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Australian permanent residents originally from Canada, the US and the UK are eligible to join the Air Force Reserves from today.
The decision to allow non-citizens from Five Eyes countries to join the ADF was announced six months ago to alleviate a skill shortage in the military.
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Already, 400 New Zealand permanent residents have signed up after applications were opened to them in July 2024.
Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh said on Sunday the federal government had to be “bold” to tackle recruitment challenges.
“As outlined in the National Defence Strategy, Defence must recruit, retain and grow a highly specialised and skilled workforce, and that’s why from 1 January 2025, we’re further expanding who is eligible to join the Australian Defence Force,” Minister Keogh said.
“Our people are our most important capability, but we’ve had to be bold and innovative to reverse the Defence recruitment shortfalls of the last Government in order to grow the Australian Defence Force.”
In addition to meeting standard ADF entry requirements, permanent residents wishing to join the ADF must have lived in Australia for at least one year immediately before applying and not have served in a foreign military in the preceding two years.
As an incentive, those signing up will be able to apply for citizenship after 90 days of service.
Traditionally, permanent residents must have lived in Australia for four years, with at least one of those on a resident visa.
The scheme is one of several new initiatives aimed at encouraging more people to sign up for the military.
In March, for example, the RAAF unveiled a Christopher Nolan-esque TV advert to recruit the next generation of fighter pilots and support personnel.
The “Up There” campaign included footage shot with high-definition gimbal cameras and a cinematic score composed by multi-award-winning musician Lance Gurisik.
It also features dramatic scenes of a Kabul-style evacuation and a team coordinating a mission aboard the Wedgetail, an airspace battle management aircraft.
