To qualify for Australian benefits in the absence of an agreement, applicants must
normally be residents of and physically present in Australia at the time the applicant
files the application. In addition, applicants must meet certain length-of-residence
requirements.
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1.
Residence requirements
Applicants who are residents of and physically present in the United States at the
time of applying for Australian benefits can qualify for benefits even though they
are not residents of and physically present in Australia at the time of application.
In addition, Australia will count any U.S. quarters of coverage (QCs) as 3 months
of Australian residence when determining if the applicant meets the length-of-residence
requirements. However, applicants who are not current residents of Australia must
have resided in Australia in the past for a minimum of 12 months, of which at least
6 months were continuous, before Australia will count U.S. QCs when determining eligibility
for an Australian benefit.
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2.
Carer payment
Australia will pay a carer payment to residents of the United States on the same basis
as residents of Australia provided that the caregiver is recognized under Australian
law as the partner of an Australian beneficiary.
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3.
Income test
Australia will not count any Supplemental Security Income benefits or any State or
local government assistance payments when counting a person's income to determine
the benefit amount. However, Australia will count other income and resources, including
Title II benefits, in accordance with Australian law and the Totalization agreement
with Australia.