littlefoot

No, it’s not. That’s the beginning and the end of it.

Emergico in Brisbane (with offices in the UK) are very well regarded: https://www.emergico.com.au/

In a nutshell, forget about the 189. The 2020/21 budget decreased Skilled Independent Visa quotas to 6,500. That basically means they’re not interested in granting them.

Thanks! Oh, ages ago. I missed two test dates so I didn’t include the application date because it’s so long ago it’s irrelevant now.

Citizenship Approved: 14th January Ceremony invite received: 17th March Ceremony date: 6th April City of Port Philip council, Melbourne.

Interestingly, my approval letter says that once my citizenship is confirmed via my attendance at the ceremony, and my visa ceases to exist, I will need to travel on an Australian passport whenever I leave Australia. That’s news to me. What would happen if I flew out and re-entered on my UK passport? Surely they’d be able to see I’m a citizen. Or do they need an Australian passport to do that?

I actually applied in March 2019 so my timeline isn’t very helpful as a reference point. I had to postpone a couple of test dates then COVID happened. It’s been a long wait.

Went for the test on 21st December in Melbourne, and citizenship was approved today! Now waiting on ceremony details.

There’s your answer, then.

https://www.pomsinoz.com/topic/210293-australian-citizenship-timelines-2020-2021/

Glad I'm not the only one waiting for approval. I did my test in Melbourne on 21st December. Still showing as 'received'.

Finally took the test in Melbourne today. Application date is irrelevant really, it's been postponed more than once. Application still showing as 'received'. Where I live the council are resuming in-person ceremonies from January, smaller in number, and every 6-8 weeks. So I'm not expecting an 'Australia Day' ceremony which is fine by me. I don't think that particular day is worthy of celebration.

This isn't strictly true. Most Australians live in places reasonably considered coastal. The issue isn't proximity to the beach, but proximity to cities where most of the work is found. The further out you live, the more affordable your expenses will be, but the less likely you may be to find work. There are many affordable places near much nicer, wilder beaches than you find close to the city, but your commute will be horrific or your work will pay less. It's a fine balance, but don't be discouraged. Many do make it work.

A storm in a teacup. These lunatic religious types pop up every now and then. They don’t represent the wider community.

It's possible to apply yourself - many people do and are successful, but at some point you're probably going to want some help, at the very least to calm your nerves about getting it right. The issue then becomes - where do you get your advice from? Somebody else in this thread thought it was a good idea to share a video made in 2016 to help you decide. Therein lies the problem; migration policy and law changes with such regularity, especially within the last year or two, that relying on 'armchair agents' on forums online is a deeply flawed strategy and could easily lead to a failed application and the loss of all the time and money put into it. Getting professional help from a MARA registered agent is definitely the safest way to proceed, and I doubt anybody would argue with that. So it's about whether you want to spend the extra money to secure that safety. I'd recommend contacting a few agents and getting a feel for them. Try Emergico - a family we know who secured their visas through them swears by them. They're popular on the PIO Facebook group. Make sure the agent is clear about what they will and won't do for you, and offers you a contract to sign before you pay anything - one that obligates them as well as you.