Australian Citizenship

Australian citizenship Explained

There are several ways of getting the privilege of becoming an Australian citizen. For that, you are required to meet the eligibility criteria of your selected pathway of Australian citizenship.
There are 4 main categories which are citizenship by:

• Conferral
• Descent
• Adoption
• Resuming citizenship

The above categories are further divided into sub-categories and are discussed down below:

Becoming an Australian citizen by Conferral

Australian Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens would need to follow the CItizenship pathway by Conferral

• For this citizenship pathway you must be:
•  Must hold a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen status at the time of citizenship application and at the time of decision by the department of home affairs.
• be in Australia when the department of home affair decide on your application in most cases.
• have spent time in Australia and know about Australia
• intend to live in Australia or maintain a lasting link with Australia while overseas

Eligibility Criteria for Australian Citizenship by Conferral

1.     You and everyone who is applying for citizenship must be a permanent resident.

Or, in the case of New Zealand citizens;

You should be an eligible New Zealand citizen if you arrived in Australia with a New Zealand passport and you:

• were in Australia on 26 February 2001 or
• were in Australia for 12 months in the 2 years before 26 February 2001 or
• were assessed as a Protected Special Category visa (SCV) holder and were issued a Centrelink certificate that states you were living here at a particular time.
• You must meet 4 years stay at Australia residence requirement.
• You must be of good character if you are 18 years or older
• You must have the knowledge about Australia and you must show that you;
  • Have basic knowledge of the English language
  • an understanding of what it means to become an Australian citizen
  • adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship
  • an understanding and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect, and equality.
• You need a basic knowledge of the English language to become an Australian citizen. If you score 75% or more score in the Australian citizenship test answer all 5 questions on Australian values correctly, then you meet the department of the home affairs language requirement.

Application for Australian Citizenship:

You first have to meet department of home affair eligibility criteria before the lodgment of application for Australian citizenship.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs a shred of evidence that you meet our requirements.

You must provide:

• original police certificates
• scans of your original documents if you are applying online
• certified copies of all other documents if you have to lodge a paper application
• as much information as possible to help us decide your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all requested documents lodged with your application
• good character documents
• your photographs

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply the citizenship application from Inside or Outside of Australia.

You can apply

• online or,
• you can submit a paper application which requires you to submit Form 1300t if you are between 18 and 59 or form 1290 if you are a child less than 15 or are age between 16 or 17 or aged 60 or more.

You should also understand and fulfill the following requirements:

• understand the nature of your application
• demonstrate a basic knowledge of English
• demonstrate adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship.

Becoming an Australian citizen (by conferral)- Person 60 years or over

For this citizenship pathway, you must be:

• be a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen when you apply and when the department of home affair decide your application
• be in Australia when the department of home affair decide on your application, in most cases
• intend to live in Australia or maintain a lasting link with Australia while overseas

Eligibility Criteria for People 60 years or over.

1.     You and everyone who is applying must be a permanent resident.

Or, in the case of New Zealand citizens;

You should be an eligible New Zealand citizen if you arrived in Australia with a New Zealand passport and you:

• were here on 26 February 2001 or
• outside Australia on 26 February 2001, but in the 2 years before that date you were in Australia
• were issued a Centrelink certificate issued before 26 February 2004 that states you were living here at a particular time
• you must be aged 60 or older to apply without a citizenship test
• You must stay for 4 years in Australia on a valid visa before applying for this citizenship. Or a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for the past 12 months
• You must be of good character.
• You might have to give an interview to confirm your identity. You do not have to take the citizenship test.

Application for Australian Citizenship for 60 years or older:

You first have to meet departments of home affair eligibility criteria before the lodgment of application for Australian citizenship.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs a piece of evidence that you meet our requirements.

You must provide:

• original police certificates
• scans of your original documents if you are applying online
• certified copies of all other documents if you have to lodge a paper application
• as much information as possible to help us decide your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all requested documents lodged with your application
• good character documents
• your photographs
• your identity documents that show your birth name, date of birth, and gender. Also photograph, signature, and current residential address. You need to provide evidence of all these.

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply whether you are in Australia or overseas. You can apply

•  online or,
•  you can give a paper application if you can fulfil the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

You may get a call for an interview if the department needs to confirm the identity or nature of your application and you don’t need to sit in the citizenship test.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent a citizenship ceremony which is required to pledge before the Australian government.

Becoming an Australian citizen (by descent)

You could be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent if you were born outside of Australia and one (or both) of your parents at the time of your birth were also Australian citizens at that time.

For this, 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

Eligibility Criteria for Citizenship by Descent

There are two eligibility criteria for which you have to qualify i.e.

• You must be Born outside Australia on or after 26 January 1949 and your parents one or both, at the time of birth was Australian citizens.
• Born outside Australia through an international surrogacy arrangement

You must be of good character if you are 18 years or older

Documents requirements for CItizenship by Descent:

You need to give the department of home affairs evidence that you meet our requirements.

You need to show proof:

if you are 16 or older by giving three documents that will show your:

• birth name, date of birth, and gender
• photograph
• signature
• current residential address

If you are 15 years or younger, then you will have to provide:

•  birth name, date of birth, and gender
• photograph and current name if available
• responsible parent documents

You have to show a character document whether you are of good character if you are 18 and older.

You have to give supporting documents which consist of evidence of parent’s Australian citizenship and documents about residency in Australia.

You need to provide a photograph according to the criteria of the department of home affairs.

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply whether you are in Australia or overseas. You can apply

• online or,
•  you can give a paper application if you can fulfill the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent a citizenship ceremony which is required to pledge to the Australian government.

Becoming an Australian citizen (by conferral)- Child 15 years or younger applying on their own

For this citizenship application, you must:

• be 15 years or younger, applying on your own and
  • living with a responsible parent who is an Australian citizen and consents to your application; or
  • you are an Australian resident in Australia with a responsible parent who consents to your application, who is a permanent resident and they meet the residence requirement but has decided not to apply for Australian citizenship because they would lose the citizenship of another country; or
  • living with a responsible parent who consents to your application and your responsible parent is not an Australian citizen but you can show us that not becoming a citizen would make you suffer significant hardship or be disadvantaged
• be a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen at the time you apply and when the department decides your application

Eligibility:

You must be an Australian permanent citizen

You are an eligible New Zealand citizen if you arrived in Australia with a New Zealand passport and you:

1. were here, in Australia, on 26 February 2001 or
2. outside Australia on 26 February 2001, but in the 2 years before that date you were in Australia
3. holding a Centrelink certificate issued that states you were living here at a particular time

You must be of 15 years of age or younger and applying on your own

Your responsible parents must consent to sign your application.

Application for Australian Citizenship:

You first have to meet departments of home affair eligibility criteria before the lodgment of application for Australian citizenship.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs the evidence that you meet our requirements.

You must provide:

• certified copies of original documents
• as much relevant information as possible to help us decide on your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all documents with your application

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply whether you are in Australia or overseas. You can apply

•       online or,
•       you can give a paper application if you are able to fulfil the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent a citizenship ceremony which is required to pledge to the Australian government.

Become an Australian citizen (by conferral)-Born to a former Australian citizen

For this you must:

• show department of home affairs evidence of your birth to a former Australian citizen

Eligibility

You were born outside Australia and your parent:

•       was an Australian citizen before you were born,
•       lost their Australian citizenship automatically by acquiring the citizenship of another country, as an adult before 4 April 2002

You must be of good character if you are 18 or older.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs evidence that you meet our requirements.

You must provide:

• original police certificates
• scans of the original document if applying online
• certified copies of all other documents if applying on
• as much information as possible to help us decide on your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all requested documents lodged with your application
• you need to provide a good character document

You might have to provide proof of your birth to a former Australian citizen.

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply whether you are in Australia or overseas. You can apply

•       online or,
•       you can give a paper application if you are able to fulfill the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent an invitation to a citizenship ceremony in which you are required to take the pledge to the Australian government.

Become an Australian citizen (by adoption)-Child adopted outside Australia by an Australian citizen

This pathway requires that you must:

• have a valid adoption compliance certificate
• have an adoptive parent apply on your behalf if you are 15 years or younger

Eligibility:

One of your parents must hold Australian citizenship at the time of your adoption, if your adoptive parent or parents became Australian citizens by descent or adoption then they must have spent at least 2 years lawfully in Australia.

You are required to show you were fully and permanently adopted under “The Hague Convention” or “a bilateral arrangement.”

You must show that you are of good character if you are 18 years or over.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs evidence that you meet our requirements.

You must provide:

• certified copies of penal certificates (if you are 18 or older)
• certified copies of all other documents
• as much information as possible to help us decide on your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all documents with your application

Department needs proof of your identity from birth to the present date of applying. You must submit your adoption documents.

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply whether you are in Australia or overseas. You must scan and email all required documents to the email address which will be on an application form. If you cannot access email then send it via courier.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent a citizenship ceremony which is required to take a pledge to the Australian government.

Become a citizen (by conferral)-Person born in Papua before independence in 1975:

Requirement:

You must show the department proof of your claim and be of good character.

Eligibility:

You must have been born in Papua before 16 December 1975 and have at least one parent who was born in Australia and was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth.

You must meet the “good character” requirement.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs a piece of evidence that you meet their requirements.

You must provide:

• original police certificates
• scans of the original document if applying online
• certified copies of all other documents if applying on
• as much information as possible to help us decide on your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all requested documents lodged with your application

You might have to provide proof of your birth to a former Australian citizen.

Apply for citizenship:

You can apply whether you are in Australia or overseas. You can apply

•       online or,
•       you can give a paper application if you are able to fulfill the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent an invitation to a citizenship ceremony in which you are required to take a pledge to the Australian government.

Become a citizen again (resume citizenship)-Become an Australian citizen again (resuming Australian citizenship)

To be able to apply for the re-citizen ship you must:

• satisfy the Department of your identity and if you are over 18 years old you must be of good character
• provide evidence of how you ceased being an Australian citizen

Eligibility

There are some conditions that you must fulfil to become eligible for resuming your citizenship if you:

• became a citizen of another country as an adult before 4 April 2002
• gave up or renounced your Australian citizenship so that you can acquire or retain the citizenship of another country
• renounced Australian citizenship to avoid significant hardship or detriment
• your Australian citizenship was revoked as a child when your responsible parent’s Australian citizenship ceased
• were an Australian citizen by registration or naturalisation and your Australian citizenship ceased because you resided outside of Australia and New Guinea continuously for 7 years between 26 January 1948 and 8 October 1958

You are not eligible to resume Australian citizenship if:

• you were born in Papua and lost your Australian citizenship automatically on 16 September 1975 under Papua and New Guinea law (when Papua New Guinea achieved independence)
• your Australian citizenship ceased for a reason not already mentioned.

You must meet the “good character” requirement if you are 18 years or older.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs a piece of evidence that you meet our requirements.

You must provide identity documents if you are 16 or older and for evidence, you must provide:

• birth name, date of birth and gender
• photograph
• signature
• current residential address

You must provide:

•       Evidence of date of birth and any changes of name
•       Photograph and signature which includes Australian driver’s licence, national identity card, proof of age card etc.
•       Evidence of residential address
•       Evidence of arrival in Australia
•       Evidence of identity in the community
•       Responsible parent documents

You must provide good character documents, citizenship documents and photographs.

Apply for citizenship:

Online application is not allowed, so you must give a paper application if you are able to fulfil the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent an invitation to a citizenship ceremony which you are required to take to pledge to the Australian government.

Become a citizen (by conferral)-Born in Australia and are stateless

You must:

• have been born in Australia
• not be a national or citizen of any country
• never have been a national or citizen of any country
• not be entitled to acquire the nationality or citizenship of a foreign country

Eligibility

You must have been born on or after 1 July 2007 in Australia

You must not be a national or hold citizenship of a foreign country automatically upon your birth in Australia through one or both of your parents or acquired citizenship or nationality of any other country through application or operation of law.

You must never have been a national or citizen of any country even if you lost or renounced your status.

You must not be entitled to acquire the citizenship or nationality of a foreign country.

Document preparation:

You need to give the department of home affairs evidence that you meet their requirements.

You must provide identity documents if you are 16 or older and for evidence, you must provide:

• certified copies of original documents
• as much relevant information as possible to help us decide on your application
• each document only once, even if you are using it to show more than one thing
• all documents with your application

Apply for citizenship:

Online application is not allowed, so you must give a paper application to the department of home affairs if you can fulfill the requirements outlined by the department of home affairs.

Department will notify you if your application is rejected or approved. On approval, you will be sent a citizenship ceremony which is required to take a pledge to the Australian government.