How many expats get Aus citizenship & Aus passport before going back to UK to stay & actually use the Aus Passports ever again? I know many go back before gaining citizenship and many within the first year, but would be interested to know how many go back to UK for a few years or so & actually ping pong back after that.

We're having our labotomy's on Monday evening! Full ceremony...brain out...pie in...sorted!!

Don't ask me if I'll be a ping ponger. I haven't pinged yet, let alone ponged

I've pinged but not ponged yet (not in that sense at least). Ill let you know if and when I do

How long did it take from applying to get your interview then to getting the ceremony?

Thanks for that, am trying to figure out if it is worth getting the citizenship for most people or if that passport just lies in a drawer doing nothing for the rest of time. By looking on the site it seems most folk come back within the time allowed on their visa's. Looks like if you ping pong you go back within a few years or dont go back at all.

We went for the interview about 6 months ago and the ceremony is tomorrow!! Our neighbours have applied for the interview last week...they have to wait until July to go to that, then they will have to wait months for the ceremony. Talk about Wait Awhile W.A!!!!!

Woah woman. Please don't tell me you're even considering ponging back over this way

What a pity. All these people out there who would like the opportunity to move to Australia and we are giving out citizenship to people who hate the place!

its called keeping your options open

none of us came out here intending to be unhappy

why shouldnt she get citizenship? i say good on her! she paid enough throughout the whole of the visa process to have the choice and she should get the ceremony for putting up with being unhappy for so long

who knows what the future holds

Not everyone leaving Australia hates the place, many go back to the UK for other reasons - family being a major issue.

What's with this 'we'? It costs a heck of alot of money to get a resident visa for Australia, then migrants contribute to the economy by purchasing property, land, cars, furniture, white goods etc.etc., plus we pay our taxes like anyone else. Applying for citizenship isn't free either. When we got ours, it cost in excess of $300 and that was quite afew years ago now, so we pay for the privilege of that too, all money which goes into the Australian economy. So what's your grudge?

So true SGG - it's cost us around 40,000 quid for one year in Oz. That's not counting the taxes we've paid while there. Bloody cheek of these people to think that they are "giving" out anything.

You are so right! Mr Howard sure knows what he is doing. No wonder they have so many emigrate to Australia fairs and stupid BBC programmes about oz.After all hes not paying out is he?He can hardly be accused of helping the youth of Australia either, after all why bother when he can get money for nothing and the skills from migrants.

We got our citizenship a week ago after initial ceremony in October. We are intending to go back to the UK in September. We do not intend to come back to Australia within the timeframe of our initial visa because of the reasons that we wish to return to the UK and because of the continued disruption to our son (who has already lived in 6 houses in his little 3 years of life), but will reassess at the point at which our son would move from primary school to secondary school. Therefore getting citizenship before we left was essential to us to be able to make the return this year.

here here!!!

sorry too early in the morning for constructive comments need a coffee first