Residence rules

To be eligible for the JobSeeker Payment you must meet the residence rules.

On the day you claim you must be all of the following:

To keep getting your payment, you must be living in Australia as an Australian resident.

When you need to wait

If you've recently arrived as a resident in Australia, you may have to wait 2 or 4 years to get this payment. There are some exemptions to this. Read more about the newly arrived resident’s waiting period.

How else you may meet the rules

You may be able to get JobSeeker Payment for a single period up to 6 months if both of the following apply:

  • you hold a non-protected Special Category visa
  • you have lived in Australia for at least 10 years with no break in your residence, right before you claim.
Page last updated: 17 March 2023.
QC 52169