Becoming an Australian citizenship is a privilege that offers enormous rewards.
It is possible to become a citizen of Australia in different ways. Specific criteria must be met before been able apply. Conferral and descent are the most common ways to apply.
Becoming a citizen by conferral is a common way to become an Australian citizen. The applicant needs to be a permanent resident and meet certain criteria before apply.
Eligibility:
When applying for Citizenship by conferral, applicants must:
- be a permanent resident of Australia (and have been a permanent resident for at least the last 12 months)
- have lawfully resided in Australia for at least the last 4 years
- not have been outside Australia for more than a total of 1 year in the last 4 years (and no more than 90 days during the last 12 months)
- be likely to reside in, or maintain a close and continuing connection with, Australia
- be of ‘good character’ if you are 18 years or over.
Once the Department of Home Affairs has determined that applicants are eligible for the conferral of citizenship, they will ask them to attend an appointment with a case officer. At this appointment, the applicants will sit the citizenship test. This contains questions regarding the rights and responsibilities of Australian citizenship, along with questions relating to life in Australia and what it means to be an Australian citizen. Each eligible adult applicant must sit this test. The questions are based on testable information contained in the Australian citizenship test resource book, which you can study before your test.
After having passed the citizenship test and the DOHA has approved the application, applicants need to attend a citizenship ceremony, where they will make the Australian Citizenship Pledge to become an Australian citizen
Generally, applicants will receive an invitation to a ceremony within 6 months from the application approval, but waiting times may vary.
Eligibility:
When applying for Citizenship by conferral, you must:
- have been born outside Australia
- ensure that the person you are claiming descent from was your parent at the time of your birth and was also an Australian citizen at the time of your birth
- be of good character if you are 18 years old or over when you apply
Once the DOHA has determined eligibility for the citizenship, applicants will not have to attend any test nor the ceremony. The Department will inform you once the application has been approved.
- Entitlements
As an Australian citizen, you can:
- apply for an Australian passport
- leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want
- ask for help from an Australian consulate if in trouble overseas
- vote in federal, state or territory elections
- vote in a Constitutional referendum or plebiscite
- register the birth of your children in another country as an Australian citizenship
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