The Ultimate Guide to Australian Citizenship Application

5 min readOct 30, 2023

Australia is one of the most popular countries for immigrants in the world. Thousands of migrants stay in the nation to start a new life as an Australian citizen every year. However, there are still a number of people who do not know how to apply for citizenship to the Australian government. If you are one of them, keep reading and this article will guide you through everything about how to become an Australian citizen.

Procedure for Australian Citizenship Application

Before commencing with the citizenship application, you need to know about the specific steps of its whole procedure.

Confirm whether you meet the requirements for Australian citizenship.
Gather all the required documents.
Pay the application fee.
Submit the application.
Complete your interview and citizenship test.
Wait for your notification on your citizenship approval or denial.
Attend the citizenship ceremony if your application is approved.

Eligibility Requirements for Obtaining Australian Citizenship

When you are planning to apply for Australian citizenship, make sure you meet all the requirements below:

Your age must be over 16 years old.
You must be the holder of a valid Australian permanent resident permit.
You must have lived in Australia for four continuous years including 12 months as a permanent resident.
You must demonstrate good character.
You should have adequate knowledge of your privileges and responsibilities as an Australian citizen.
You should be likely to stay or keep staying in Australia or maintain a close association with it.

Besides, there are other ways of being eligible for Australian citizenship, which are as follows:

You are born in Australia to a citizen or a permanent resident.
One of your parents is an Australian citizen, and if his or her child is born in another country, he or she can be registered for Australian citizenship by descent.
You get married to an Australian citizen.

Documents Required for Australian Citizenship Application

If you confirm that you qualify for an Australian citizenship application, it is time for you to collect all the documents needed for the citizenship application. Generally, they include:

A passport-size photo.
Your valid passport.
Your birth certificate on which your parents’ details are shown clearly.
An identity declaration signed by an authorized Australian citizen.
A police certificate that proves you do not have any criminal record in Australia.
Proof of any name changes if you once changed it.

In some cases, you may need to provide additional documents, such as proof of your relationship with any children included in the application. To determine what documents you actually need to prepare, please check with the official website of the Department of Home Affairs. Note that all the support documents should include a translation if they are not in English and they should be translated by a NAATI translator. In addition, if you are going to apply online, you must scan all the above documents (English and non-English) in color.

Online Application and Submission

You can make the application and submit the documents after preparing all of them well. Now the application and submission are usually done online. Please follow the below steps:

Create or log into your ImmiAccount on the website of the Department of Home Affairs.
Click on the “New Application” option and select the application from the list.
Fill out the application form and attach any required documents.
Read and agree to the terms and conditions.
Select “Save” if you cannot finish your application at once.
Submit your application when you confirm it is accomplished.

If you would like to apply on paper, please see the official guide.

Australian Citizenship Test

All applicants must participate in and pass the Australian citizenship test. But the test is exempted for people with special circumstances (eg. over 60, under 18, or suffering from loss of sight/ hearing/ speech or other specific impairments). In the test, you must show:

A basic knowledge of the English language.
An understanding of Australia’s values, traditions, history, and national symbols.
Sufficient knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

You must score at least 75% to pass the test. In general, each applicant will have three chances to pass the citizenship test. If the applicant has steadily improved his or her scores on the three tests, he or she will have the opportunity to take an additional test. However, if the applicant fails to become an Australian citizen because he or she does not pass the test, he or she will have to re-submit the application to obtain citizenship.

Australian Citizenship Processing Time

Generally speaking, the processing time can be about three to fifteen months from the day you submit your application.

Cost of Australian Citizenship

The cost of Australian citizenship depends on the type you are applying for whether by conferral or by descent, ranging from $315 to $490. In addition, it is also based on whether your family is included in the application.

Possible Reasons Why Your Application Was Rejected

The rejection of someone’s Australian citizenship application is probably because:

The applicant’s identity cannot be reliably determined.
The applicant is likely to pose a risk to the country’s national security.
The applicant fails to qualify for the residency requirements.
It is found that the applicant is not of good character.
The applicant faces a pending criminal case.
The applicant has renounced his or her Australian citizenship within the past 12 months (unless at risk of becoming stateless).

It should be noted that you are allowed to file an appeal at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal within the timeframe stated in the denial letter even if your citizenship application is rejected for one of the above reasons.

Citizenship Ceremony in Australia

If your application is approved, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony. This is the last but still critical step in the process of application. Notice that you are not really an Australian citizen until you have completed your citizenship ceremony because the Australian citizenship certificate is granted at the ceremony.

Your ceremony will be held normally within six months of your application approval. During the event, you should take an Australian citizenship pledge to show you accept the responsibilities and privileges of an Australian citizen.

Conclusion

It is actually not too difficult or complex to obtain Australian citizenship as long as you follow the guidelines and the government regulations. Besides this article, to ensure your application approval, it is recommended to check out all the relevant information available at the official sites of the immigration department before you begin applying.

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