Alex997_99

Thanks! Hope you get yours pretty soon.

freckles1970

Just wondering if someone may be able to offer some advice in relation to applying or citizenship.

My PR was issued in 2007 when I validated, but I didn't finally move out until October 2009.

As the issue of my visa was over 5 years ago, I would need to apply for a re-entry visa if I wished to travel overseas.

I believe I am entitled to apply for my citizenship in October when I have been here for 4 years.

My quandary is this.....I am going home for a month to the UK at Xmas. Can I apply for my citizenship early to make sure I have a passport sorted, or do you think I will need to pay for the re-entry visa ($600) and apply for the citizenship in october and just keep my fingers crossed that it comes through quickly?

Pollyana

You can't apply for citizenship until you are eligible for it, which is probably October, judging by what you have posted. Its possible that it might be sorted by Christmas, but I doubt it very much. Might be as well to just sort out a RRV for this trip and then look at getting citizenship next year.

freckles1970

Many thanks for the advice!

Any idea how long a re-entry visa takes to process? I guess I would hope to apply late November with the hope that my citizenship may have come in beforehand

old.sparkles

I've read recently of someone getting an RRV in a couple of weeks

roaringmouse

You might already be eligible to apply for citizenship, depending on any absences from Australia since you moved in October 2009.

If you have not spent any time outside of Australia from October 2009, you would have been eligible in October 2012. This is because when you moved, you had already validated your visa - the year outside Australia (on a validated visa) before you moved in 2009 can be taken as an allowable absence.

If you've spent time outside Australia since October 2009, when you can apply for citizenship would be different and dependent on how much time you've been outside Australia, and when (in particular reference to the year immediately prior to application).

freckles1970

I would love for that to be the case, but it was longer than a year after validation that I arrived.

I validated in April 2007 and then returned home. I moved over permanently in October 2009. I have only left Australia once since then for a 3 week holiday in 2012.

Do you still think I may be eligible to apply now.i have tried to call the immigration helpline so many times to query, but after several occasions of being on hold for hours, I have up!

roaringmouse

Makes no difference - in your case, the year immediately prior to your move can count as allowable absence. In that case it sounds like you have been eligible since 3 weeks after the 3 year anniversary of your move. So for example, if you arrived in Australia on 10 October 2009, you have been eligible to apply for citizenship since around 31 October 2012.

roaringmouse

Sorry - I've just noticed the earliest the dropdown for absences on the citizenship calculator is 2009, so that won't work for you. However, look at the Citizenship Instructions. There is an example at the top of Page 55 that you should read.

Pollyana

You can't apply for citizenship till you are eligible. It'll then be a couple of weeks at least before they contact you with a test date, then you need to do the test, another cuple of weeks while your details are passed to the local council, and then you have to wait for a ceremony. So thats why I feel you are unlikely to get citizenship and then a passport in time for the trip.

roaringmouse

It looks like she is eligible already, and has been since last Oct/Nov. Applying as soon as possible should hopefully give enough time - not guaranteed, but applications in Sydney seem to be moving fairly fast at the moment.

Pollyana

then, might be lucky.....

carolinephillips

Applications and tests in Sydney are fast, but it is waiting for the ceremony date that is taking forever. I'm still waiting for mine - took the test in Feb!!

Aarav

I got mine in 2 months 11 days.
Applied on: 10/04/13
Test date: 17/05/13
Approved: 21/05/13
Ceremony: 21/06/13.
It's in a regional area in Qld.

freckles1970

Thank you also much for your advice! I think I will take my chances and put an application in. I will send off for the UK police check now to speed things up a bit.