silencio

16000km what you mentioned is not true for everybody. Beibehaltungsgenehmigung=special permission yes that's what I've taking about but in an English forum I don't use German words as not everybody would understand. My partner is German by descent and therefore is not able to apply for dual nationality, due to the simple fact that he has not many ties to Germany (he only has one parent who is German). I doubt that he's even not able to communicate in officialise like you and I would be able to. Wonderful if you were able to do so but in hubbies case even my friends from the German 'Beibehaltungsclub' groups.yahoo.zweipaesse couldn't help us with advise as we are belonging to a group of people were the authorities would never give a grant!!! Maybe we could inquire in a German phone directory to find the necessary 'German ties' was one piece of funny advise we've got. Well, I have other reasons for myself why I won't do it as I find it humiliating to prove what I always was and always will be and then they take money as well, around 500 AUD, no thanks. And don't forget when you were about to prepare your application: writing a 'Beibehaltungsgenehmigung' is easy-peasy, a 12 year old could do that in 30 minutes from the zweipaesse yahoo files. But to proof what you've stated is the harder part (and the authorities insist on evidence!), in our case not possible Generalisations that you were successful fantastic, but as we parties involved all know to use 'white lies' in order to get the special permission through.

Dodgy: Why didn't you get the court's paperwork? I thought that's mandatory. I would contest any wrong claims against me. What sounds a little bit weird to me is the fact you mentioned the bailiff claimed you owned your ex half of the holiday but if you haven't signed any contracts with the travel agency and obviously the travel agency send all travel documents to your ex's address you're not liable anyway. If you haven't signed anything and haven't given written consent to something you're not liable even in Australia. Obviously this weirdo sweared to took vengeance and was successful with that. Who knows with how many other ex-partners she played that 'game'.

Bridgeman: if your friends are contacted again by the debt collectors and their staff member can't give proof of any written claims mailed to your friends in regards to this matter like mentioned before by the other users, your friends have to tell them that they have breached the Australian Privacy Act (and maybe Industry standards as well) and they will make them liable for that and announce this unlawful invasion of privacy to the appropriate WA Authorities. You told us that your friend were supposedly threatened with asserts without substance now your mates have to bluster back!

What makes me wonder with this debt collector's call: Where did this aggressive woman get the names of your friends + phone number from? Actually their landlord has to inform your friends before doing so as otherwise it's a breach of the Privacy Act! Seems to me that a dodgy landlord blinded by greed tries to manipulate your friends in order to keep a clear insurance record. Or just tries to take advantage out of new migrants. Your friends will have a 'lot of fun' when they are going to move out and reclaim the bond.

I can completely understand how you feel! Giving something up what's an important part of identity, your Dutch nationality. You're absolutely right the Dutch have a similar strict citizenship Act like I have to suffer from whereas the German law is completely contradictory or should I say perverse: a child of foreign migrants born in Germany will automatically become and stay German for ever and inherit the parents citizenship no matter where they are from, but born and bread Germans who migrate outside the European Union will loose German citizenship on the day of the pledge as the Citizenship Act has a nasty clause declaring dual nationality null and void for all citizenship applications outside the EU. We're no longer 'valuable tax payers' there, not contributing and no benefit for the 'home country' and therefore Government has put obstacles in our way!

I might be wrong but wasn't it until 2001/2002 that Australia didn't allow dual citizenship and therefore many British people though the UK always allowed double citizenship had to renounce their British one? I know a German fellow who had to go to the German Embassy in 1997 or so and provide the Australian authorities with an official Embassy statement that she really renounced her citizenship before she could obtain the Australian one. I doubt Australia would have made any exemptions in those days and that fact applied to British nationals as well and therefore many British people couldn't opt for dual nationality as well?

One of us will renounce former citizenship, the other half will remain on a German passport, as our country doesn't allow dual citizenship in general (only for obtaining citizenship within the European Union + Switzerland dual citizenship is allowed). The process of getting a special permission of becoming a dual national is far too complicated, costs heaps of money and more importantly is ignominious and intimidating due to some facts that the application of staying German can be refused easily and the Authorities are also demanding fees for unsuccessful applications + the whole application process has to start from giving evidence from birth (a full and complete resume is required with every single stage of your entire life not only your professional life, in addition to that a requirement is also giving details of your private life, divorce etc.) and is inconvenient as in case you leave any gaps in your work history/living history unknowingly the special permission can be revoked after becoming Australian (never heard that it will be revoked but I've heard it's likely to be refused in the first instance).

How can your mother apply for an on shore parent visa when she's on a visitor visa? The intention to stay would break her visitor visa conditions and nothing else than asking this forum how to outwit the immigration system

May I ask you where do you sat your test? Which state/council? Your invitation to the ceremony is astonishing quick like a rocket ;-)

There is no discrimination occurring in your case according to Australian anti-discrimination-law as you're here on a 'holiday' visa and people with 'holiday' visas do 'holiday' jobs which are mentioned above! It's easy as that.

My point is to not allow that 'conferral' citizenship is voided/devalued, it should apply the same status like any other Australian citizenship

Personally I don't care if terrorists become stateless generally speaking, every person who is involed into terrorist acts against human man kind could become stateless, why not? But here it goes: stripping of citizenship only of 'conferral' Australians is racist, absolutely backwards and I therefore agree with Quinkla. Then all of 'conferral' citizenships will become some kind of 'second-class' citizenship 'on approbation'. If the planned 'biggest shake up' of the Citizenship Act since 1949 would also include stripping citizenship away from Australians 'by birth' + 'descent' I would absolutely agree with it because it would be unbiased of how a person became citizen of this beautiful country. If the Liberals only change it for 'conferrals' they are not doing integration of migrants a favour as in the public perception Australian citizenship by conferral will get the status of inferiority and decry, not a 'real Australian'. Politicians should rather check and change immigration law before they allow the wrong people in! Now they want to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted! Characteristic for these incapable figures

Biometrics in Australian passports make that impossible. But, maybe some are able to change their fingerprints Bond movie like.

Thanks guys for your replies! Now I absolutely know that NAATI translations are needed. I'm going to contact our 'old' overseas translator soon in order to get the NAATI translation (she is a NAATI one but non-NAATI translations were cheaper those days). If our chosen translator from 2011 still has the translations on her computer file we only pay the gap fee for the NAATI stamp + postage as the translation is done by her in 2011 so she won't need to do the same work all over again.

Hi members, may some of the experts here enlighten me please regarding translations of documents for the citizenship application. If I remember correctly it has to be a NAATI translation of documents for the citizenship interview in order to be accepted within Australia as we come from a non-English speaking country. Yesterday I read through the hard copy of the citizenship application and it stated clearly that only NAATI translation are accepted! When we applied for our PR visa back in 2011 is was totally fine to just have everything translated from an accredited translator as it was much cheaper and accepted by Immigration because we applied outside of Australia. I was just wondering if we have to obtain new translations of our original birth certificates again, this time NAATI ones? If yes, that'll be 'fun', an expensive exercise. If no, would make sense, as for PR it was fine with the accredited translation.

Very unusual to have private debts on a police clearance anyway! Never heard of that before, a little bit weird.

Why should they send the pc to the Embassy of Australia when DIBP is relevant to your case? You're not a citizen of Australia I guess so they may send it to the Embassy of GB. If the Australian Embassy ever receive a pc of a non-citizen they would probably send it back, what should they do with it???

Australia is a heaven on earth for pensioners!!! Looking forward to my own retirement but I bet with you all that all the benefits will diminish over time. We all miss already out on 2,600 AUD abolished in 2012 due in every new financial year as a tax help/cost of living help. For instance, the house will not be assessed into an income test for the pension even if people have to live in aged care facilities or receive government aged care funds to help them stay in their own homes. Liquid assets test still very generous. In Europe (where I came from) properties will be counted towards any government benefits pensioners apply for, especially when entering into aged care. In Australia pensioners can travel for free on public transport, concession cards for cheaper fees/entrances, most doctors and specialists bulk bill, cost of medicines capped to 5,90 AUD no matter how expensive, cheap Tuesdays at most supermarkets, caps on electricity/gas etc. and still council rebates (190 AUD but likely to be abolished at least in South Australia).

Though I love WA and Perth - for me the most beautiful part of Australia - it hasn't met your expectations. It's nothing right or wrong with that, everyone has the right for a personal opinion based on experiences. Otherwise we would all be the same - how boring! Luckily not everyone likes WA and Perth would even be more overcrowded than it already is!

Sorry misunderstanding! Australian JP's and other certifying agencies will check original + copy. That's all I know.

After 4 years PR's are eligible to apply for citizenship in Australia and therefore must provide the original birth certificate to the interview/test and often the original marriage certificate (voluntary) as an supporting document as well. At least at that point in time DIBP checks an original document and they should know how a genuine birth + marriage certificate looks like, for sure!

Quote Lady Rainicorn:"The only reason is was increased to 4 years was to try and stop people leaving, if it was increased to 6 it may have the reverse effect." The reason behind the increase in waiting time was not stopping people from leaving Australia for good with an Australian passport. There are many overseas Australians living all over the world. That was never the intention of the government as a free democratic country its inhabitants can live wherever they citizens choose to live. No, under the surface the reason was to distinguish '2 year holidaymakers from another 1st world country' from real migrants. A real migrant comes with an intention to stay here anyway whereas many of my fellow German + British people see it more like an experiment/enriching life experience and 2 years waiting time only in the old days was easy to let time lapse away. Nobody I know would stay 4 years in a country they don't like and can't make a living and therefore would leave for good within 2 years. 4 years waiting period, however, is exactly the time where people tend to put down roots. This was the intention of the former government to pick out migrants from holidaymakers on a PR visa. By the way Canada recently increased their waiting time in their citizenship act as well, seems to me after the populations rises in other Commonwealth countries the strategy is always to make it harder for newcomers as the theory is 'the boat is full'. Once the target number for new citizen is reached it will automatically become harder for others due to underpinning govern mechanisms. It wouldn't surprise me if Australia one day will increase the waiting time again to 6 years anyway as too many prosperous migrants valuable + useful for Australia either leaving (for which reason ever) and my 'boat is full' theory (= less useful + less valuable people for Australia staying)

You're absolutely right Quinkla including DOB of witnesses is very intrusive indeed but that's the way DIBP want us to do. Hopefully the person has done it a thousand times and won't mind. We're now in the process of getting the original birth certificate as we accidentally took with us certified copies only! Stupid I know but in 2012 we didn't knew how long we would last here. Hurdles everywhere...

Good luck with your move and congrats to the visa! It's an exciting time lying ahead of you and your family, kind of 'positive stress'!

Good luck with the move! Congratulations to your visa grant the 'golden mail'