- Do i need and how to obtain Australian citizenship?
- Follow-up Algorithm
- An interview is serious
The question of how to obtain Australian citizenship is not often heard, since not everyone is ready for such a radical change in lifestyle. For many, the green continent remains a mysterious, mysterious and even dangerous territory, a land of kangaroos, spiders and snakes.
In fact, Australia belongs to a fairly young and rapidly developing country. Therefore, the country's authorities are interested in increasing the number of the working population, primarily through migration. Therefore, to date, more than 100 types of various visas for immigrants have been introduced, and under certain conditions, it is possible to obtain Australian citizenship.
Do i need and how to obtain Australian citizenship?
According to statistics, today in Australia a quarter of the population is stateless for one reason or another. Since the system for obtaining visas is quite simple and transparent, many immigrants do not at all think about changing their status and obtaining citizenship, which entails acquiring certain responsibilities.
To obtain a new status of a full citizen of Australia, you must be guided by the law adopted in 1948 - the Australian Citizenship Act. At the moment, the version of this normative act of 2007 is in force, in which 4 ways of obtaining citizenship are spelled out:
- birth on the Australian continent;
- adoption of a child from another country by Australian citizens;
- origin;
- obtaining citizenship by any inhabitant of the planet, subject to a number of conditions.
Each of the methods has its own characteristics and mechanisms, takes into account certain dates and events. For immigrants, the fourth option is most suitable - the initial grant of citizenship. It cannot start from scratch; a person has the right to apply for a new status if he has lived in Australia for a certain period of time, and at the same time was in the status of a permanent resident of the country, that is, was the holder of an unlimited Australian visa.
Moreover, special attention should be paid to the period of stay on the Australian continent, firstly, there should be a total of four years, moreover, spent using any visas. Secondly, one year of them he must be in permanent resident status (with a visa issued). Absence in the country is allowed, but within certain limits, that is, no more than 12 months over four years, and no more than three months over the last year.
Excluded from the general period of stay in Australia (although in fact the person did not leave the country) special periods: being under investigation; imprisonment; being in a psychiatric clinic for treatment.
You also need to remember that if the cumulative period of absence of a permanent resident in Australia lasted more than 12 months, you will need to provide a document confirming that you have no criminal record.
Follow-up Algorithm
Compliance with these conditions makes it possible to go directly to filing a petition, in Australia this is even possible via the Internet. The procedure is paid, the cost is 120 Australian dollars. Next, you need to pass a written test for citizenship, which includes questions regarding the economic and political system in the country, history, religion, national holidays. The test is considered passed if 3/4 of the total answers are correct. There are categories of people who are exempt from testing, on the lists are people under 18 and over 60 years old, with physical and mental health problems, born in Australia (but not having citizenship).
Test questions are not a secret, they are issued in the form of brochures, posted on the Internet, so if you want to become an Australian citizen, you can easily achieve results. It is important for the state that potential citizens of the country respect the history and traditions of the green continent, understand the foundations of the economy and political structure.
An interview is serious
Another test awaits a person who is about to become a full citizen of Australia - an interview with a government official. The duties of this person include checking the correctness of filling out the application, finding out the true reasons for moving to a distant continent, goals and objectives. Also, the officer must make sure that the interlocutor has serious intentions about obtaining Australian citizenship, knows about the rights and obligations.
Subject to all conditions, successful passing of the test, interview and payment of the application fee within three months, the authorities will notify the date of the ceremony, which takes place in the form of taking an oath or solemn oath. From that moment on, a person begins life in a new status - an Australian citizen.
