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Applying For Citizenship, 4 Years in Australia

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  • 12-09-2011 5:17pm
    #1
    cormaclynch
    Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭


    I am just curious to see if anyone here can tell me about how long I have to be in Australia before I can become a citizen.

    On the website it says:

    The residence requirement is based on the time you have lived in Australia and the time you have spent outside Australia.

    You must:

    •have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying which must include the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and
    •not have been absent from Australia for more than one year in total, in the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year before applying.

    But then I've been told it used to be 2 years in Australia? I am just wondering why this was changed and what are the chances of it being changed again anytime soon. It must have affected someone who was at 20 - 24 months in Australia before the rule was changed.

    I've been in Australia for 15 months on a PR visa and interested in getting citizenship as soon as possible......have seen that if I do 90 days in the Australian armed forces that will speed it up, but that isn't going to be happening anytime soon!

    Any advice on why the rule changed and if anyone has any thoughts about if they'd do it again would be appreciated.

    Cheers


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    #2
    mandrake04
    Registered Users Posts: 4,435 ✭✭✭mandrake04


    It used to be 2 years bit they changed the rules in 2007 that from July 2010 a Citizenship applicant had to have 4 years lawful residence of which 12 months must be a PR.
    From 1 July 2010 all citizenship applicants will need to meet this residence requirement at the time they apply for Australian citizenship.
    You must have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for 4 years immediately before applying, including 1 year as a permanent resident, and
    You must not have been absent from Australia for more than 1 year during the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year immediately before applying.

    Between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2010 there has been transitional arrangements in place.
    If you became a permanent resident before 1 July 2007, and apply on or before 30 June 2010, the residence requirement is:
    You must have been living in Australia for 2 years as a permanent resident in the 5 years immediately before applying, including 1 year in the 2 years immediately before applying.
    If you became a permanent resident on or after 1 July 2007 the residence requirement is:
    You must have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for 4 years immediately before applying, including 1 year as a permanent resident, and
    You must not have been absent from Australia for more than 1 year during the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year immediately before applying.

    It's 4 years and I doubt it will ever be changed back.


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