How You Can Become an Australian Citizen: Requirements, Processing Time, and Documents

While it is easy to fall in love with Australia and its democratic freedoms, economic and political stability, high living standards and wondrous natural habitat, it is hard to obtain citizenship of this country-continent. Anyone who wants to obtain an Australian passport must comply with a number of rules and meet certain requirements. Keep reading to discover the benefits of Australian citizenship, as well as the steps that need to be taken to acquire it.

• How to Become Australian Citizen
• Australian Citizenship through Naturalisation
• Benefits of Australian Citizenship
• Obligations of an Australian Citizen
• List of Documents Required to Apply for Citizenship
  
• Five Steps to Follow to Obtain Australian Citizenship
  
• Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on How to Obtain Australian Citizenship

How to Become Australian Citizen

There are three ways to become an Aufstralian citizen: birth, descent and naturalisation.

You are eligible for citizenship by birth if you were born in Australia and one or both of your parents are Australian citizens or permanent residents.

You are eligible for citizenship by descent if you were born outside Australia and one of your parents is Australian.

You are eligible for citizenship through naturalisation if you are not of Australian descent, but have been legally living in the country for a certain time, have not violated the local laws, and have proof of close links to Australia.

Australian Citizenship through Naturalisation

To obtain an Australian passport through naturalisation, a foreigner must have stayed in the country on a visa for a long time. If the candidate left the country during their stay in Australia, the duration of such absence must fall within permissible time limits.

To apply for Australian citizenship, you must have a valid visa and have been living in Australia for four years before filing an application.

During these four years you must not have left Australia for more than 12 months in total, including no more than 90 days in total during the past 12 months.

You must have the status of a permanent resident for 12 months before filing the application. You can obtain a permanent residency permit after two years of legal residence in the country.

If you meet all the above requirements, you can apply for Australian citizenship. The next step is to confirm that you have no criminal record in any country where you have lived for more than six months. This is followed by an interview with the Department of Home Affairs. Then you take the citizenship test. If you pass, you will be invited to attend an official citizenship ceremony where you will recite the citizenship pledge.

To pass the citizenship test, you need to know the English language as well as the history of Australia, the local way of life and traditions, the structure of the State, its legislation and values. While you can take the test for free any number of times, the majority of immigrants pass on their first or second attempt.

Benefits of Australian Citizenship

The official status of an Australian citizen comes with a number of privileges not extended to residents living in the country on the basis of a visa:

• The right to vote in federal, state and city elections, and in referenda
• The right to work in the Australian Public Service or in the Australian Defence Force
• The right to seek election to Parliament
• The right to register children born overseas as Australian citizens by descent
• The right to live in the country visa-free and cross the Australian border an unlimited number of times
• The right to contact an Australian consulate while overseas

Obligations of an Australian Citizen

An Australian passport grants the holder both privileges and obligations. You must:

• Read and comply with Australian laws
• Defend Australia in the event of a military invasion
• Do jury duty if called on to do so
• Vote

List of Documents Required to Apply for Citizenship

The full list of documents required to apply for an Australian passport depends on the grounds for its acquisition. However, these documents are definitely needed:

• Identity document and photocopy of the document
• Deed on change of name (if applicable)
• Police statement on the lack of a criminal record
• Hospital certificate that the individual does not suffer from any dangerous disease
• Documents confirming payment of all the necessary citizenship application fees 

Please note that all the documents must be translated into English by a professional translator and notarised.

Five Steps to Follow to Obtain Australian Citizenship

Step 1: Comply with the Residency Requirements in Australia

To obtain Australian citizenship, the applicant must have been living legally in the country for at least four years on a valid visa, including 12 months as a permanent resident prior to the filing of the application. In addition, the applicant must not have left Australia for more than 12 months in total during these four years. The period spent outside the country in the 12 months prior to the application date must not exceed 90 days in total.

Any time spent under investigation, serving time in prison or undergoing treatment in a psychiatric hospital is not considered when calculating the total time of an individual’s legal stay in Australia.

Step 2: Obtain Police Certificates

To apply for citizenship, anyone over the age of 16 who has lived in any country for a total of a year or more since the receipt of a permanent Australian visa or permanent residency status must collect police certificates from these countries.

Step 3: Submit the Application Form and Pay the Fee

Once you have complied with all the requirements and collected all the necessary documents, you can apply for Australian citizenship. You can do this online. You will have to pay a state fee of AUD 1,125 (USD 755) for the consideration of your application.

Step 4: Take the Citizenship Test

Most candidates for an Australian passport must attend an interview and take the citizenship test. The applicant has 45 minutes to complete the test. During this time they must give written answers to 20 questions on Australia’s history, culture and state symbols. The test requires basic knowledge of English.

An overall test score of 75% is required to pass the test. The results of the citizenship test are communicated to the applicant immediately after its completion. If you fail to pass the test the first time you take it, you can try again. You can take the test as many times as you need.

The following individuals do not have to take the test:

• Minors and anyone aged over 60 
• Individuals with severe hearing and vision impairments and speech disorders
• Individuals with mental health impairments resulting in incapacity
• Individuals born overseas to parents who have lost their Australian citizenship
• Stateless persons born in Australia

Step 5: Wait for the Minister to Consider Your Application

After meeting all the requirements, submitting the necessary documents and passing the citizenship test, your application will be considered by the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs of Australia. If no serious grounds for refusal are found, your application for an Australian passport will be approved. Within 90 days, the future citizen will be notified of the time and place of their Australian citizenship ceremony.

At this ceremony, the immigrant will recite the citizenship pledge, thereby assuming responsibility to the country and taking on new obligations and rights. Subsequently, the Minister issues a citizenship certificate to the new Australian citizen.

From then on, all previously valid Australian visas are no longer valid, but are not revoked. As a result, if the individual loses the status of an Australian citizen for some reason, previously issued visas will become valid again automatically.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on How to Obtain Australian Citizenship

Can I obtain dual citizenship in Australia?

Yes, Australia allows multiple citizenship: a country of immigrants remembers its roots. You can have dual or triple citizenship.

Are there any programmes which make it possible to obtain Australian citizenship through investments?

A number of investment programmes for foreigners in Australia make it easier to obtain a residency permit and live in the country. However, the criteria for obtaining an Australian passport through naturalisation are identical for investors.

Does marriage to an Australian citizen give me the right to become a citizen?

No, marriage with an Australian citizen does not entitle you to become an Australian citizen. A foreign spouse can only apply for Australian citizenship after meeting the residency requirements and submitting all the necessary documents. The country also recognises same-sex marriages.

Does the child of non-citizens born in Australia become a citizen of the country?
Yes, if one or both the parents have a valid visa and are living in Australia legally. Children of illegal immigrants can obtain citizenship when they turn 10 years old if they have been living in the country the whole time.

How long does it take to process an Australian citizenship application?

Usually, it takes the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs of Australia about 90 days to consider an application, but this time frame can be extended by up to six months.Is it possible to postpone the day when I recite my Australian citizenship pledge?If you cannot make the pledge on the appointed day, your citizenship ceremony can be postponed. In this case, however, you must notify the designated authorities.

In a Nutshell

Owing to the country’s high living standards, democratic freedoms and developed infrastructure, obtaining an Australian passport is definitely worth considering. Australia is rightfully considered a country of immigrants. So if you comply with several criteria, you won’t find it hard to settle in the country. The key is to comply with all the residency requirements, collect the documents you need to apply for citizenship and abide by the laws of the country.

  Cover photo: Dan Freeman (Unsplash)