CadburysFingers

Citizenship interview is looming on the horizon, are there any things we should know before attending, or is it simply an informal chat, and do we need to know everything there is to know about Australia??? Any experiences would be appreciated.

banjo

don't get worried about it as it is pretty casual. They will ask you the rights and responsibilities of being an Australian citizen - so make sure you know them. Other than that they will just check your documents and application and take your money. They may tell you then and there if you're approved and then a few days later you'll get a letter confirming it in the post, and then sit back and wait to be invited to your ceremony. May be that they organise it for Australia day as that's only around the corner.....

Bordy

You will find them here.

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/becomi...y-should-i.htm

Make sure you learn them otherwise you will be flogged then put on a boat back to England.

CadburysFingers

Thanks to both, I had heard there were allsorts of things you had to learn, so its simply knowing the list of things listed in the above link, and nothing else?

gedge

Correctamundo.
From what I've read, and from our own experience, they seem to help you along with your answers if you can atleast make an effort. I went totally blank when she asked me. She dropped a clue or two and I was off. My OH sitting beside me was able to listen and then repeat what I'd just said. Easy as.

MartinLuther

In our interview, she gave us a piece of paper with them written down.

luvit

We applied 30 June 06, had interview 31 July 06 at Australia Post - they helped me with the questions as I had an idea and then hubby just repeated me.

Have not yet any more yet - any idea how long before we should here from them?

MartinLuther

You should get a letter from Canberra within about 3 weeks to say that you've been accepted. Then you have to wait an undefined amount of time for your local council to contact you. We rang the council to find out when their ceremonies were being held which gave us a better clue on when to expect something from them. For us it took about 4 months from interview to ceremony.

gedge

We had interviews near the end of June. Letters of confirmation arrived near end of July. Ceremony invites turned up this week, and ceremony arranged for near the end of September.
Hope you get something soon.

Sandra

We (hubby and I) had our interview on the 31st July my son was on the following Friday 4th August. We linked the applications, son and I have had our approval letters - hubby has had nothing!!! They said at interview for me I was accepted and same for son. Hubby was told his police check for SA and WA was not coming back clear - I know we have not set foot in either State. We have not heard anything since. I know it is only three and a half weeks so still got fingers crossed hubby only needs extra checks because of having a popular name in those states amongst the criminal fraternity.

The questions asked at our interview were to state the four obligations and to name one of the rights as a citizen.

I reeled off the obligations easily as I remembered them as D O S E

Defend the country if required
Obey the laws
Serve on a Jury if requested
Enrol and vote at Local, federal etc elections

My hubby sitting beside me went blank when his turn came and he knew them in more detail than me - the interviewer helped out.

We were hoping for a Sydney centre ceremony but apparently it will be at our local council offices in Gordon with Lamingtons, tea and a Banksia plant given out.

Cheers

shorrock

SOunds better that ours.

We had it at Town Hall Sydney. 200 people for the ceremony. 100 went up and got the certificate, a handshake from Clover Moore then a group photo. Same again for the second 100.

We all got a plastic bag full of flyers about things to do in Sydney. That was it, we got the photo about 2 weeks later.

KS

BadgeIsBack

same here. She didn't even give me a chance to start speaking, she politely interrupted her own question and produced it.

BadgeIsBack

Good on ya, Sandra

Badge

biggy

our citizenship application was sent 21/08/2006...whats the next step? Do they contact us to arrange the interview?

luvit

Thanks - they did tell us that in the area in which we live (Redlands Brisbane) they have ceremonies every 3 months and we had just missed one but we asked if we could delay for Australia Day and they said yes just ring when we get the letter of confirmation.