The Australian government has opened a recruitment pathway allowing eligible citizens of four countries to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF) without first acquiring Australian citizenship.

The countries covered by the policy are New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

Under the arrangement, eligible applicants from these countries can apply to serve in Australia’s military if they satisfy the required recruitment, residency and security conditions.

According to the announcement made on June 4, 2024, New Zealand citizens living in Australia became eligible to apply from July 2024. The pathway was subsequently extended to eligible permanent residents from the UK, US and Canada in January 2025.

Conditions for joining the Australian Defence Force

Although the policy provides eligible non-citizens with an opportunity to enlist, applicants must meet specific requirements before they can be accepted into the military.

These include satisfying the ADF’s eligibility criteria and applicable residency, service and security requirements.

The policy represents a change in Australia’s military recruitment approach by widening access to eligible applicants from selected countries without requiring them to obtain Australian citizenship before applying.

However, eligibility under the arrangement does not guarantee enlistment, as applicants must still meet the relevant requirements and pass the recruitment process.