What are the general eligibility requirements to apply for Australian Citizenship?
To be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship, you must have:
- Been an Australian permanent resident for at least 1 year and lived in Australia for at least 9 out of 12 months before you apply
- Been lawfully resident in Australia for at least 4 years before you apply
- Not been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in the last 4 years before you apply
- Good moral character
What happened to the proposed changes to Australian citizenship that were announced on April 20, 2017?
On October 18, 2017 the proposed citizenship changes announced by the Government on April 20, 2017 were rejected by the Australian parliament. This means that the eligibility requirements which existed prior to the Government’s announcement on April 20, 2017 will continue to apply to citizenship applications lodged with DHA.
What are the requirements for Australian Citizenship if I am a citizen of New Zealand?
New Zealand citizens are granted a Special Category visa (SCV) upon arrival to Australia. A SCV is a temporary visa but it grants the New Zealand citizen the right to live and work in Australia for the duration of their stay. The SCV automatically expires when the New Zealand citizen departs Australia.
Your eligibility as a New Zealand citizen for Australian citizenship depends on your date of arrival to Australia:
- If you arrived before 26 February 2001 you may be eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship
- If you arrived after 26 February 2001 you might be required to apply for permanent resident status first to be eligible for Australian Citizenship
- If you have a CentreLink certificate issued before 26 February 2004 stating you were residing in Australia you may also be eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship
Are there special circumstances that make you eligible if you don’t meet the basic eligibility requirements?
While 90 percent of Australian applicants meet the basic requirements for citizenship, there are special circumstances that may make you eligible if you don’t meet the basic requirements. For example:
- If you were born in Papua before 16 September 1975 and one of your parents was born in Australia or was an Australian Citizen and the time of your birth; OR
- If you were born to a former Australian Citizen who lost his citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of another country
What is the difference between the DHA Australian Citizenship Form 1300t and Form 1290?
You should use DHA’s Form 1300t if you meet the application requirements and are in between 18 and 59 years old.
DHA’s Form 1290 should be used if you are:
- 17 years old or younger,OR
- 60 years or older,OR
- Suffer from a physical disability.
How long does it take to become a citizen?
After filing your citizenship application, the DHA aims to process your application within 10 to 14 months.
How much does applying for citizenship cost?
The DHA government fees range between $300 - $490 depending on which DHA form you use to file your citizenship application.
Immigration Direct charges a service fee of $195 for access to our immigration software service which allows you to easily prepare and manage your citizenship application. Immigration Direct’s service fee is in addition to the applicable DHA government fee.
- If you file using Form 1300t: $490 government fee
- Form 1300t - General Eligibility is used by applicants who are between 18 and 59 years old.
- If you file using Form 1290: $300 government fee
- Form 1290 - Other Situations is used by applicants who are aged 60 and over, have a physical or mental inability
- If your file using Form 118: $315 government fee
- Form 118 - Citizenship by Descent is used by applicants who have at least one parent who was an Australian Citizen.