Australia Names Countries Whose Citizens Can Join Its Military Without Citizenship

• The Australian Government announced permanent residents from New Zealand, the UK, the US, and Canada can apply to join the Australian Defence Force
• New Zealanders living in Australia became eligible from July 2024, with residents from the remaining three countries following in January 2025
• Applicants must have resided in Australia for at least one year and meet strict ADF entry and security clearance requirements

Australia has opened its military to permanent residents from four allied nations, allowing eligible non-citizens to serve in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) without first becoming Australian citizens.

The policy, announced on 4 June 2024 and now in effect in 2026, extends ADF recruitment eligibility to permanent residents from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.

New Zealanders in Australia were able to apply from July 2024, while those holding permanent residency from the UK, US, and Canada became eligible from January 2025.

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Who qualifies to enlist

Beyond satisfying standard ADF entry criteria, prospective applicants must meet three additional conditions: they must have resided in Australia for at least one year immediately before applying, they must not have served in a foreign military within the two years before their application, and they must be capable of obtaining Australian citizenship in the future.

Group Captain Chris Ellison, Director of Military Recruiting at Defence Force Recruiting, said the change closed a gap that had existed for years.

"For many years, Defence Force Recruiting personnel have been approached by New Zealand permanent residents expressing their keen interest to serve the nation that had adopted them, but we had been unable to accept their applications," he said.

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"I am very pleased that ADF Careers can now help New Zealanders who have made a clear commitment to call Australia home to make their impact through service in the ADF."

The strategic case for wider recruitment

Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh framed the decision as a deliberate effort to address recruitment shortfalls.

"We're being bold in order to grow the Australian Defence Force," he said, adding that drawing from a broader pool would help the force reflect the full diversity of Australian society.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the policy would simultaneously strengthen alliances with close partners, noting that welcoming New Zealanders into the ADF would deepen the longstanding Anzac bond while growing overall force numbers. He described expanding the military workforce as essential to meeting Australia's security demands over the next decade and beyond.

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The government said the expanded eligibility supports the National Defence Strategy's objective of building and retaining a highly skilled workforce.

Alongside the new recruitment pathway, the ADF also intends to streamline its Overseas Lateral Recruitment Scheme, which allows the military to fill capability gaps by bringing in personnel who have already served in foreign armed forces.

Australia sets factors used to score skilled visa applicants

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Australia had listed core criteria used to calculate points scores for migrants seeking skilled entry into the country.

The Department of Home Affairs uses the SkillSelect Expression of Interest portal to determine whether an applicant qualifies for an invitation under points-tested skilled visa streams.

Source: YEN.com.gh