Who can get payments

To get most Centrelink payments in Australia you must meet all of the following criteria:

be an Australian resident

meet the eligibility rules for the payment

serve any waiting periods.

What payments you can get

The payments you can claim depends on the visa you have.

You must also meet criteria for the payment or card you claim.

Permanent resident visa holder

A permanent resident visa lets you live in Australia and will allow you to claim all Centrelink payments. Use visa finder on the Department of Home Affairs website to read more about Australian visas.

Special Category Visa (SCV) holder

If you came to Australia on a New Zealand passport and you didn’t apply for a visa first, you’ll normally be given a SCV. The type of SCV you have depends on when you arrived in Australia.

To work out which SCV applies to you, read more about Protected and Non-protected SCV’s.

Protected SCV holders

If you live in Australia and have a Protected SCV you can claim all Centrelink payments.

Non-protected SCV holders

If you live in Australia and you have a Non-protected SCV, you can claim any of the following payments:

You may also be able to claim:

If you’ve lived in Australia continuously for at least 10 years, you may be able to get a one off period of payment. This is a single period of up to 6 months for the following payments:

The 10 year period of living in Australia needs to be after 26 February 2001.

Other services

Use the jobactive employment services to help you look for work. At jobactive you can access computers, newspapers, and other facilities.

Read more about jobactive on their website.

Claiming under an international agreement

Claiming under an international agreement may help you meet the eligibility rules.

We have an agreement with New Zealand that allows New Zealand citizens living in Australia to claim the following payments:

Age Pension

Disability Support Pension if you're severely disabled

Carer Payment if you're the partner of a disability support pensioner.

Read more about the International Social Security Agreement between Australia and New Zealand.