From Wiki

Contents 1 ADVANTAGES 2 DISADVANTAGES 3 OBLIGATIONS 4 NOT IMPACTED

[edit] ADVANTAGES

• Voting
  

Your chance to participate in Australia's future.

• Retaining residency and avoiding deportation

Becoming a citizen is the only way to guarantee you have the right to remain in Australia. PRs are at risk of losing their status if they spend long periods of time outside the Australia or commit certain crimes. The citizenship of a naturalised Australian citizen cannot be revoked for any crime committed after becoming a citizen.

• Bureaucracy
  

You no longer have to obtain a Resident Return Visa every five years (cost A$240 at October 2008) to prove your continuing right to remain in and re-enter Australia.

• Education costs
  

As a general rule, only Australian citizens are eligible for deferral of university or other tertiary fees (or a discount for up-front payment).

• Immigration for family members
  

As at October 2008, there is no significant preference for citizens over settled permanent residents in the sponsorship process. However, there were some significant differences up to the late 1990s and these could be reintroduced.

One difference which does persist is that Australian citizens can sponsor spouses for migration while living outside Australia. Under the law, permanent residents are expected normally to be "usually resident" in Australia.

• Running for political office
  

Many types of elected positions require the officeholder to be an Australian citizen. Note that you cannot stand for the Federal Parliament as a dual citizen unless you have made all reasonable attempts to divest yourself of that other citizenship.

• Federal jobs
  

Most federal government jobs, require the applicant to be an Australian citizen.

If a security clearance is needed, with citizenship you can have a higher level, but don't forget that having ties to the UK via friends, family, property etc might still limit the level of clearance you may gain.

• Australian Passport
  

As an Australian citizen you are entitled to an Australian passport (which may have better visa-free travel) and to consular protection from Australian missions overseas. However, Australian consular protection is not normally available in any other country of which you are a citizen.

• Citizenship for non-Australia born children
  

As a naturalised Australian you will be able to register children born to you outside Australia (born after you become a citizen) as Australian citizens by descent.

• Treaty Rights
  

An Australian passport gives full residence rights in New Zealand. PRs also have this right but exercising it may cause complications with losing rights to return to Australia. Also, the right to live in NZ could easily be removed for Australian permanent residents.

Australian citizens with professional occupations have simplified access to work in the United States (E-3 visa).

• Entering Australia

You may use the Australian Passport holders and their families entry channel at Australian ports of entry.

• Adoption

If you want to adopt a child in Australia, some states/territories require that at least one (or both) adoptive parents is an Australian citizen.

[edit] DISADVANTAGES

• Dual citizenship
  

Citizens of some countries may lose their existing citizenship upon becoming Australian citizens, which may or may not be a problem. British citizens do not lose citizenship upon becoming Australian. Some holders of other kinds of British nationality may encounter issues.

• Consular Protection
  

If you keep your former nationality, the Embassy of your home country will no longer be able to intervene on your behalf with the Australian authorities (since they can't get you out of jail anyway, this is a limited benefit).

[edit] OBLIGATIONS

• Australian Passport

Australian citizens cannot hold any kind of visa under the Migration Act, even if you have a visa stamp that is purportedly valid. You must as a rule enter Australia on an Australian passport. There is the option of an Australian Declaratory Visa for certain Australian citizens to use a foreign passport.

• Jury Duty
  

You are obliged to serve on a jury, if called upon.

• Compulsory Voting

Australian citizens resident in Australia must enrol to vote and vote at all elections. Those resident overseas do not need to enrol (and in many cases, cannot do so).

• Defence of Australia

There is currently no military conscription in Australia. Should it be reintroduced, Australian citizens are obliged to "defend Australia, should the need arise." Bear in mind that in that circumstance, permanent residents could also be obliged to serve.

[edit] NOT IMPACTED

The following are generally not impacted by becoming an Australian citizen, if one is already a permanent resident:

• Tax

There is no impact on your Australian tax obligations, under current law. (New Zealand citizens becoming Australian citizens will n longer be able to access temporary resident tax concessions, permanent residents cannot do so anyway).

• Superannuation

Permanent residents are not allowed to withdraw superannuation on leaving Australia, so becoming a citizen makes no difference.

• British pensions

Becoming an Australian citizen does not in itself' impact the ability of a permanent resident to access British pension entitlements.