moneypenny20

He's been watching too much Trump.

However as it's not yet law and info is still coming out, let's not get ahead of ourselves in stressing/imagining/discussing worse case scenarios. Let's remember this is the Immi forum and keep to facts as much as we know them.

bourbon-biscuit

What I find odd is that I keep hearing people in favour of changing it so that it takes four years to citizenship and not one. It's currently four, no

I wonder if they'll make some distinction between 'permanently resident' and 'permanent resident' for this. I have found several situations where as Kiwis we have to tick an inaccurate box on a form because we are the former and yet not the latter.

louie

The usual political spin. For most people it's been four years since (from memory) about 2010.

Dorothy

It's currently 4 years of lawful residence in Australia with at least one of those years as a permanent resident. Under the new rules it will be 4 years of permanent residence in Australia regardless of how long you have been here as a temporary resident/visitor.

What distinction is there between "permanently resident" and "permanent resident"? As a Kiwi there is no automatic pathway to permanent resident status/citizenship since 2001.

bourbon-biscuit

Yes, I understood this but it's being played out by politicians as if they are adding an extra three years to the wait time when that only applies to those of us here without PR right now. Future migrants will doubtless be quicker to get their PR sorted.

No, but as Kiwis we sometimes meet the definition of permanently resident without permanent residence better than any other box offered! I will try and remember to come back and give an example next time it happens. I'm well aware there isn't an automatic pathway but Kiwis in Oz who have been here longer than 3 years right now are suddenly faced with an extra three years wait for citizenship, which matters if you have kids heading off to uni!

Pollyana

As Croker says above it is desperately unfair on Spouse Visa holders. They have no choice, if newly married, than to spend 2 years on a Temporary Visa. It can then take a further year to process PR. So they can be in the country, married to an Aussie, for 7 years or more before becoming eligible. And if they come on a Provisional Marriage Visa that can ad another 18 months or more on Temporary and/or Bridging visas.
Many who come on temporary skills visas do that from choice. Spouse visas has no choice in the matter.

Croker

Thanks for the kind words, Pollyana! I'd give you some karma but apparently I need to spread it around first before I can give you it again

We're still hoping for some clarity on the policy, and whether any kind of allowance is going to be made for those heading on a clear path towards citizenship, e.g. spouses. I'm doubtful, though, unfortunately. As things stand, there are only two amendments that I think are in the realms of possibility (assuming it passes parliament, of course):

- the first possibility is that it's amended to bring down the number of years required as PR before someone can apply for citizenship, maybe to two years instead of four;
- the second possibility is that people already on PR (but who have not already applied for citizenship) will be able to do so under the old rules, e.g. someone who has had PR for 9 months at the time of change can still apply after 1 year as PR with a total of 4 years' lawful residence.

To be honest, I'm not really hopeful about either coming true (and neither are really that much use to me anyway, when I might not even have PR until 2018-2019), but we'll be watching this very closely to see what happens.

spouse of scouse

Best of luck scouse

Croker

Cheers mate - and I can't give you karma at the moment, either! That's yours and Polly's fault for being so helpful with my queries in the past

Pollyana

spouse of scouse

No wonder I married a scouser, you're all such smooth talkers

k974

If you were a betting man , what odds would you give on either of those coming through ? Surely they would grandfather it for those already on journey?

I know it's guess work but what are people gut feelings . We all have our own personal reasons why it's so important for me it's cos I have a business dependent on it and employ a number of Australians without it it will be hard to expand and employ more until it's done

Croker

Honestly, I think the chances of both are slim. I really hope your business isn't badly affected by the changes, by the way.

Any odds I give would be pretty speculative on my part, to be honest. I can say which I feel would be most likely to happen, but that doesn't mean that any of them will happen.

For example, you ask "surely they would grandfather it for those already on journey?", to which I'd respond "how would you define being on the journey?" Arguably, I'm on the journey towards citizenship, but I don't even hold PR yet, as I'm currently a provisional resident as a spouse. I'd love for them to include me under the old citizenship rules, but I doubt they will.

Overall I think any grandfathering concessions, if made, will be extended to people who already held PR at the time these changes were introduced.

I think it pretty unlikely that the number of years you have to spend as a PR before becoming a citizen will be decreased from 4 years, though. They're making a lot of noise about national security and how a lengthier period of PR will ensure that potential citizens will fit in with "Australian values". It plays well with the people whose votes they are trying to court with these changes, too.

k974

I thanks for the reply, I suppose my specific query regarding " grandfathering " is will people who were eligible on 19/4/17 be allowed to proceed , or people who had PR before 20/4/17, I lodged mine on 20/4/17, could have done so since February but was just too busy, should have done it kicking myself.

Do you think people with PR on 19/4/17 will be out of luck also ?

Thanks appreciate your opinion and knows it's only speculation but good to hear other people thoughts on what will happen

airlineguy1980

After going thru English test for pr visa I have no idea. Who this English test targets. More business for ielts exam services