How the NARWP estimate works
The Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period is one part of payment eligibility. For most permanent residents, the standard start is the later of grant and arrival to live. For FTB Part A, PPL and Special Benefit, current or former 820/309 holders can use qualifying Australian time since partner application. Other payments can have a different start.
Standard post-2019 payment matrix
| Payment | Standard NARWP |
|---|---|
| FTB Part B | No NARWP |
| Child Care Subsidy | No NARWP |
| FTB Part A | 52 weeks (1 year) |
| Carer Allowance | 52 weeks (1 year) |
| Carer Payment | 104 weeks (2 years) |
| Parental Leave Pay | 104 weeks (2 years) |
| Special Benefit | 208 weeks (4 years) |
| Parenting Payment (single and partnered) | 208 weeks (4 years) |
| JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Austudy | 208 weeks (4 years) |
Newborn payments depend on FTB Part A eligibility and separate newborn rules. Low Income Health Care Card and other concession-card rules need a separate check. A temporary partner visa does not qualify you for all the payments in this table.
Sources: Services Australia waiting periods and DSS payment-specific start rules.
Exemptions and other residence rules
Refugee history, certain visas and some changes in circumstances can affect a particular payment’s waiting period. An exemption does not waive the payment’s other tests. Severe hardship or family violence is not an automatic exemption from every NARWP. Check official exemption rules.
Age Pension and Disability Support Pension have separate residence requirements. Parenting Payment also has a qualifying residence period. Temporary regional visas 491/494 should not be treated as permanent residence in this tool; check the DSS visa eligibility table.
Earlier visits: check the payment-specific rule
The Services Australia summary uses the later of partner application and arrival to live. However, Family Assistance Act section 61AA(3)-(4) and Paid Parental Leave Act section 31A(2)-(3) count periods of Australian presence after the relevant application for specified partner-visa routes. Earlier post-application visits must not automatically be discarded just because they preceded a move to live here.
Keep all visit, application and grant dates, not only the settlement date. Ask Services Australia which days count for FTB Part A (52 weeks), PPL (104 weeks) or Special Benefit (normally 208 weeks) under your actual visa history. The DSS start rules distinguish those payments from payments requiring Australian residence. Physical presence alone does not establish entitlement.
Newborn payments depend on FTB Part A eligibility and their own rules. PPL also has birth/adoption timing, residence, work and income tests. Special Benefit has separate means, hardship and qualification rules. JobSeeker and Parenting Payment do not automatically receive partner-application credit. In the countdown, answer Yes or I am not sure for earlier presence: affected dates are withheld for assessment. This avoids both a falsely late date and an unsupported earlier entitlement date.
Frequently asked questions
Does time on a temporary partner visa count?
For FTB Part A, PPL and Special Benefit, relevant periods of physical presence after the applicable partner application can count, including earlier visits. This calculator withholds affected dates if you report earlier presence or are unsure. Do not apply this credit to all payments: JobSeeker and Parenting Payment generally count from qualifying permanent residence.
Can I get any payments during a NARWP?
FTB Part B and Child Care Subsidy have no NARWP but have other eligibility rules. Part A generally has 52 weeks, and PPL 104 weeks. Newborn payments require FTB Part A eligibility and cannot be received with PPL for the same child.
Does every overseas absence matter?
Overseas days are excluded, including short trips. Previously served qualifying days are retained; the clock pauses rather than restarting. Travel after a waiting period is completed does not undo that completion, although payment portability and residence rules still apply.
Can I get Special Benefit in hardship?
The standard post-2019 NARWP is 208 weeks. Severe hardship following a substantial change in circumstances may support an exemption, but it is not automatic. Ask Services Australia to assess your situation.
Does a completed countdown mean I can receive PPL?
No. PPL normally requires completion before the child’s birth or adoption, or an applicable exemption, plus work, income, residence and other tests. Finishing the wait after the birth does not ordinarily make you eligible for that child.
What cases does this calculator not decide?
It does not decide whether earlier visits count, exemptions, pre-2019 rules, earlier qualifying residence, complex visa histories, concession cards or separate pension and Parenting Payment residence requirements. Confirm those cases with Services Australia.