all of the following:

your child’s birth or adoption
a block of Parental Leave Pay days, of at least 10 weekdays
each Parental Leave Pay day, if it’s not part of a block of at least 10 weekdays.

Low Income Health Care Card

You may not have to wait to get a Low Income Health Care Card if any of the following apply:

you have a child you could get Family Tax Benefit for in your care
your circumstances have changed substantially since arriving in Australia
you're under 16 and living with an Australian resident or Special Category visa subclass 444 holder in Australia.

Carer Allowance

There's no waiting period if you got your permanent residence visa before 1 January 2019.

You may not have to wait to get Carer Allowance if you get any of the following:

JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance for job seekers

You may not have to wait if both of the following apply:

you’re a single parent and principal carer of a child
you become a single parent or principal carer during your current period of living in Australia.

You may be entitled to a one-off 6-month payment of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance and not have to wait if both of the following apply:

you’re a non-protected Special Category Visa 444 subclass holder
you've lived in Australia for a continuous period of 10 years since 26 February 2001.

Austudy and Youth Allowance for students and Australian Apprentices

You may not have to wait to get Austudy or Youth Allowance if you hold a Pacific Engagement visa subclass 192.

Farm Household Allowance and Parenting Payment single

You may not have to wait if both of the following apply:

you’re a single parent and principal carer of a child
you become a single parent or principal carer during your current period of living in Australia.

Mobility Allowance

You may not have to wait if you became disabled while in Australia.

Ex-Carer Allowance Health Card and Foster Child Health Care Card

You may not have to wait if your circumstances have changed substantially since arriving in Australia.

Getting an exemption by visa subclass

See if your visa subclass allows you to get the following payments and concession cards. If you tell us you have one of these valid visas when you claim, you may get an automatic exemption.

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, Low Income Health Care Card and all payments except Special Benefit

You may get these if you have a visa subclass 852 - referred stay (permanent).

Carer Payment and Carer Allowance

You may get these if you have any of these visas:

Subclass 104 - Preferential family, only if you're a carer or a special needs relative
Subclass 116 - Carer
Subclass 806 - Family, only if you're a carer or a special needs relative
Subclass 836 - Carer.

Family Tax Benefit, Dad and Partner Pay, Parental Leave Pay, Special Benefit and Low Income Health Care Card