{"id":"F2024L00319","name":"Social Security (Automatic Issue Health Care Card–Residence Requirement) Declaration 2024","slug":"social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442315,"registerId":"F2024L00319-fast-fetch-1775957356079","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Social Security (Automatic Issue Health Care Card–Residence Requirement) Declaration 2024","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-keywords: \"[SEC=OFFICIAL]\"\n---\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\n \n\nSocial Security (Automatic Issue Health Care Card—Residence Requirement) Declaration 2024\n\nI, Amanda Rishworth, Minister for Social Services, make the following determination.\n\nDated 13 March 2024\n\nAmanda Rishworth\n\nMinister for Social Services\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Schedules\n\n5 Definitions\n\n6 Class of visas\n\n7 Declared persons......................................2\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals 3\n\nSocial Security (Class of Visa–Automatic Issue Health Care Card–Residence Requirement) Declaration 2018              3\n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Social Security (Automatic Issue Health Care Card–Residence Requirement) Declaration 2024.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under subparagraph 1061ZN(1)(a)(ii) and subsection 1061ZN(2) of the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n4  Schedules\n\n  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n5  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\n \n\nAct means the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n \n\nmember of the family unit has the same meaning as in the Migration Act 1958.\n\n6  Class of visas\n\n  For the purposes of subparagraph 1061ZN(1)(a)(ii) of the Act, the following class of visas is determined:\n\n \n\n(a)    Subclass 060 (Bridging F);\n\n \n\n(b)   Subclass 070 (Bridging (Removal Pending));\n\n \n\n(c)    Subclass 309 (Partner (Provisional));\n\n \n\n(d)   Subclass 449 (Humanitarian Stay (Temporary));\n\n \n\n(e)    Subclass 785 (Temporary Protection);\n\n \n\n(f)    Subclass 786 (Temporary (Humanitarian Concern));\n\n \n\n(g)   Subclass 790 (Safe Haven Enterprise); and\n\n \n\n(h)   Subclass 820 (Partner).\n\n7  Declared persons\n\n  For the purposes of subparagraph 1061ZN(1)(a)(iii) of the Act, the following persons are declared:\n\n \n\n(a)      a person who:\n\n \n\n(i)                is, or has been, in Australia as the holder of a visa granted on the basis that the person is a participant, as a worker, in the scheme known as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme; and\n\n \n\n(ii)               has been approved by a Department, in the course of administering the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, to bring members of the family unit of the person to Australia;\n\n \n\n(b)      a person who is, or has been, in Australia as the holder of a visa granted on the basis that the person is a member of the family unit of a person referred to in paragraph (a).\n\n \n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nSocial Security (Class of Visa–Automatic Issue Health Care Card–Residence Requirement) Declaration 2018\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\nRepeal the instrument\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument repeals the 2018 declaration (Schedule 1) and re‑establishes which visa subclasses and PALM‑related persons are treated for the automatic issue Health Care Card residence requirement under s 1061ZN (see ss 6–7). Functionally it maintains the mechanism of declaring eligible classes under the Act while replacing the prior legislative instrument in force."},"complexity_factors":["Directly amends administrative eligibility by naming specific visa subclasses (s 6) — low legal complexity but precise drafting required","Defines a class of ‘declared persons’ tied to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (s 7), creating a cross‑sector link to migration and PALM program administration","Relies on and alters operation of s 1061ZN of the Social Security Act 1991 (s 3) — requires practitioners to cross‑check the primary Act","Repeals a prior instrument in full (Schedule 1), so implementers must replace earlier references and records","Commencement mechanics use a standard table (s 2) which is straightforward but requires attention to registration timing"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument tells the social security system which visa holders and certain Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) participants (and their family members) count for the residence test used to automatically issue a Health Care Card (see ss 6–7). It replaces an earlier 2018 declaration (Schedule 1). It matters because it mechanically changes who is automatically treated as resident for card issue, thereby affecting who can receive the card without a separate residence determination."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains the same scope as its predecessor (the 2018 Declaration it repeals). It continues the established policy of exempting specific temporary visa categories from residence requirements for Health Care Card eligibility. The 2024 version appears to be a straightforward reissue/update rather than an expansion of scope, covering similar categories of humanitarian, protection, and temporary visa holders."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (7 substantive sections plus a repeal schedule)","Only 2 defined terms ('Act' and 'member of the family unit')","Simple structure: definitions, visa list, declared persons list, repeal","No nested exceptions or conditional logic — just straightforward declarations of who qualifies","Minimal cross-referencing (only references to specific subsections of the Social Security Act 1991 and Migration Act 1958)","Clear, enumerated lists for visa subclasses and person categories"],"plain_english_summary":"This Declaration temporarily waives usual residence rules so certain temporary visa holders can get a Health Care Card immediately, easing costs for medicines and some Medicare services. It covers specified bridging, partner, temporary protection/Safe Haven visa holders and approved PALM scheme workers and their family members. By removing access barriers for vulnerable temporary residents, it ensures affordable essential healthcare and updates a 2018 Declaration."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024","history":"/api/acts/social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024/history","analysis":"/api/acts/social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/social-security-automatic-issue-health-care-card-residence-requirement-declaration-2024/documents"}}