6.1Convention travel documents

6.1 Convention travel documents

(1) For section 9 of the Australian Passports Act and subject to section 6.5, the Minister may issue a convention travel document to a person who is present in Australia if the person: (a) is not an Australian citizen; and (b) is a refugee recognised under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees dated 28 July 1951 and in force in Australia from 22 April 1954, and the Protocol in force under that Convention (in this section collectively called the Refugee Convention); and (c) qualifies under subsection (2) or (3). (2) A person qualifies under this subsection if the person is lawfully resident in Australia or otherwise lawfully staying in Australia. (3) A person qualifies under this subsection if the person: (a) is not lawfully resident in Australia; and (b) is unable to obtain a travel document from the country of his or her lawful residence. (4) Subject to subsection (6), a convention travel document ceases to be valid at the end of the day specified in the document, being: (a) in the case of a document issued to a person who qualifies under subsection (2)—a day not later than 2 years after the day on which the document is issued; or (b) in the case of a document issued to a person who qualifies under subsection (3)—a day not later than 1 year after the day on which the document is issued. (5) The Minister may extend a convention travel document that has been issued to a person who qualified under subsection (2) only if the person is overseas. (6) If the Minister extends a convention travel document that was issued to a person who qualified under subsection (2), the document ceases to be valid at the end of the day specified in the document as extended, being a day not later than 6 months after the day on which the document is extended. (7) The Minister may issue a convention travel document overseas to replace a convention travel document that has been lost, stolen or damaged if the person to whom the original travel document was issued has a valid Australian visa with re‑entry rights. (8) In this section, a reference to residence or staying in a country (including Australia), in relation to a person, has the meaning that it has in the Refugee Convention.