On the day you claim you must be all of the following:
- living in Australia
- physically in Australia
- an Australian resident.
To keep using the card, 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 card. There are some exemptions to this. Read more about the newly arrived resident’s waiting period.