Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and able to complete the Initial Minimum Period of Service before reaching Compulsory Retirement Age (60).

The minimum educational standard to be eligible to apply for entry is successful completion of Year 10, which must include passes in English and Mathematics.

To be appointed, you must be medically and physically fit for entry into the ADF. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination. You will also be required to pass a physical fitness test before appointment.

You must also pass the swim test and physical fitness test to graduate from your Navy Training and to proceed to the Safety of Life at Sea Training that is a requirement for Recruit School and Officer training.

Service as a Navy Diver is physically and mentally demanding and requires a high level of individual robustness, strength, and endurance. Training can extend over 18-hour days and seven-day weeks and involve very heavy physical activity. Therefore, you must be medically and physically fit to undertake Navy Diver training.

Applicants must pass a diving medical before being able to join the diver workgroup. Certain illnesses and disabilities relating to diving, particularly pulmonary complaints such as asthma will normally disbar applicants.

You will be required to successfully pass a Pre-entry Fitness Assessment (PFA) before enlistment. This PFA requires you to achieve a higher standard than the general entry fitness level for the Navy.

You must be able to complete all components:

• 30 push ups
• 25 sit-ups
• Beep test (shuttle run) to level 10.1

The RANST is conducted to ensure the Navy's duty of care to all serving personnel, with respect to rudimentary swimming skills. The purpose of the RANST is to ensure fundamental water survival skills as a prerequisite to training such as survival at sea training. Individual components of the RANST are fundamentally related to the survival at sea scenario.

Competency in the RANST is achieved through completion of each component:

• A safety jump off a 3m tower in overalls
• A 10m underwater swim in overalls
• A 50m swim using three safety strokes
• The ability to tread water or float for 15 mins in overalls

For further details on medical and physical fitness standards refer to Physical Fitness Standards for Entry into the ADF and Medical Process for Entry into the ADF.

You will be enlisted for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of six years. On enlistment if you elect to serve an open ended enlistment, you will be able to serve until retirement age, subject to your continued suitability for service. If you elect to serve for a fixed period of service, subsequent periods of service may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service.

Your Careers Coach can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation.

The holder of the licence must also be free of traffic infringements that may cause future cancellation of the licence.

The Job Opportunities Assessment (JOA) is completed as part of the application process to join the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Some jobs may also require you to complete a further evaluation at a later date.

The JOA is used by Defence to establish suitability for ADF entry, and then identify jobs that best match your abilities.

Further information about the JOA can be found in the Guide to the Job Opportunities Assessment for the ADF.

To get a feel for the types of questions that are used in the Job Opportunities Assessment and how they will look on your screen some examples can be found in the Job Opportunities Assessment Example Questions.

To serve in the ADF you must be an Australian Citizen.

If you are a permanent resident of Australia, the ADF may consider a temporary deferral of the citizenship requirement if the position for which you are applying cannot be filled by an applicant who meets all the citizenship requirements, and then only in exceptional circumstances. You will be required to obtain Australian Citizenship as early as possible following enlistment or appointment.

Find out more in our Citizenship page or ask your local Defence Force Recruiting Centre.

The Department of Defence requires ADF employees to have a security clearance appropriate to their employment.

A process of background checks, collection of relevant information and if required, interviews, enables the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) to make an informed assessment of an applicant's suitability for a security clearance.

The minimum security clearance level required is Negative Vetting Level 1 (NV1), and current policy requires applicants to have a checkable background for the previous 10 years.

This means applicants must provide credible referees (non-family members) who are able to provide information about the applicant covering an extended period of time. Required information for an NV1 includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Residence
• Employment
• Education
• Financial information
• Travel

Some ADF jobs may require a higher level of security clearance such as Negative Vetting Level 2 (NV2) or Positive Vetting (PV). Your individual circumstances will determine the number and complexity of the questions and the supporting documents required for these levels.

Australian Citizenship is a requirement for a security clearance and a clearance will only be granted to a non-citizen in exceptional circumstances.

The security clearance is critical to an applicant's successful progression through the recruiting process. It is strongly recommended that all applicants action the Security Clearance Package (ePack) and provide the required documentation without delay to provide the best opportunity to commence training and be employed in their preferred employment category.

For more detailed information on the security vetting process and specific clearance level requirements set by AGSVA, please refer to the AGSVA website.

Support will be provided by DFR during the initial application process.

All sailors who join the Navy will conduct their initial sailor training at the RAN Recruit School prior to commencing specific category training. The NESC course is designed to prepare you to conduct basic duties as a sailor. Some of the key components of the NESC course are:

• Physical fitness: General fitness and the Navy swim test
• Military life: General service knowledge, including drill and ceremonial procedures
• Specialty skills: Weapons training, workplace safety, first aid and sailing
• Navy skills: Seamanship, corrosion control, survival at sea and fire and flood control,
• A one week sea familiarisation period

Recruits, who successfully complete all components of the course will participate in a Graduation Parade to mark the occasion. Recruits will have the opportunity to invite family and friends to view the parade.

On completion of NESC course, all sailors will proceed on to their respective employment training specific to their category. For further information, please see the RAN Recruit School joining instructions Navy recruit school website.

The course runs for approximately 50 weeks plus a 1 week Clearance Diver Aptitude Assessment.

The course includes:

• Fitness Standards
• Phase 1: Recruit Training - Prior to enlistment.
• Phase 2: Preliminary introductory dive and fitness test of suitability - during Recruit training at ADF Dive School
• Phase 3: Clearance Divers Aptitude Assessment Test - During your Clearance Diver Aptitude Assessment Test you will be required to meet Navy Fitness Test and Swim Test requirements.
• Phase 4: Clearance Divers Initial Employment Training - You will conduct programmed daily physical training designed to develop strength and conditioning to support your future career.

Candidates must successfully complete the Clearance Diver Aptitude Assessment Test and be recommended by a selection panel to undertake further training. If you do not complete the Clearance Diver Aptitude Assessment Test or are not recommended to continue further training, you may be required to:

• Transfer to another employment workgroup (subject to Navy requirements) or
• Discharge At Own Request (DAOR)