TraceyW

Just to let you know not to make the same mistake I have......

When you become an Australian citizen your P.R visa is cancelled. You must have an Australian passport to leave or enter Australia!

Hence, I am having to make an emergency dash to the passport office in Perth this arvo to get my Aussie passport because I thought I could still travel on my UK one.

lorids

Hi Tracey

Where did you find this info out? My children all have Australian passports as their Dad is from here as well as UK ones. We fly home in 13days!!!!! and I have just realised my daughter's Australian passport has expired, her UK one is OK. I can't remember what we usually do when travelling back and forward but I am now a bit worried as she has obviously has no visa in her UK one!!

Can you or anyone else shed any light?...don't know if i can bear the 20 switchboards to find out from immigration!
thanks

JAJ

Nothing to do with "immigration" as the children are Australian citizens.

Australian passports are the responsibility of Passports Australia and there is a priority processing service:
https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/PriorityProcFee.aspx

As you suggest the children are Australian by descent, how long have they spent in Australia so far? The answer will determine whether they can later on pass on their own Australian citizenship a generation further.

TraceyW

I've been down to the city to get my passport done on a priority thingo today because the woman at the passport office told me as I am now an Aussie citizen I must travel in and out of Aus on an Aussie passport. Coming back in on my British one, even with my citizenship papers, could cause severe delays at customs.

Lorids, because you are leaving and not returning, your daughter won't need a visa, you only need one of those when entering Aus. The kids will need a passport though.

lorids

Sorry to JAJ and you I probably haven't made it clear. Basically need to know can my daughter travel back to UK on Uk passport only as her Aussie one has expired or will I need to renew before leaving?

JAJ..daughter only 10 years so can fight her own citizenship/descent battles when she is older...I am done in! Thanks for replying though..who knows where they will all end up.

TraceyW

I'm confused.....how can she have an Aussie passport that's expired if she's not a citizen (if she's got to fight her own citizenship battles when she's older). ??

I've been told by peeps on here that they travel in and out of Aus using their UK passport and they're Aus citizens, so I'm completely confused what the policy is!!

lorids

She has dual nationality as her dad is a Perthite and I am UK. Came in on her Aussie passport which has now expired and will be renewed but I need to know whether it needs renewed before we travel back home. I assumed she could return solely on her UK one but your situation seemed to contradict that. Regarding citizenship, I was referring to JAJ's advice regarding whether her children etc could get Aus citizenship..that is her battle!

Gee it's confusing

Fleaflyfloflum

Well this is all very odd. I have both British and Aussie passport but only used my Brit one when i left and my Aussie one when i returned

lorids

i think it depends who is checking passports. My OH has dual nationality and only once has been challenged returning to UK using his UK passport as he did not have an initial entry visa in it for Oz. He just showed them his Aus passport (I think that was all!!)..and they were fine. I think it will be OK but as Tracey says it can cause confusion and time delays.

JAJ

It is her battle - but if she hasn't clocked up the 2 years yet, then you should at least make sure she knows about it when she is older. Maybe she could study in Australia or go there on a working holiday to clock up the rest of the necessary time?

It's also important to keep records of the time she has already spent in Australia - don't rely on DIAC records.

lorids

What is two year ruling? Thanks for replying...a long way off before she has children (I hope!!) but knowing the logistics would be good.

JAJ

If she is an Australian citizen by descent then she cannot register her own children (if born outside Australia) as Australian citizens by descent unless she has clocked up at least 2 years (total time, not necessarily continuous) legally in Australia.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/118.pdf

Top left of first page, third bullet point.

A lot of Australians by descent only find out about this at a later stage in life. she ought at least to know about it earlier

lorids

Thanks JAJ didn't realise that. I will keep a record as you say of the childrens residency and visits as we go along. Many thanks again.

TraceyW

Well, people have told me that, and you're another on. So, I'm not going out and buying Aus passports for the OH and kids, they shall return to UK on their British ones. To test this, I will take both my passports with me and leave Perth on my British one to see if they say anything.

lorids

Quite right I am sure you'll be fine. I am not bothering with my daughter's Aus passport as we won't be back in a hurry!..so can sort it out back home..enough going on at the moment..house full of packers...it's greaaaat!!