Australia Lists 6 Categories of People Who Qualify for Its Free Special Purpose Visa

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  • The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs published details of who qualifies for the country's Special Purpose Visa
  • The visa is free, temporary, and automatically granted, meaning eligible individuals do not need to apply for it
  • Six categories of people qualify for the visa, with most of them linked to military and airline operations

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The Australian Government has outlined exactly who qualifies for its Special Purpose Visa, a free, temporary visa that is granted automatically without any application required from the recipient.

Australia shares who can qualify for its free special purpose visa. Photo credit: Hilary Wardhaugh Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

The Department of Home Affairs published the guidance, confirming that the visa allows holders to enter and remain in Australia for as long as they hold what the government describes as a "prescribed status."

Who Qualifies for Australia's Special Purpose Visa

Six categories of people are eligible. The first covers airline crew members, including those in positioning roles and aircraft safety inspectors. The second applies to crew members aboard ships belonging to the regular armed forces of a foreign government, provided they are on board when the vessel enters Australian waters.

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The remaining four categories are all connected to military service. Members of the military or civilian component of a foreign country's armed forces that holds a Status of Forces Agreement with Australia are eligible. So are members of the armed forces of a specified Asia-Pacific country or a specified Commonwealth country, in both cases provided they are travelling to or already in Australia on official duty. The accompanying spouse, de facto partner, or dependent relative of any qualifying armed forces member is also covered, on the condition that they are named on the member's official military travel orders.

Special Purpose Travel Authority for Select Nations

Beyond the automatic visa grant, the Home Affairs Department noted that military personnel from Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America may also be eligible for registration under the Special Purpose Travel Authority, known by its subclass number 945 or simply as the SPTA.

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In specific circumstances, the SPTA provides a visa grant number to qualifying military members and their dependants. That number can then be used through Australia's Visa Entitlement Verification Online system, commonly referred to as VEVO, to confirm visa status with employers, educational institutions, and other Australian organisations.

The department advised military personnel and their dependants to reach out to their respective High Commission, Embassy, or Defence representative for guidance tailored to their individual circumstances and entitlements under the scheme.

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Source: YEN.com.gh