JAJ

Minister Hardgrave has just announced a range of intended reforms to the Citizenship Act. Changes include the following:

- relief for people born overseas to former Australian citizens
- removal of the age limit for registration as an Australian citizen by descent
- extension of resumption provisions to many people who renounced Aus citizenship to retain another (this was a particular problem with the Maltese Australians, before Malta changed its laws in February 2000).
- more flexibility on the residence requirement where there is previous residence on a temp visa in Australia

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/cam/...a04/h04128.htm

We'll need to see the draft Bill to know the exact scope, and with an election coming up there's always the chance it may have to be re-introduced later on. However, with Opposition support likely, the chances of the legislation passing are good.

Jeremy

bondipom

For me interesting about the potential to count temp residence. How are activities beneficial to Australia defined? I guess being an IT support type does not count.

JayDeee

I have just read all that and I just want someone else to confirm that my understanding is correct

I am on a spouse temp visa so I curently can not get PR until I have been on temp via for 2 years then I have PR for 2 years then I can apply for citizenship.

If I am reading this correct and this bill gets passes some of or all of the time requirements may be scrapped, Ie I could apply for citizenship straight away???

Am I getting this right??

Cheers
Kala

debsy

JAJ
I read it as 12 months before a PR qualifies for citizenships. Is that correct?

JAJ

My understanding - and we'll have to see the legislation to be sure - is that in some cases, it will be possible to apply for citizenship 12 months after PR (rather than 2 years) if you have previously been on a temporary visa in Australia.

Jeremy

JayDeee

Thanks Jeremy, that'll teach me to read important things after a few drinks!!

Kala

CHnJ

Is a WHV counted as a temporary visa?

hevs

you wish

Marakai

Heh, MY wish is that they count holiday visas and ETAs.

I could apply for citizenship 4 months earlier then (yeah, that's about the amount of time I've spent here already over the years...)

Mike

bondipom

I read it as 12 months on a temp visa with activity benefiting Oz. Typical of this department to release stuff that might sound good without working out the details.

If 12 months on a provisional spouse visa will count then I could go skip in December or on Oz day. My WHV days were more then 5 years ago but a WHV is still a temp visa.

bondipom

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...000229669.html

It will also become easier for spouses of Australian citizens to obtain citizenship, with the introduction of a new "spouse-specific residence discretion".

This meant the requirement that non-Australian spouses live in Australia could be waived, making life easier for couples who spent long periods working overseas.

Mr Hardgrave said the Government's policy that spouses of Australians had to show they were developing and maintaining "close and continuing ties with Australia" could be achieved without actually living in the country.

"This policy objective can be achieved through the applicant's relationships with their Australian citizen spouse, children and extended family, and through return visits to Australia," Mr Hardgrave said.

JAJ

They are unlikely to count holidays, ETAs and working holiday visas.

Normal 'windows' will still apply, ie 2 years in the 5 before application, including 12 months in the 2 years before application.

The details on what precisely they will do for spouses (other than the temp residence discretion already mentioned) are not clear at this stage. We'll have to see what policies underly the application of the spousal residence discretion.

Jeremy