Wallabies star Quade Cooper is among the migrants who will have their pathway to Australian citizenship made easier under new eligibility rules announced by the federal government.
The policy change will see eligible visa holders considered to be among the “most talented prospective Australians” given greater flexibility around meeting residency requirements.
Current rules require citizenship applicants to not have been outside of Australia for more than 12 months during the four years prior to lodging their application.
The changes will instead require applicants to have been living in Australia for at least 480 days over the four years prior to the application. They also must have been in Australia for 120 days in the year immediately before.
The New Zealand-born Cooper - who moved to Australia when he was 13 - has complained about being knocked back for Australian citizenship four times because of the current rules.
His time spent in Australia had been impacted by his touring schedule for the Wallabies and two years spent playing in Japan.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on Tuesday said the citizenship changes would address “unique difficulties” faced by some of the “most distinguished” applicants.
“The unique work and travel demands on some of our most highly distinguished prospective Australians should not preclude them from making the cut,” he said in a statement.
“Exceptional people must not be prevented from becoming Australians because of the unique demands of the very work they do that makes them exceptional,” he added.
Residency exemptions are already open to certain sportspeople, artists and leading businesspeople.
Cooper’s situation attracted renewed attention after he scored a match-winning penalty last Sunday against South Africa in his 71st appearance for the Wallabies.
Labor's home affairs spokesperson Kristina Keneally has advocated for Cooper to be granted citizenship, meeting with Mr Hawke in early August around resolving his case.
"It's about time this Australian sporting champion's passport matched his jersey," she told SBS News in a statement.
