{"id":"F2018L01371","name":"Social Security (Class of Visas – Qualifying Residence Exemption - Refugee) Declaration 2018","slug":"social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":439793,"registerId":"F2018L01371-fast-fetch-1775955679736","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Social Security (Class of Visas – Qualifying Residence Exemption - Refugee) Declaration 2018","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nSocial Security (Class of Visas – Qualifying Residence Exemption – Refugee) Declaration 2018\n\nI, Paul Fletcher, Minister for Families and Social Services, make the following Declaration.\n\nDated 27 September 2018\n\nPaul Fletcher\n\nMinister for Families and Social Services\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Schedules\n\n6 Class of visas\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nSocial Security (Declaration of Subclass 851 of Resolution of Status (Class CD) Visa Holders as Refugees) Determination 2008\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Social Security (Class of Visas – Qualifying Residence Exemption - Refugee) Declaration 2018.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n  This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 25 of the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Social Security Act 1991.\n\n5  Schedules\n\n  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n6 Class of visas\n\n  For the purposes of subparagraph 7(6B)(c)(iii) of the Act, the classes of visas are:\n\n  Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB)\n\n (a) Subclass 200 (Refugee);\n\n (b) Subclass 201 (In-country Special Humanitarian);\n\n (c) Subclass 202 (Global Special Humanitarian);\n\n (d) Subclass 203 (Emergency Rescue); and\n\n (e) Subclass 204 (Woman at Risk);\n\n                    Resolution of Status (Class CD)\n\n (f) Subclass 851 (Resolution of Status).\n\n \n\nNote: Subparagraph 7(6B)(c)(iii) of the Act provides that a person who is the holder of a permanent visa referred to in a declaration under section 25 of the Act is a refugee for the purposes of section 7 of the Act.\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nSocial Security (Declaration of Subclass 851 of Resolution of Status (Class CD) Visa Holders as Refugees) Determination 2008\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\nRepeal the instrument\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains its original narrow purpose: declaring specific visa classes for refugee status exemptions. It consolidates previous separate instruments but does not expand beyond the original intent of identifying which visa holders qualify for the residence exemption."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (only 6 substantive sections plus a schedule)","Only 1 defined term ('Act')","No nested conditional logic or cross-references beyond a single reference to section 25 and subparagraph 7(6B)(c)(iii) of the Social Security Act 1991","Simple list structure for visa subclasses","Single repeal item in Schedule 1 with no complex transitional provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"This declaration treats people holding specified refugee and humanitarian visas (including the Resolution of Status subclass 851) as \"refugees\" for Social Security Act purposes, so they are exempted from the usual qualifying residence/waiting period for Centrelink payments.\n\nThat lets newly recognized refugees access income support immediately on receiving permanent protection and repeals an older 2008 instrument that covered only subclass 851."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The instrument expands the set of visa subclasses treated as refugees for the qualifying-residence exemption. The prior 2008 instrument (repealed in Schedule 1) declared only subclass 851; this declaration includes Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) subclasses 200–204 in addition to 851 (see section 6 and Schedule 1)."},"complexity_factors":["Ministerial power under section 25 of the Social Security Act authorises the declaration (see section 3 of the instrument).","The instrument operates by cross-reference to subparagraph 7(6B)(c)(iii) and section 7 of the Act—so its legal effect depends on interpreting those provisions (see section 6 and the accompanying note).","It is mechanically simple: it enumerates specific visa subclasses (200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 851) to be treated as refugees for the qualifying-residence exemption (see section 6).","It repeals a prior 2008 determinative instrument that covered only subclass 851, changing the listing of affected visas (see Schedule 1).","No operational instructions, conditions, or administrative procedures are set out in this instrument; effect on entitlement assessments will be realised through application of the Act’s residence rules."],"plain_english_summary":"This declaration lists specific permanent visa subclasses (200, 201, 202, 203, 204 and 851) that the Minister treats as \"refugees\" for the Social Security Act’s qualifying-residence exemption. That treatment affects how holders meet the Act’s residence rules for social security entitlements. It was made under s25 of the Act, commences the day after registration, and repeals a 2008 instrument that previously covered only subclass 851."},"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"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018","history":"/api/acts/social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018/history","analysis":"/api/acts/social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/social-security-class-of-visas-qualifying-residence-exemption-refugee-declaration-2018/documents"}}