copyedster

Jan 27 2009, 07:54:06 AM

Just curious, you don't have to give up U.S. citizenship to get Aussie citizenship, right?

blarg

Jan 27 2009, 02:48:08 PM

Because permanent residency visas only can be renewed twice for re-entry, that essentially means he'll have to choose in 8 years.

TerritorianTori

Jan 27 2009, 01:20:58 AM

As far as I know, you can't lodge your application 'til you become eligible. Then you have to wait around for them to approve you, and then you have to wait some more 'til you are given a ceremony date, which as shylady said depends on how often your Council holds them.

(I know the citizenship test comes into play at some point, too - obviously others would know a lot more about this!)

All in all, the process seems to take several months.

I'd love to become a citizen on Australia Day, too! I'm eligible in March , though, so if I wanted that I'd have to wait a bit... but how long is anyone's guess...

Squashy

Jan 26 2009, 09:54:58 PM

All of the news about people getting their citizenship on Australia Day have gotten me thinking ...

I'll be eligible for citizenship in early Jan 2010. Of course, I would love to get my citizenship on Australia Day so is possible to front load most of the paperwork so that once the day that I'm eligible comes I'm all ready to go? Does this make sense?

Or will I have to wait until the 4 year mark to get everything done? And then just wait?

waitingwaiting

Oct 22 2009, 01:08:33 AM

Hi everyone

Thought I'd give this thread a bump. I'm also eligible for citizenship in early January...well, at least I think I am. I arrived in 2006 on a working holiday visa and got my PR, interestingly enough, on 4th July '08. I assume that my presence in Oz on a working holiday visa counts as being "legally resident" from the date I arrived, correct? I have only left for a month since then.

Has anyone else who is eligible soon gotten started on paperwork? I didn't even realise that you could take the test ahead of lodging the application until I read through some old posts on this forum. Guess I better get moving. I'm in Melbourne - anyone know how long applications and testing appointments are taking? It would be awesome to be in the Australia Day ceremonies (my fiance gets a big kick out of the possibility)...I think I might have left it too late though. Andrea

minx

Oct 22 2009, 10:31:08 AM

waitingwaiting

Oct 22 2009, 01:08:33 AM

Hi everyone

Thought I'd give this thread a bump. I'm also eligible for citizenship in early January...well, at least I think I am. I arrived in 2006 on a working holiday visa and got my PR, interestingly enough, on 4th July '08. I assume that my presence in Oz on a working holiday visa counts as being "legally resident" from the date I arrived, correct? I have only left for a month since then.

Has anyone else who is eligible soon gotten started on paperwork? I didn't even realise that you could take the test ahead of lodging the application until I read through some old posts on this forum. Guess I better get moving. I'm in Melbourne - anyone know how long applications and testing appointments are taking? It would be awesome to be in the Australia Day ceremonies (my fiance gets a big kick out of the possibility)...I think I might have left it too late though. Andrea

No, sorry. For the purposes of applying to become a citizen, you need to have been on some sort of residence visa, not a tourist visa. Your 'clock' starts from the date of your residence visa - either the application date or the grant date, I'm not sure.

Quote:

 

If you became a permanent resident before 1 July 2007, and apply on or before 30 June 2010, you must:

* have been living in Australia for two years as a permanent resident in the five years immediately before applying, including one year in the two years immediately before applying.

If you became a permanent resident on or after 1 July 2007 you must:

* have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying, including one year as a permanent resident, and
* not have been absent from Australia for more than one year, including no more than 90 days in the year before applying.

shylady

Jan 27 2009, 04:17:58 PM

Are you saying that a person can only get the Five Year Resident Return Visa (Subclass 155) twice? That's the first I've heard that, and can't find anything on the DIAC website saying that.

waitingwaiting

Oct 23 2009, 09:33:07 AM

She also said that the test booklet isn't changing.

waitingwaiting

Oct 23 2009, 09:33:07 AM

I called DIAC this morning, and this is the information I received from an officer in Melbourne:

First, the four year eligibility requirement (for those who became a permanent resident on or after 1 July 2007) is met from the first day you entered Australia and it does not matter what visa you came in on. I asked specifically about the working holiday visa and the woman said it was ok.

The process for citizenship applications is changing on 9 November. All the requirements for eligibility and documents for ID, etc. will remain the same, however the process is changing (and I believe the applications will as well). Candidates will no longer sit the test before applying. You will now have to wait until the date that you are eligible to apply and make the application on paper or online and then they contact you to make an appointment to sit the test. She said there were no more appointments available in Melbourne or Dandenong to sit the test ahead of the 9th. I asked if I can go ahead and get my proof of identity document done ahead of the date I'm eligible and she said that was fine. She also said that the test booklet isn't changing.

Hope that information helps. It certainly clarified for me. And looks like I won't be making it in time for Australia Day ceremonies.

Andrea