Asylum seeker FAQs

Concession fares (50% off adult fares) were introduced for eligible asylum seekers on Monday 3 April 2017.

Your Customer Reference Number (CRN) is your individual number given to you by Services Australia (Centrelink).

You need your CRN to apply for asylum seeker concession fares. 

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009.

With your consent, the personal information collected will be used by TMR for the purposes of assessing your eligibility for a concession and to provide you with SMS or email notifications where relevant.

Apart from seeking confirmation of entitlement from the relevant organisation and contracted public transport business partners, your personal information will not be disclosed to any other third party without your consent unless authorised or required to by law. Read our privacy statement or call Translink on 13 12 30.

Yes. Unless you agree to both the privacy statements and terms and conditions, you can't apply for concession fares. The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009.

To be eligible for an asylum seeker concession, you must:

• reside in Queensland and be aged 18 years and over
• be an asylum seeker according to the Department of Home Affairs, evidenced by holding one of the following:
  • an Evidence of Status (EIS) ImmiCard; or
  • a Residence Determination (RD) ImmiCard; or
  • a document issued by Home Affairs confirming Asylum Seeker status; or
  • documentation issued by a registered asylum seeker support agency confirming your status as an asylum seeker – for example confirmation of support under the Status Resolution Support Program

Note – if you are aged 15-17 and not in full-time education you may also be eligible. Check with your support agency for more information.

ImmiCards are official photograph identity cards which assist you to prove your visa or immigration status and access services you are entitled to. You can apply for an ImmiCard online at the Department of Home Affairs.

You can go to one of the asylum seeker support agencies to apply for a concession. You will need a Customer Reference Number from Centrelink to apply.

Within the go card area asylum seekers cannot buy a paper ticket. You need to apply for concession fares to be activated on your adult go card.

If you don't have a go card, or don't have enough funds on your card to travel, you need to buy an adult paper ticket.

You’ll receive an SMS or email once your application has been assessed.

It could take up to 14 days for your concession to be approved and applied to your go card.

We will send you an SMS or email to let you know about the outcome of your application. We'll also let you know when the concession fares are about to be removed because your asylum seeker support agency has told us you are no longer eligible.

Yes, you will pay adult fare during the time your application is assessed. However, should your eligibility change you'll have 14 days of concession travel before your card switches back to adult fare.

Once you're approved for concession fares, you need to touch on within 60 days to activate the fares on your go card.

If you don’t activate the concession within 60 days, the concession will no longer be valid and you'll need to call Translink on 13 12 30 and have your concession re-activated.

You won't need to reapply for concession fares providing you remain eligible.

You need a blue adult go card. You can use your existing blue adult go card, as long as it hasn't expired.

To check your expiry date, log into your go card account online, or visit a selected go card retailer or train station ticket office, or call Translink 13 12 30 anytime.

If you don't already have one, you can buy a blue adult go card.

No, you will need a blue adult go card to apply for asylum seeker concession fares. Contact your support agency for assistance.

No, this does not mean you are registering your go card. Although we do collect your details so we can assess your eligibility for concession fares, we do not store your details in the same way or use your details to create a go card account.

No, you do not need to register your go card to apply for concession fares. However, registering your go card will allow you to track the progress of your application for concession fares online as well as:

• activate auto top-up
• protect your travel balance if your card is lost or stolen
• easily transfer your travel balance from one card to another go card
• check your travel balance and view up to six months' transaction history
• check your go card expiry date
• report an incorrect fare and request a balance adjustment.

If you have a registered go card, you can you change your email and/or mobile phone number by logging into your go card account, going to 'Settings' and updating your notification preferences.

If you have an unregistered go card, please call Translink on 13 12 30.

Concession fares will be valid on your go card until you no longer meet the eligibility requirements. Changes to your eligibility are provided to Translink by the asylum seeker support agencies.

If you have provided contact details and have agreed to us contacting you, we will let you know by SMS or email around 14 days before your concession fares will expire.

You can go to one of the asylum seeker support agencies to apply for a concession. You will need a Customer Reference Number from Centrelink to apply.

From 3 April 2017, eligible asylum seekers in Queensland can apply to get 50 percent off fares on Translink public transport services (excluding Airtrain, travel and tourist rail services), regional qconnect bus services and approved regional ferry services.

Regional centres include (but are not limited to): Cairns, Townsville, Magnetic Island, Innisfail, Bowen, Airlie Beach and Proserpine, Mackay, Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Gympie, Maleny to Beerwah, Kilcoy to Caboolture, North Stradbroke Island, Toowoomba and Warwick.

You will need to have a regional concession sticker applied to your ImmiCard and show this to drivers when you purchase a ticket. To apply for a regional concession sticker on your ImmiCard:

1. Go to your asylum seeker support agency to fill in the application form.
2. If you are eligible, your asylum seeker support agency will apply a regional concession sticker to your ImmiCard.
3. Remember to carry your ImmiCard with you when you travel.

The regional concession sticker is a small round sticker that is applied annually to your ImmiCard that proves your eligibility to travel on concession fares outside the go card network.

Yes, you will pay adult fare while your application is assessed.

Once your asylum seeker support agency has ensured you are eligible, they will usually apply the sticker to your ImmiCard immediately.

You will need to apply for a regional concession sticker each year you are eligible for concession fares.

Your regional concession sticker will expire on 31 March of the year following the year of issue.

If you lose your ImmiCard you will need to get a new ImmiCard and reapply for a regional concession sticker with your asylum seeker support agency.

In order to be eligible for a regional concession sticker, you must be currently eligible with your go card. You will need apply separately to get concession fares outside the go card area.

Asylum seekers who wish to travel on concession fares outside the go card area, should contact their asylum seeker support agency to apply for a regional concession sticker for their ImmiCard.

Asylum seekers should contact their support agency to apply for concession fares within the go card area.

Asylum seekers can contact their support agency for assistance with this.