Slater

After we get our PR visa what is the criteria required to obtain Australian Citizenship with an Aussie passport? Does anyone know, and does leaving Australia for long holidays etc. in the first 2 years affect this? Appreciate any info.

Regards

Slater

ohsohopeful

I believe you need to have stayed onshore for a period of 2 years out of the 5 in order to quality for citizenship.

PeteY

Don't you need to change your name to Bruce or Charlene too ?

PeteY

And yes.....its 2 out of the past 5 years

Badge

and they count it by the DAY....

I plan on being first in the queue after 2 years...they'll be no stopping me.

"thank you very much"

Pollyana

Get in the queue badgers, I might make it just before you!
First one to the passport buys the beer!!!

PeteY

When do you guys move?

Im going out on 30th november......will i beat ya both to the ickle blue book?



I take it i can retain my brit passport? No way im giving the red book up....

Pollyana

I arrive November 2nd!
However, as I can't start counting until after the scary event of the Wedding - and thats in January, & then I have to wait to get PR after that, so even though i'll be there first you two ought to beat me to the passport. I shall just sit back and enjoy the beer!

And no, you don't have to give up the red one, you just get a blue one to go with it.

Badge

It'll be bizarre having 2 passports!! - I'll keep the UK one for tourist trips where us Brits get entry and for Eurozone. I wonder if you get a set of steak knives or a alarm clock radio as well!! Got to learn aussie anthem:

I went to lots of Rotary Meetings with my cousin and I was embarassed to not know beyond the first 2 lines and the occasional word...

well : what with probs with my flat sell - too boring and stressful to share on expats - could be as late as next year......

or if things went perfectly - next month!!!

badgers

Pollyana

While I'm ashamed to admit that I only know the words to the first verse of the English National Anthem, I know all the words to Advance Australia Fair - which I'm told is more than a lot of Aussies do?
and if you meant the alternative anthem, I know Waltzing Matilda as well!

I was hoping that would give out a free cuddly toy with the new passport? What do you think the chances are?!!

tinaj

I heard they give you a free stuffed Kanga!! Or was it a Koala?

I won't beat you to it, but we will be taking over the queue with our clan once the 2 years are up. Hopefully we won't be desparate to come back after we have it!

That is if I ever actually get a viewer for my house. 3 weeks and the agents haven't sent 1 person round yet - what is going on?

ptlabs

Pollyana,

If you are arriving on a fiancee visa and get married, you will be granted a spouse (provisional) visa which is a temporary visa for 2 years. The time you spend on your spouse (provisional) visa does not count for time clocked towards your citizenship application as it's not on a permanent visa. So you're looking at potentially a minumum of 2 years on the provisional visa and another 2 on the permanent spouse visa. That's not including time spent on your fiancee visa (also not counted) and any travelling time outside of Australia.


Peter

Gavin B

Wasn't planning to get citizenship because I thought it meant you lost your British one. Can you hold two passports? I thought some ruling was brought in last year...

Pollyana

Yes, thanks for clarifying that Peter, I know I can't count the time on the temp visa, thats why I said I have to wait to get PR. but I guess I wasn't very clear, was I! I had to type it fast as the boss was approaching!
Hopefully I shall only spend a few weeks over the whole five years outside of Oz - I shall visit the UK, but not for long.

I'd be grateful if you could clarify something else for me though - once I have the temporary visa (stage 2), do I then have to apply off my own bat for the third stage (PR) or do "they" contact me when I've bene in Oz long enough? Also, I heard somewhere that in certain circumstances you don't have to wait the full 2 years after the marriage to get PR? Is that right, and if so what are the circumstances?

Slater

So, if we arrive say Ist November this year, we can apply for Citizenship after Ist November 2005, if we have spent say 4 weeks outside Australia during that time just add makes 29th November 2005?

Slater