Australian citizenship
Obtaining Australian citizenship offers numerous advantages. As a citizen, you no longer need to worry about visa expiration or notifying the Department of changes in your documents or significant life circumstances. For many migrants, becoming an Australian citizen marks the final milestone in their migration journey.
Citizenship comes with both rights and responsibilities. Among the responsibilities are obligations such as serving on jury duty when called upon and voting in elections. Failure to fulfill these duties can result in fines. On the other hand, citizenship grants various rights. For example, citizens have the right to apply for an Australian passport, which allows them to re-enter Australia freely and travel to many countries without needing a visa. Additionally, citizenship offers numerous benefits and privileges, including access to subsidized education, interest-free education loans, free schooling for children, social security payments, and more.
When you become an Australian citizen, you don't need to give up your other citizenship unless your other country prohibits dual citizenship.
A child born in Australia to an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen holding a subclass 444 visa automatically becomes an Australian citizen. In all other cases, a person needs to apply for Australian citizenship. The two most common types of applications are for acquiring Australian citizenship by descent or by conferral.
We are here to answer all your questions about Australian citizenship during a consultation. If you choose to engage our services for your citizenship application process on the same day, we will include the consultation fee in the overall service fee.
AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT
A person born outside Australia to a parent who was an Australian citizen at the time of their birth may apply for Australian citizenship by descent. If the parent subsequently renounced or lost Australian citizenship, the child's right to citizenship by descent remains inviolable as long as the parent's citizenship status at the time of birth can be proven. However, the application may not be approved if there are concerns about the applicant's identity or character.
AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP BY CONFERRAL
This is a common pathway for most migrants who have become permanent residents to acquire Australian citizenship. Applicants must meet certain requirements regarding age and the duration of their stay in Australia. They are also expected to be of good character, understand the consequences of acquiring citizenship, have adequate knowledge of Australia, possess a basic level of English proficiency, and intend to live in Australia.
The residence requirement consists of several provisions. Generally, applicants must have been present in Australia for four years immediately before applying, with at least the most recent 12 months as a permanent resident. Absences of up to 12 months within the four-year period and up to 90 days during the most recent 12 months are allowed. There are exceptions for individuals who cannot meet these criteria due to the nature of their work or because they had to stay overseas with their Australian spouse or partner. The calculation of residency may become more complicated if, for example, a person was unlawful in Australia or spent time in prison or a psychiatric clinic. In such cases, seeking professional advice may be necessary.
We provide professional assistance in acquiring Australian citizenship, calculating residence period, addressing citizenship loss and resumption, and handling non-standard cases.