Four-year wait to be Australian

September 15, 2006 01:00am

MIGRANTS will have to wait at least four years before becoming Australian citizens under a Federal Government proposal expected to be announced today.

They will have also have to take an English language test - and failure would stop them becoming Australian citizens.

The measures are expected to be listed in a discussion paper to be released by Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration Andrew Robb.

Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday the English language requirements feature "prominently" in the package.

"I am keen on everybody learning the English language as soon as possible," he said. "It is absolutely essential."

It is understood the proposals also include an increase in the waiting period for people to become citizens from three years to four years.

The requirement was last year raised from two to three years in an attempt to contain the home-grown terror threat. At that time, then citizenship minister John Cobb said the longer migrants spent in Australian society before gaining citizenship, the less vulnerable they were to "falling in with extreme groups".

He said the extra time would allow migrants to "get a job, make mates and go to the pub".

A government source yesterday told The Daily Telegraph there had been high-level discussions about upping the eligibility requirements from three to four or even five years.

He said there was likely to be public consultation but there would be a short time-frame for people to voice their concerns.

Mr Robb has been working on the proposal since April, when he said knowing the date of the Melbourne Cup was a cultural value that everyone hoping to become an Australian citizen should know.

The English language component was flagged by the Prime Minister as he called on all Muslims to learn English to better integrate into society.

"Integrating means accepting Australian values, it means learning as rapidly as you can the English language if you don't already speak it," Mr Howard said.

His comments won support from several prominent Muslim leaders and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Currently, all permanent skilled migrants must have vocational English, but there are exemptions for areas of acute skills shortages and temporary migrants.

Skilled migrants - who make up about 70 per cent of all immigration - are all tested before being granted a visa. The remaining 30 per cent, generally refugees, family reunion or family members of skilled migrants, have no English requirement.

They are being offered taxpayer-funded English courses but only 62 per cent turned up for classes in the past year.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20414432-2,00.html

See thread below by 'spalen'

Sounds fair enough to me.

I would have had to wait 4 years to become a British citizen, if it wasn't for the fact that my father was English.

Fortunately, I was able to claim British citizenship by descent.

I'm constantly ranting here about people who've been in this country for 10 years but still need interpreters. I lived in France for 10 years and it never crossed my mind not to learn the language...isn't that the most basic requirement for integrating?

Of course I'm trying to learn strine now before I go...

Absolutely.

Good luck with that.

Is he gonna make the Aboriginals learn English? They don't seem to want to intergrate either.
It's a damn shame that all immigrants to this country won't conform to the English immigrants isn't it.
J

I have sent a fax to Amanda Vanstone today (copied to the Australian!) about this because there are 3 difficulties.
1. The changes will in effect be retrospective as the DIMIA website says "The changes will affect all applications for australian citizenship made on and after the date the new legislation commences". therefore even though the legislation said 2 years when I arrived in the country, when that 2 years is up and I try and be a citizen it will be 3 or even 4 years.
2. This means my son can't apply for a HECS loan for his university fees for another 2 or 3 years as you have to be a citizen. As a PR Visa holder he (i.e., us) has to pay his fees up front and without a discount.
3. More and more people will be forced to apply for Residents Return visas if they need to leave the country. The department concerned will be swamped.

If anyone feels as strongly as me about this they might want to fax her as well. The number is 02 6273 4144

she might ignore one little fax from me, but if she gets 10, 20 or 30 faxes - well

I think 6 years would be more appropriate. NZ with a 5 year limit is on the right track.

.

You can't be serious?

Troll alret!

Absolutley
someones stirring methinks

Why are the English so afraid of protecting their culture.

It was so rich and powerful for many centuries – now look at it. What a joke! One can hardly recognise it.

Who's going to be the first one to bite?

I am not sure I quite understand the impact this may have on me.

I spoke with the dimia office 3 days ago and made an appointment to take in our application and have the interview at the same time - on the 10 October - are you saying that I may now have to wait another 2 years before becoming eligible?

It will have to go through parliament to become law so if your interview is coming up I can't see this legislation rushed through. I reckon you'll be OK. In fact I reckon it's all bluff and bluster, if it does happen it won't be for a while.

Jeez vash I didnt know you were half pom