RNLaura Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Hi, We have just been told our application for Australian Citizenship has been approved and now have to wait up to 6 months for the ceremony. I have just been accepted into University to complete my Masters and was really hoping to obtain an urgent ceremony to HECs my fees (I have been told by people that this is sometimes possible). We live on the Gold Coast. Can anyone please let me know if they have managed to do this and if so how. Oh and can anyone tell me how often the ceremonies are held on the Gold Coast too please. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 We are on the GC too and someone told me (i think) they have 3 ceremonies a year. We are due to apply August 1st and have been told that as we are applying in the second half of the year we might have to wait until the Australia day 2018 ceremony......Doesnt really help your question but thought id share...:huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoDemocracy Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Hi, We have just been told our application for Australian Citizenship has been approved and now have to wait up to 6 months for the ceremony. I have just been accepted into University to complete my Masters and was really hoping to obtain an urgent ceremony to HECs my fees (I have been told by people that this is sometimes possible). We live on the Gold Coast. Can anyone please let me know if they have managed to do this and if so how. Oh and can anyone tell me how often the ceremonies are held on the Gold Coast too please. Thanks in advance! Look I have no intimate knowledge other than having gotten citizenship, but it occurs to me that you have passed the exam and been notified you have passed and accepted, the ceremony might just be the celebration and handing out of certificates, it might be worthwhile giving the department a call to find out whether you are a citizen already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Look I have no intimate knowledge other than having gotten citizenship, but it occurs to me that you have passed the exam and been notified you have passed and accepted, the ceremony might just be the celebration and handing out of certificates, it might be worthwhile giving the department a call to find out whether you are a citizen already. You do not become a citizen until the ceremony. Until then you remain on the existing visa At the ceremony the visa is cancelled and from that pont on you are a citizen. Passing the test does not confer citizenship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 We are on the GC too and someone told me (i think) they have 3 ceremonies a year. We are due to apply August 1st and have been told that as we are applying in the second half of the year we might have to wait until the Australia day 2018 ceremony......Doesnt really help your question but thought id share...:huh: Thank you. Oh wow only 3 ceremonies a year?? Wish I'd chosen Brisbane now then as I've been told they have double this number. Good luck with your journey :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 Thanks. We are not Citizens until we attend the Citizenship ceremony unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 You do not become a citizen until the ceremony. Until then you remain on the existing visa At the ceremony the visa is cancelled and from that pont on you are a citizen. Passing the test does not confer citizenship Thanks Nemesis. This is why I was hoping for an urgent Ceremony but I have been told this is not possible, although I have been told others have managed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I could be wrong with the number of ceremonies @RNLaura....will be looking into this in more detail in a couple of months, we cant apply until August 1st. Id give the Gold Coast City Council a call and ask (and post what they say on here ;-) Also, you mention applying to brisbane....is/was that an option? Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 I could be wrong with the number of ceremonies @RNLaura....will be looking into this in more detail in a couple of months, we cant apply until August 1st. Id give the Gold Coast City Council a call and ask (and post what they say on here ;-) Also, you mention applying to brisbane....is/was that an option? Dan When I applied it asks where you want to attend for your test and interview. Closest immigration office was Brisbane. But on one of the drop down boxes it asks for your local council for the ceremony which I selected Gold Coast (not entirely sure whether you could have picked either GC or Brisbane but my local council would be GC so I picked that one). I'll post on here for sure when I have the ceremony dates for this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 When I applied it asks where you want to attend for your test and interview. Closest immigration office was Brisbane. But on one of the drop down boxes it asks for your local council for the ceremony which I selected Gold Coast (not entirely sure whether you could have picked either GC or Brisbane but my local council would be GC so I picked that one). I'll post on here for sure when I have the ceremony dates for this year. look forward to your findings. I would be happy to go to brisbane to have the ceremony quicker but i should imagine that as your/our council is GC then thats where you will have to do the ceremony unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 look forward to your findings. I would be happy to go to brisbane to have the ceremony quicker but i should imagine that as your/our council is GC then thats where you will have to do the ceremony unfortunately. Yeah. That is the way I read it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 did they happen to give you a rough idea of time between applying to ceremony. I think its like 6 months (max)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 did they happen to give you a rough idea of time between applying to ceremony. I think its like 6 months (max)? Yes. During my interview they said approximately 6 month wait for Ceremony. My approval letter came though a week later and that also states six months. If you're applying in August you should be okay for the Australia Day ceremony!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy1982 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Thats the date we are focussing on anyway, anything sooner is a bonus. We are applying before moving back to the UK next June so as long as the ceremony is before then its fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNLaura Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 Thats the date we are focussing on anyway, anything sooner is a bonus. We are applying before moving back to the UK next June so as long as the ceremony is before then its fine. Ahhh that is plenty of time then. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 look forward to your findings. I would be happy to go to brisbane to have the ceremony quicker but i should imagine that as your/our council is GC then thats where you will have to do the ceremony unfortunately. You can choose where to do the test but the ceremony has to be with your local council Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 You can choose where to do the test but the ceremony has to be with your local council We were told we could go to Perth to do a one off ceremony if it was urgent, it may be the same in Queensland maybe the OP could ask to do one in Brisbane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopylu Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I know someone else in Qld who had to get hers done urgently as her husband had to relocate for work overseas. The Council obliged and she went to a small evening ceremony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boganbear Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I found the wait for the deer only the most infuriating part of getting citizenship. It took 3 days from submitting my application to get the paperwork and test done and I can't see why it takes 6 months to do the ceremony. The ceremony itself was laughable and in reality, pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 I found the wait for the deer only the most infuriating part of getting citizenship. It took 3 days from submitting my application to get the paperwork and test done and I can't see why it takes 6 months to do the ceremony. The ceremony itself was laughable and in reality, pointless. Have to agree with that. There were thousands of people at my ceremony, there was nothing personal l about it at all, just one of a huge crowd packed into a souless room, all repeating the same words together, or just not bothering cos no one knew whether you were saying it or not. No reception, not even a bar open, had to listen to some random polirician going on about how Australia gives peole bett opportunities than anywhere else in the universe, and got given a tatty paper bag containing a random twig and paperwork about signing up to vote. Bag fell apart on the bus going home and the twig died in the garden. Complete waste of an evening from my point of view, and its rather nice to hear someone else with a similar view! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosiew Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Hi, We have just been told our application for Australian Citizenship has been approved and now have to wait up to 6 months for the ceremony. I have just been accepted into University to complete my Masters and was really hoping to obtain an urgent ceremony to HECs my fees (I have been told by people that this is sometimes possible). We live on the Gold Coast. Can anyone please let me know if they have managed to do this and if so how. Oh and can anyone tell me how often the ceremonies are held on the Gold Coast too please. Thanks in advance! I just googled it and it seems that the department will consider a request for an urgent ceremony for HECS reasons but will give preference to people who have already been waiting a while and still have a while to wait. So calling them and asking may be worth a punt. They may well have a ceremony lined up for this very reason! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 When I applied it asks where you want to attend for your test and interview. Closest immigration office was Brisbane. But on one of the drop down boxes it asks for your local council for the ceremony which I selected Gold Coast (not entirely sure whether you could have picked either GC or Brisbane but my local council would be GC so I picked that one). I'll post on here for sure when I have the ceremony dates for this year. Seems strange to have so few ceremonies, our shire in WA has one every month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boganbear Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Have to agree with that. There were thousands of people at my ceremony, there was nothing personal l about it at all, just one of a huge crowd packed into a souless room, all repeating the same words together, or just not bothering cos no one knew whether you were saying it or not. No reception, not even a bar open, had to listen to some random polirician going on about how Australia gives peole bett opportunities than anywhere else in the universe, and got given a tatty paper bag containing a random twig and paperwork about signing up to vote. Bag fell apart on the bus going home and the twig died in the garden. Complete waste of an evening from my point of view, and its rather nice to hear someone else with a similar view! hahahah my plant is thriving but it was only a funny occasion as the MP sat on stage waswearing a short skirt and with her legs crossed in a way which didnt leave much to the imagination. There was a local 'singer' belting out aussie songs badly - "That's a no from me" but i did win a huge bouquet of flowers for getting the largest cheer so all was not lost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Have to agree with that. There were thousands of people at my ceremony, there was nothing personal l about it at all, just one of a huge crowd packed into a souless room, all repeating the same words together, or just not bothering cos no one knew whether you were saying it or not. No reception, not even a bar open, had to listen to some random polirician going on about how Australia gives peole bett opportunities than anywhere else in the universe, and got given a tatty paper bag containing a random twig and paperwork about signing up to vote. Bag fell apart on the bus going home and the twig died in the garden. Complete waste of an evening from my point of view, and its rather nice to hear someone else with a similar view! Ours was lovely, only 70 people, with 7 groups of 10 doing the oath at the same time. The shire had laid on refreshments afterwards - wine/soft drinks and canapes. We didn't get a plant though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarpk Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Sorry to say, I have the same situation where you would need to send an e-mail to QLD ceremonies for the urgent ceremony request. Unfortunately, education is not a reason for an URGENT request. Therefore you won't be getting it anytime soon. The following types of circumstances are not considered genuinely urgent or compelling: · Overseas travel for employment, holidays, family reasons (including health issues) or weddings · Purchased airline tickets, cruise tickets, holiday bookings, conferences or business meetings · Representational sporting events · General employment requiring Australian citizenship · Expired passport and/or visa (if you are travelling overseas before your ceremony, it is your responsibility to ensure you have valid travel documents including a resident return visa) · Students intending to apply for High Education Loan Program (HECS/FEE-HELP) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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