RosiePeach1981

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me as I have a situation with my permanent residency, British passport & potential application for Citizenship!

Here's what has happened:

- My PR label in my British Passport expires on 16/02/2013
- My British Passport is still in my maiden name as I haven't bothered to change it since we got married in 2011
- I want to apply for Australian Citizenship and am eligible to do so but I want to apply using my married name

My questions are these:-

- Do I need to change my name in my British Passport in order to apply for Citizenship in my married name?
- Do I need to apply for a return resident visa as my PR label has expired, even if I have no plan of going overseas before I apply for my Citizenship? I think what I mean here is - will I be able to apply for Citizenship if my PR period has expired?

I'm wondering whether I need to do the following:-

- Apply for return residency visa
- Apply for new British passport in married name
- Arrange for return residency visa to be stuck in new passport
- Then apply for Citizenship.

Really hoping it doesn't have to be this convoluted though!

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Rosie - one confused Pommie!

Pollyana

Presumably you have proof of your marriage - ie your marriage certificate?

Your PR doesn't expire, only the travel portion which allows re-entry to Aus.
Take the marriage cert and thr passport to your local DIAC office and ask for a new PR label in your married name (they may chargd $70 for this)
Your married name will then be your "visa name"
Now apply for citizenship in that name

No need torenew the British passport unless you want to, but if you do yhen get that in the married name too.

RosiePeach1981

Thank you so much Pollyana - yes I have proof of marriage although it is a British Marriage Certificate as we got wed over there - hopefully this will be ok.

I really appreciate your help

Scubaemma

I've just done pretty much exactly this!

I recently renewed my British passport into my married name. Then the other day I went into the Immi Office with both passport and my marriage certificate and they transfered my PR visa from my old one into my new one with no probs and didn't charge me anything. (It does cost $70 if you want a visa label but they told me I didn't need one as its all done electronically).

I am also in the process of applying for citizenship and although it caused a minor drama because I'd started applying with my old British passport (in old name), but once they confirmed my PR visa is now in my new married name, it's all good. Citizenship application will now progress in married name.

I do have the added issue that I'm going overseas in June so if it looks like I won't have had a citizenship ceremony and got an Aussie passport by then, I'll have to apply for a RRV as the travel portion of my PR visa runs out around now.

So it's all definitely do-able!

Polly knows all about this because I was texting her from the Immi Office while I waited for them to sort it out!

moneypenny20

$70????? Sheesh! From free to $70 is outrageous to print off a small sticky label.

Scubaemma

Especially if you don't actually need one!

SillyOldBag

When I got a visa label ages ago when it was still a tourist one, they even printed an extra one without proper details and made a passport for my daughter's toy dog. Staff there were lovely

Pollyana

Hasn't changed much since I did it, except they now charge if you want a label