Portal for Australian Citizenship

This only applies to Citizenship (by Conferral) Applications.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) will consider the amount of time the Applicant has lived in Australia in the last 4 years. In certain cases, the DHA may exempt the Applicant from this requirement.

At the time of the lodgement, the Applicant must have been:

• Living in Australia on a valid Visa for the past 4 years; and
• A Permanent Resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for the past 12 months; and
• Away from Australia for no more than 12 months in total in the past 4 years; and
• Away from Australia for no more than 90 days in total in the past 12 months.

For Children 16 or 17 years old, if meeting this requirement would cause significant hardship or disadvantage, they will need to provide proof.

Children under 16 do not need to meet the general residence requirement but must be Permanent Residents.

For more information, you can contact us for a complimentary consultation.

This only applies to Citizenship (by Conferral) Applications.

Applicants must understand what it means to be an Australian Citizen. To assess this, most Applicants will sit the Citizenship Test.

At the time Applicants are invited to a DHA Office for an Interview, they must show that they have:

• A basic knowledge of the English language; and
• An understanding of what it means to become an Australian Citizen; and
• An adequate knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of Citizenship; and
• An understanding and commitment to Australian values based on freedom, respect and equality.

If they score 75% or more on the Citizenship Test and answer all 5 questions on Australian values correctly, then they meet the DHA's knowledge Requirement.

For more information, you can contact us for a complimentary consultation.

This only applies to Citizenship (by Conferral) Applications.

Successful Applicants need a basic knowledge of the English language to become an Australian Citizen. 

If they score 75% or more on the Citizenship Test and answer all 5 questions on Australian values correctly, then they meet the DHA's English Language requirement.

Some Applicants do not have to sit the test but must have an interview to show they:

• Understand what it means to become an Australian citizen; and
• Have an adequate knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship.

For more information, you can contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Applicants must be of good character to visit or live in Australia. This means you must pass the character test, and remain of good character.

You must always disclose all of your criminal history when applying for Australian Citizenship (by Conferral) and Australian Citizenship (by Descent) if you are 18 years old or older. 

If you fail to disclose anything that may be on your record, and your application is approved, the DHA may cancel this Citizenship when they find out.

For more information, you can contact us for a complimentary consultation.

No. Health Examinations are not required for Citizenship Applications.

Australia does not require new Australian Citizenship Applicants to renounce their current Citizenship.

Whether an Applicant loses their current Citizenship when they become an Australian Citizen does not depend upon Australian Citizenship law, but upon the Citizenship laws of the other country. 

A number of countries allow their citizens to keep their original Citizenship.

We recommend that all prospective Australian Citizenship Applicants contact their nearest Consulate or Embassy to get the latest information.

No. Australian Permanent Residents (including Resident Return Visa holders) cannot get an Australian Passport. 

They will need to apply and be approved for Australian Citizenship first (if they are eligible).

Becoming an Australian Citizen entitles you to several rights and privileges, including: 

• Applying for an Australian Passport.
• Once obtaining an Australian Passport; having the ability to enter 100+ countries without a Visa and another 50+ with a Visa on arrival.
• Having the freedom to enter and leave Australia without a Visa.
• Seeking assistance from Australian diplomatic representatives while overseas.
• Working in the Australian Public Service.
• Serving in the Australian Defence Force.
• Voting in Australian elections and referendums.

The 5 most common reasons for Citizenship application refusals are as follows:

• Failure to pass the Citizenship Test (by Conferral applications only).
• Failure to meet the General Residence Requirements (by Conferral applications only).
• Failure to respond to Requests for More Information (RFIs) from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
• Failure to meet the Character Requirements.
• Failure to prove the Identity Requirements.

For more information, you can contact us for a complimentary consultation.

No, we usually do not.

The process of obtaining an Australian Passport is very simple, and in most cases wouldn't take you more than a few hours to get all the paperwork together.

The official Australian Passports website has a thorough 'Frequently Asked Questions' section and an easy-to-navigate site which you can visit via this link.

Alternatively, you can watch a Step-by-Step video that we have published on YouTube, which you can visit via this link.

For more information, you can contact us for a complimentary consultation.