Residence requirement
People who became permanent residents on or after 1 July 2007 must have been lawfully resident in Australia for 4 years immediately before applying including:
12 months as a permanent resident
and
absences from Australia of no more than 12 months, including no more than 3 months in the 12 months before applying.
If people became permanent residents before 1 July 2007 and apply before 30 June 2010, they must have been physically present in Australia as a permanent resident for a total of 2 years in the 5 years before applying, including 1 year in the 2 years before applying.