Can a Non-resident citizen of Australia claim the Aged Pension..
Residency rules aside, you must be an Australian resident, and be in Australia, on the day you claim Age Pension.
To get the Australian Age Pension you need to have been an Australian resident for at least 10 years in total. Also, for at least 5 of those 10 years, there must be no break in your residence. (They do accept short holidays).
Basically if an Australian citizen normally lives outside Australia, they could be considered non-resident.
You are an Australian resident if you live in Australia and are either:
- an Australian citizen
- a permanent residence visa holder, or
- a protected Special Category visa (SCV) holder
Citizenship, or a Permanent Residence visa, does not guarantee that you are classed as an Australian resident for pension purposes.
Living in Australia means Australia is your usual place of residence.
If Australia is not your usual place of residence then the following applies, and it is not clear cut.
When they are deciding whether you live in Australia, they will look at:
- where you live and who you live with
- if you have family in Australia or overseas
- your employment, business or financial ties in Australia and overseas
- your assets in Australia and overseas
- how often and how long you travel outside Australia, and
- anything else they think is relevant
If you don’t meet the normal rules, but you have lived or worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Australia, then you may still be able to claim the Australian Aged pension.
The Australian Aged Pension has income and asset limits. If you’re over these limits, you get a lower pension, or no pension.
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