Expert Immigration Law Firm australian citizenship application apply for au

If you're a permanent resident, you can apply for Australian citizenship by conferral after:

• Living in Australia on any visa for four years, including 12 months as a permanent resident.
• Remaining outside Australia for no more than 12 months during the four years, including no more than 90 days in the year before applying.
• Being in Australia when you apply and when the decision is made.

Key Steps:

• Meet the residence requirement.
• Pass a citizenship test (if under 60 years old).
• Show intentions to reside in or maintain a close and continuing association with Australia.
• Demonstrate good character.
• Attend a Citizenship Conferral Ceremony within 12 months of application approval to become an Australian citizen.

Cost: AUD$285 (free for children 15 or younger applying with a parent).

You are an Australian citizen by birth if:

• You were born in Australia and one of your parents was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of your birth.

If born in Australia to parents holding temporary or provisional visas:

• You hold the same visa as your parents.
• After living in Australia for ten years continuously, you can apply for citizenship without needing to be a permanent resident.

Important: Children born abroad to Australian permanent residents do not receive automatic citizenship and must apply for a Child visa.

Children of Australian citizens born overseas can obtain citizenship by descent. This process requires:

• Proof of parentage, possibly including DNA testing.
• Registration of the child’s name in the Australian citizenship register.

Applying for citizenship by descent involves a formal application and confirmation by the Australian Government.

These routes offer various options for obtaining Australian citizenship, whether by living in Australia, through parentage, or by being born on Australian soil to Australian parents. Each pathway has specific requirements and procedures that need to be followed closely.

A Resident Return visa (RRV) (Subclass 155 and Subclass 157) serves as a travel facility for Australian permanent residents, allowing them to maintain their status while traveling in and out of Australia. Initially, permanent visas come with a five-year travel facility, which permits unrestricted travel to and from Australia during this period. If you need to travel after these five years, or if you find yourself outside Australia when the travel facility expires, you will need to apply for an RRV to re-enter the country as a permanent resident.

If you're still within the initial five-year travel period of your permanent visa, there's no need to apply for an RRV unless you plan to travel and the period is close to expiring. Additionally, if you've been living in Australia for four years, including twelve months as a permanent resident, you might consider applying for Australian Citizenship instead of an RRV.

It's possible to apply for an RRV both inside and outside Australia, but it is advisable to secure this visa before departing Australia to avoid complications upon return.