Citizenship Question
 

Hi,

Going through the motions to become a Aussie citizen, question as follows:-

Can I request what date and where we want the ceremony? I only ask as we would quite like to make a big deal of it and head down to Canberra for the weekend and do it all there on Australia Day 2010.

Can you place requests once you sit the test or do you just have to take what you are given...?

Let me know if I have to write to Kevin and I'll get my best writing paper.

Cheers
S

Re: Citizenship Question
 

Normally they expect you to attend a ceremony in your local council area. You can ask about alternatives, but they may say no.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

I don't ever remember having the opportunity to specify a ceremony - there is a field on the form I think where you specify your local council & if there is anyone else you wish to attend the ceremony with.

I would say that if you are in the process of applying now, you are likely to be offered a ceremony before next Aus day - you don't have to go mind you. However if you can get the Aus day ceremony in Sydney I'm sure it will be a fairly large 'big deal' event.

Some of us on here attended the Aus day ceremony in Brisbane this year and it was a really great event - big band, aborignal dancers, choir, mayor of Brisbane & premier of Qld speaking, confetti cannons......the works! There were 535 people taking the pledge that day.....I would imagine something similar happens in Sydney?? Mind you maybe not as Brisbane is a very large council....you probably have a lot of smaller councils in Sydney.....oh I dunno!

Re: Citizenship Question
 

Does anyone know how many citizenship cermeonies Brisbane City Council holds each year and when they are, aside from Australia Day?

Re: Citizenship Question
 

You'll have more luck finding the holy grail than getting an answer to this question!

I am told that Brisbane is fairly unique in that the BCC doesn't actually organise the citz. ceremonies, in fact DIAC does this in Brisbane. After playing telephone tennis between BCC and DIAC that's what I eventually found out anyway.

If you are waiting for a ceremony I do have a number of someone who organises ceremonies you can call in the Brisbane DIAC office. The ceremonies don't happen very often....I think the one prior to Aus day happened in Nov and before that, no idea.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

Cool. So maybe just put "Canberra" in my local council. Job done?

If anyone had their ceremony on Aust day this year can they give me a timeline so we know when to sit the test etc.....

Good advice guys, thanks a lot!

cheers!

Re: Citizenship Question
 

I was eligible to apply on Sep 18th. Called up DIAC to ask about the test in July and the next available appointment was just after my eligibility date. Sat the test and submitted the docs in the office on the same day, which was a very straightforward process - received almost immediate notification of successful application. Then didn't hear anything about the ceremony for about 3.5 months....ceremony was a few weeks later on Aus day.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

My eligible date is around 12 Spetember so looks like my timing will be similar. Much as I look froward to having the ceremony on Australia Day I was hoping to have it earlier. My wife is at Uni and, as PR, we are paying up-front. Once she gets citzenship she will be able to access HECS, looks that will be in time for 2nd Semester of 2010.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

No, you can't put Canberra as your local council. You have to show identification at your test which has your address on it. If you live in Sydney for instance you can't say you live in Melbourne.
We asked about having our ceremony in Adelaide with friends while living in Perth and were told by the lovely lady on the other end of the phone on the citizenship line that while we could request it when we put in our applications it was unlikely.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

So when you get accpeted for citizenship having completed the forms, it is the case that you do not have to attend the cermony but just get the certificate sent in the post? That would suit me...

Re: Citizenship Question
 

No....you must take the pledge.....therefore you must attend some sort of ceremony.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

Ok thanks. Guess I'll have to do it then, since it does't interest me one bit. But if that is what it takes to avoid having to reapply every 5 years for PR, then so be it. Thanks...

Re: Citizenship Question
 

You can't re-apply for PR every 5 years regardless. You would need to apply for a 5-year RRV (which would expire after 5 years).

Interesting attitude.

Re: Citizenship Question
 

Thanks - RRV is what I meant.

To me, being a citizen is about how you behave. A cermony means nothing to me, and I am and will always be English. The fact that I am citizen of another country as well is irrelevant since I'm intelligent and responsible enough to be a citzien without needing a ceremony, at taxpayers or someone's expense, to make me an Australian.

I am what I am - a ceremony to me is a waste of time. Other love it and that is fair, but I was English and never needed a ceremony, so now I'm gornw up and mature, why should it be any different?

Just an opinion...

Re: Citizenship Question
 

Any chance I can have the number to chase ours

cheers
Martin