Australian permanent resident
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Australian permanent residents are residents of Australia who hold permanent residency visas but are not citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia. Holders of permanent residency visas may remain in Australia indefinitely and may come and go as they like.
A resident is automatically eligible for a permanent residency visa if he or she has lived in Australia without breaching visa conditions for five years without an absence of more than three months. Most permanent residents are eligible to become citizens.
For many decades visitors of British or Irish descent were effectively Australian citizens upon arrival. This ceased to be the case in the 1970s, but new visa conditions were not initially enforced and thousands of "overstaying tourists" have now lived in Australia for many years. These people are now regarded as permanent residents, despite not having formally obtained the correct visa.
Permanent residents enjoy many of the rights and privileges of citizens, including access to free or subsidised legal and health services and education. They do not have the right to vote in federal elections, but some states allow permanent residents from Commonwealth countries to vote in State and local government elections.
Citizens of New Zealand are allowed to enter and remain in Australia indefinitely under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, being granted a Special Category Visa on arrival, but must obtain a proper permanent residency permit if they wish to enjoy the privileges of permanent residents.