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My main concern now is the frozen applications and the retrospectivity aspect. The Committee gave a good response on their retrospective stuff, but finally they passed on all the stuff on the Senate. Quite interesting reading here: http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/Committees/Senate/committee/scrutiny/scrutiny_digest/PDF/d08.pdf?la=en I have some plans, and I don't want my family locked in the country, but we have already spent overseas about a year within the last 4, so basically we can't go anywhere now.

I wonder what happens in my case. I'm already a citizen, but my wife and children are not, we have already submitted, and eligible under old and new rules. The only thing that may affect the application is if my wife fails ielts. So, what are they going to do then ? they will grant children with citizenship, and skip my wife but will invite her on the ceremony or what ?

I can vote, moreover, i'm in Dutton's electorate area.

I live in Dutton's electorate area, and sent him an email recently saying that I'm not going to vote for him because of these new rules.

Thanks for the explanations, but still not clear why all our applications are on hold then ? Why they actually have already put the requirement about competent English posession on the DIBP site? Is this ok to do like that before the law actually came in effect ?

I think it's all more for partners who were waived the IELTS (and then their main applicant paid ~$4000 to be taught up to IELTS 4.5 overall). My wife, for example got IELTS overall 5.5 five years ago. Maybe she has a better level now, but, to be honest the exam itself is quite stressful, especially the writing part where you need to write an essay about some stupid topic which you simply have no idea of. +extra $300 fee. i don't get this.

I sent an email to my MP Recently I was granted with Australian Citizenship, but because my wife and children moved to Australia later than me, they were not eligible by that time. At the present moment they are eligible and meet the 4 years residence requirements, however, my main concern is that DIBP stopped processing all citizenship applications that were submitted after the 20th of April, and, moreover they introduce new requirements like 'having competent English' which means for my wife sitting the IELTS test again and paying extra $300 for the test (additionally to $288 for the application cost). One interesting thing is that the current citizenship law states that applicants should have: ... possesses a basic knowledge of the English language; and ... But the DIBP internet site says: have a competent knowledge of English (applicants under 60 years of age) http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi/pathways-processes/application-options/partner-spouse/eligibility So, they just go well ahead over the parliament and assume that the new law has been imposed before it happened. However, the most interesting thing is that DIBP is saying on their internet site that The changes will not apply to applications made before 20 April 2017. The current rules will apply to applications made before 20 April 2017. But the law itself has not been approved by the parliament so far, the amendments exist as a bill, you can look here: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbills%2Fr5914_first-reps%2F0001%22;rec=0 so my another question is that is it a normal legal practice to make announcements before the law was approved and backdate the laws ? In my opinion all this looks like barely legal political games and I would like to ask you at least to raise the question before Parliament why applications submitted after the 20th of April are not being processed under the current legislation. This quite seriously affects my family because now I'm Australian, however, my wife and children are not, and it's not known when their status is going to change, however the application fee has already been paid. Thank you very much for your support.

No one this affects can vote, so politicians are going to focus on the things that will earn them re-election from those who can vote them out. Where is their incentive to fight for people without a voice in parliament? If/when those affected finally make it through the process in the future, the chances they'll then bother campaigning still for those still stuck in the system are slim I'd imagine. As migrants, ,this is incredibly frustrating given the time, , investment and commitment given so far to Australia, , and the desire to give more and integrate further/completely. I assume it would be thrown out but who except migration agents who this must hit hard have the legal knowledge to take this on?

An interesting view: http://insidestory.org.au/a-new-class-of-migrants-the-never-to-be-citizens

Applied on behalf of my wife yesterday. We have 4years of PR in Australia so let's look how it's going.

Congratulations!! When are you going to set off to Adelaide ? I heard there are problems with jobs in telecommunications area in particular, so I'm really afraid of being without work when I will have arrived.

Well, I applied for the SA state sponsorship. When I've got it I'll lodge an application in DIAC. However, my spouse hasn't still sat IELTS exam to get Overall 4.5. So, the question is when I will have to provide DIAC with her IELTS or pay VAC2 ? Thanks in advance!

http://www.immigration.sa.gov.au/applyonline/skilled/planning_level_status.php

There exist great changes! They remove IELTS requirements for 263111, so I've already lodged an application.