Leaving Australia and portability of payments 061-01000000

Maximum possible portability period

Affected payments

Indefinite period

The following can generally be paid for an indefinite period:

• Age Pension
• Disability Support Pension (DSP) paid to customers:
• covered by the terminally ill provisions, or
• subject to the 1 July 2004 savings provisions, or
• who satisfy the 'no future work capacity' portability provisions
• travelling to an agreement country that covers DSP and is qualified for DSP under that agreement

Up to 3 years from the original date of departure for a discretionary portability reason

A discretionary portability extension cannot exceed 3 years for the following payments:

• Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
• Dad and Partner Pay (DAP)*
• Double Orphan Pension (DOP)
• Family Tax Benefit (FTB)
• Paid Parental Leave (PPL)*

There is no maximum discretionary portability extension limit for other payments that can be extended.

*Discretionary extension only available to a member of the Defence Force or Australian Federal Police who is deployed overseas.

Length of study period

A full time student who is undertaking full time study outside Australia as part of their Australian course can continue to receive:

• Austudy
• ABSTUDY
• Youth Allowance (student)
• Parenting Payment (PP)
• DSP
• Carer Payment (CP)

Length of time needed to complete the work or training

An Australian Apprentice who is undertaking work or training overseas as part of their Australian Apprenticeship can continue to receive:

• Youth Allowance (student)
• Austudy
• ABSTUDY
• PP
• DSP
• CP

Length of treatment

A DSP customer who is departing temporarily under the Medical Treatment Overseas Program (MTOP) is payable for the duration of the treatment.

Length of posting

A severely disabled DSP customer who is substantially dependent on, and living with a family member posted outside Australia for work, is payable for the duration of the posting.

Specific period for approved reasons for a temporary absence - cannot exceed 6 weeks

Customers can receive these payments for the minimum reasonable specific negotiated period. This is only for the time frame the customer needs to deal with the special reason for leaving Australia:

• JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• Farm Household Allowance (FHA)
• Special Benefit (SpB)
• Austudy
• ABSTUDY
• Youth Allowance (YA) customers

For holders of visa numbers 309,785,790, and 820 only

• Family Tax Benefit (FTB)
• Child Care Subsidy (CCS)
• Double Orphan Pension (DOP)
• Paid Parental Leave (PPL)
• Dad and Partner Pay (DAP)

Up to 6 weeks from the original date of departure for a temporary absence

The customer can receive:

• FTB
• CCS, and
• DOP

Note: FTB, CCS and DOP customers on certain visas can only be paid if they are leaving Australia for an approved reason.

Up to 56 weeks from the original date of departure for a temporary absence

The customer can receive:

• PPL, and
• DAP

Note: PPL and DAP customers on certain visas can only be paid if they are leaving Australia for an approved reason. The maximum period is 6 weeks.

Up to 4 weeks (28 days) in a rolling 12 month period for a temporary absence

DSP (excluding customers with indefinite portability or paid under provisions outlined above) can be paid outside Australia for a maximum period of 4 weeks in a rolling 12-month period.

A DSP customer who has used all their general portability can still be paid outside Australia for an additional period if they satisfy an approved reason. When this provision is applied, payment can only be made for the minimum reasonable specific negotiated period the customer needs to deal with the special reason for leaving Australia (for example, acute family crisis, competing in the Paralympics). This cannot exceed 4 weeks.

Up to 6 weeks from date of departure for a temporary absence

Apart from the exceptions above, the following payments can generally be paid for a maximum of 6 weeks if the absence is temporary:

• Carer Allowance
• CP
• CCS
• Mobility Allowance
• PP

A Pensioner Concession Card, Low Income Health Care Card or automatically issued Health Care Card will also remain current for 6 weeks of a temporary absence from Australia. This is as long as any associated payment also remains current.

Up to 19 weeks from date of departure for a temporary absence

A Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will remain current for 19 weeks of a temporary absence from Australia.