LondonNurse

Hi,

I'm considering applying for PR in the next 2 years. I was just wondering if I did get PR would I still have my UK passport / dual citizenship. And could I come back to the UK and work for a few months and then go back to Oz and work again?

I'm just thinking ahead because I'll probably have to return to the UK for brief stints to help my sister when she starts popping the babies out!

Cheers,

Siobhan.

Chris000

Hi,
As far as I understand you have to stay here for two years to get citizenship, if you go back to the UK within the first two years then the clock would stop and your two years would start over again when you came back to Aus.
Dual citizenship isnt an issue (I think), you just keep your UK passport up to date.

Chris.

Birdey

Hi Siobhan,
As far as I can remember the way it works is roughly... you have to spend apx 2 out of 5 years in OZ and can then apply for citizenship, if you did the cermony then you get an Oz passport as well as your UK and use one to enter the UK and another to enter Oz. If you dont do the citizenship theing, then you remain on UK passport on PR visa and can come and go as you please.
Hope this helps, oh dont forget if you are in Oz when you apply for PR then you have to leave and re-enter the country to validate the visa within specified time frame.

LondonNurse

Does the 2 out of 5 years have to be constant? Or can I come and go as much as I want as long as at the end of the 5 years I've spent the equivalent of 2 years in Australia?

I'm really confused...

ptlabs

No, that's not right.

To qualify for Oz citizenship, a permanent resident has to satisfy these conditions, among others:

1. Have been a resident in Australia on a permanent visa for at least 2 out of the 5 years immediately before applying

and, on top of that

2. Have been a resident in Australia on a permanent visa for at least 1 out of the 2 years immediately before applying


Your 2-year clock doesn't reset once you leave Australia. It is simply suspended.

Peter

ptlabs

This might make things clearer:
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/how.htm#step1


Peter

Stan J

Also know that if you got PR (in the sense of a Migrant's Multiple Re Entry Visa) you could arrive in Australia and then head back to the UK work for a few months before returning to Oz. At that stage you do not have Dual Citizenship you would have UK/EU citizenship with an Aussie Visa in your UK/EU passport allowing you re-entry to Oz within a given time frame.

That process of arriving in Oz then heading back to the UK before migrating to Oz down the track is often called 'validating your visa'. Folk sometimes do this because the original Migrant's PR Visa has a shorter time period for 'initial entry into Oz' than it has for 'subsequent re-entry'.

Until YOU CHOOSE to apply for Australian citizenship (having lived in Oz two out of the past five years at the time you make such an application AND twelve of the past twenty four months), you need to ensure that before you leave australia you have a valid re-entry visa (that's a Residents Return Visa).

The smart thing to do once you arrive in Oz properly (whether or not you have make an initial short visit to 'validate your visa') is to come to Australia and live in Australia for two years minimum. By doing that it triggers your opportunity to either

1) Apply for Citizenship
2) Apply for a 5 Year RRV