kips

When you apply for Australian citizenship the application form asks you to sign a declaration which states: "I declare that I intend to reside or continue to reside in Australia or maintain a close and continuing association with Australia".

Time and time again I have read posts on here from people who state they are staying in Australia just long enough to get their citizenship and then intend to return to Britain.

I presume in many cases this means selling your house, closing your bank account and taking all your worldly goods with you.

My question to these people is how will you abide by the above declaration you sign when you apply for citizenship if you have no intention of living in Australia after gaining citizenship ?

A warning on the form above the declaration before you sign states: "It is an offence under section 50 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 to deliberately make, or cause to make, a false or misleading statement, or conceal circumstances in relation to an application."

As other posts on this forum have shown the government can bring in new rules without warning or consultation eg WA to charge 457 visa holders school fees and the changes to the rules on the Fringe Benefits Tax.

It wouldn't surprise me if the government suddenly decides to change the citizenship rules to ensure people have to prove they intend to maintain ties with Australia after being granted citizenship to plug this loophole.

I can understand people may have to return to their native country after acquiring citizenship for circumstances beyond their control eg death of a family member or breakdown of a relationship but it seems to me too many people are abusing the citizenship process.

A couple I know,who lived here for 8 years, spent the last 12 months slagging off Australia every opportunity they got but stayed long enough to get their citizenship and have gone back to Wales. Their constant criticisms of Australia became very tiresome.

They took everything with them and as far as I know have nothing to show they are maintaining "a close and continuing association with Australia". Talk about being hypocritical.

chris955

We got Australian citizenship many years ago to make it easier to travel, we have both passports and can come and go as we please. I really dont think many read the small print with this stuff, it is just convenient to have dual nationality.

Pollyana

A lot of people go through with it to make it easier for families to keep in touch - eg parents bring child to Aus, child marries and has children here, parents go home - parents getting citizenship before leaving makes perfect sense to me, allows the family to visit easily.

How on earth DIAC could police anything insisting that people stay forever if they get citizenship I have no idea!

chris955

It would be impossible, the small print and conditions are meaningless.

Pollyana

Exactly. Its like the people who enter countries (not necessarily Australia) with the intent to leave again at the end of their holiday. If they get married and apply to stay, how do you prove what their intent really was when they entered?

Alfresco

If everyone stayed then immigration would be even more restricted and awesome people like me may have had a lesser chance of coming here.

I intend to stay here until I die.

Bernieboy

Free sausage sizzle every day

carolinephillips

But the parents in this case are not "cheating" as they still have strong ties to Australia because their daughter and grandchildren are still here.

Beoz

To the best of my knowledge you can't predict the future. If someone attains Citizenship through length of the service then how do they know where they may live in the world in the future.

There are plenty of Aussies who stick out the time in the UK, attain citizenship and then return to Australia.

The only way to prevent such a thing is to prevent dual nationality ...... Hello Holland.

At the end of the day what defines citizenship? At present in both the UK and Australia it's length of service. Does it need to be over-complicated and be anything more than that?

Geordie George

Hypocritical people abusing the citizenship system - shocking. So, assuming you have no intention to return to the UK, OP, when are you planning on renouncing your British citizenship? Or is that different? People hold multiple citizenships because they can and it gives them options. How are you any different to those you judge?

Zen10

The key word in the above declaration is "intend". It is impossible to extrapolate anything from an intention as one can change so easily.

Amazulu

Any changes to citizenship requirements would require at least an act of Federal Parliament - completely different to what WA is doing with these 457 changes. Any changes would not be taken lightly - the previous PM was not born in Australia

Agree that it can be, at times, hypocritical but this is not confined just it Australia/UK - happens all over the world

People slagging off a country that they live in is pretty normal - just look at all the whinging poms on here!

Don't worry about it

Zen10

And neither will the next one be if the Coalition wins.

TheEmperorIsNaked

This is worth a response!

In my view the OP makes a valid point. It is common today to take out Auscitz before returning to Britain, and not out of patriotism.

The Sunday prog featured a family last year who swore allegiance to Aus and then flew back to the UK 10 days later! (What a beat up that story was for other reasons!).
They did it to keep their options open, as do most of them nowadays.

The thing is, irrespective of the legal small print, I don't think the AusGov gives one damn! They know full well what is going on, and I suspect see it as par for the course, because many of those folks will return to Aus.
So they get the ebb and flow of a populace.

I haven't done it, because there is no need. I was never Australian, it was not my intent; it just happened. For me personally, it would be hypocritical to take out Auscitz. It was never an option.

Beoz

It does help if you commit a very serious crime and want to avoid deportation.