Netbg

Well I was in this for the long haul!!! 27 months!!! I have no idea why my application took so long (I thought it was fairly straightforward). They never asked me for any extra documents or told me they were waiting for anything. I was just one of the unlucky ones

Citizenship App: 21 April 2018
Test Invitation: 
Test Date: 30 June 2019
Approval: 14 January 2020
Ceremony: 3 July 2020 (Online)
Council: Brisbane city council, QLD 

1 hour ago, Cubiscus said:

BCC Response:

 

Great. Thank you. I hope they do. My journey so far has been 25months long

On 07/05/2020 at 14:08, Moyale said:

.I see here the point.

I hope your citizenship soon before even the travel restriction is lifted. 

Good luck Cubiscus

 This is what Brisbane city council said to me. I have attached a screenshot. I also got approval mid January 

On 05/05/2020 at 12:37, Moyale said:

I have just dropped and email to their email address. I am not planning to fly out until November 2020 if the restrictions is lifted round the globe, which looks unlikely.But I need the citizenship certificate to access the education loan as I am a university student. Very expensive can't pay it by myself.

 

We will see what if they even bother to reply.

 

 

I also emailed them from their website contact us form so we’ll see. Let me know if you hear.

i know how you feel about uni.. I had to pay full whack back in 2013! 

30 minutes ago, Moyale said:

Hi Netbg,

I submitted my application on 3 May 2019. My application was approved on 12 December 2019.

 

Did you try to email them to request for virtual ceremony?

 

Moyale

I haven’t yet. Have you? I had pretty much just given out hope and figured I can’t fly overseas anyway now. But I should do it, so it’s done. I have absolutely no idea why my application took so long... one of the unlucky ones. I applied 21 April 2018 

On 03/05/2020 at 21:37, Moyale said:

Thanks Millski for the information.

 

I was thinking just dropping an email to see if anything is triggered.

my Council is Brisbane and the backlog is massive, hence not sure if any reaction comes from my email.

I’m also Brisbane. I have now been waiting over 24 months since application. My application was approved in January. How about you?

On 26/01/2020 at 13:42, cybervoodoo said:

1. Date applied: 11 March 2018
2. City/Council area: Rockingham, Western Australia
3. Online / Paper: Online
4. Date received the acknowledgement email: 11 March 2018
5. Date of the Citizenship Test: 11 March 2019
6. Date of ceremony: 26 January 2020
7. Type of ceremony (Urgent/Normal): I requested urgent but I ended up having a normal ceremony, 6 months after my application was approved (I also didn't ask for Australia day but just got given that one) 

After 22 months, I've finally had my ceremony and am now an Australian citizen.

Glad to finally have it, but I still find it frustrating how long the process took, if there was an effective way to make a formal complaint that would actually be listened to and not just filed away somewhere I'd do it (a complaint to the dept of home affairs, not my council, they have been nothing but lovely and accomodating).

Hope everyone else's experiences are more pleasant than mine. 

 

Congratulations. I’m sorry you had to wait so long but it is somewhat comforting to hear that I wasn’t the only one. I applied 21 April 2018, I’ve now finally got approval but no ceremony date yet. It’s been frustrating to see people both apply and be approved while I’ve heard nothing. It seems like a strange way they do it.. I don’t know why it’s not just done in order. I feel like early 2018 was the worst time to apply! Anyway, we’ve got it now so it doesn’t matter  congrats!

On 24/01/2020 at 15:15, Chris N Lora said:

Thanks, I was replying to Netg, whom applied in April 2018, as usual misunderstanding from some.  i was advising NetG 21 is unacceptable. 

Yep I totally agree. 21 months totally unacceptable. They have approved now. The Brisbane office called me and said they were waiting for a document and it was out of their hands but I basically think it slipped through the net and they hadn’t noticed I was still waiting!! Very frustrating because I had to spend $400 on a residents return visa to go back to the UK at Xmas. Hopefully get my ceremony soon so I can get my passport. I applied before my twins were born... they’re now 18 months and they got dual citizenship at 4 months old!! Was much easier for them!’

12 minutes ago, Ausa0000 said:

Was your request turned down? They are supposedly required to supply you with case notes and screen shots of your application under the Freedom of Information Act and most people seem to have gotten results. I believe they have 30 days to send you the FOI request. I believe the key is to submit the right wording regarding your FOI request. There is a template available for an FOI request that has proven very effective that can be found on another forum. I don't believe we are allowed to place links to other forums on here but if you Google "Citizenship processing timeline whirlpool" there is a clickable line towards the top of the page which reads FOI Template. This may make a big difference.

Oh sorry I just sent a request to the feedback people, who emailed me to tell me to go away!! Haha!! That was this morning and I’ve just had a phone call from my local office to say they approved my citizenship and sorry about the delay!! Finally! I feel like they lost it or something!

Now to wait for my letter about ceremony. It only (?!) took 20 months to approval!!!!! 

23 hours ago, Ausa0000 said:

You can submit an FOI request regarding your citizenship application, asking for files, case notes, and screen shots that relate to your Citizenship Application. They won't however be able to offer you any advice or an explanation as to why your application has not yet been approved. This will only shed some light on what has been done on your application thus far.

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/foi/Pages/how-to-make-a-request.aspx

Thank you. I submitted a request and they basically said go away, it’s within time frame! So frustrating when people who applied over a year later are getting there’s through. I’ve sat the teat but am yet to receive anymore communication

I applied in April 2018, can anyone remember how I complain/enquire? I have seen someone talking about it on here a while  ago 

2 minutes ago, LouDYorkie said:

I’m in Brisbane, I did my test in May 2019 and only got my approval in October 2019. I doubt they’ve forgotten you, they are just particularly slow at the moment

It's frustrating to see people applying this year and already having been approved. I don't understand why they're not just processed in order. I thought mine was a pretty straight forward case.

Great that you've been approved. When's your ceremony?

On 08/10/2019 at 15:15, 07Nov2017 said:

Ok guys after 23 months of waiting I can confirm my Citizenship application has been approved today!!!
Applied in Nov 2017
Test passed in October 2018
Application approved in October 2019

I had to go through immigration global feedback and put in a query asking why my application has almost taken two years and still there’s no approval.

It seemed to me they had forgotten about my application, they replied to my query after 2 weeks saying that the application is approved today.

That's great. Wondering if I need to do the same. I might give it a go.

I applied at Brisbane City Council in April 2018, Test June 2019 and haven't heard a thing Just had to pay $410 for a residents return visa as I am going back to the UK and my PR has expired  

On 23/09/2019 at 13:10, LouDYorkie said:

Applied online June 2018
Council Brisbane
Test May 2019
Approval September 2019
Ceremony TBA

No idea why it took so long between test and approval, no additional information requested.

Congrats, you’re doing better than me. I applied To Brisbane City Council in April 2018, test June 2019, still awaiting approval  I guess I’m not really in a rush, my rush was to submit the application before I had my twins (because let’s face it, I’ll never get time to do anything ever! Haha)  but it’s just annoying now

4 hours ago, seabreeze99 said:

Hi,

Anyone waiting for ceremony invitation in Brisbane?

Anyone received invitation for October ceremony? 

 

Yes I’m waiting for Brisbane. Applied April 2018 and took test June 2019. How do you know when the ceremonies are?

32 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

If you only applied this year then your citizenship certainly won’t be complete by December. No chance

I realise I have to get a RRV to leave the country now my PR has expired but I just hoped my citizenship would be through. Applied for citizenship April 2018

19 minutes ago, MrGrieves said:

Yes, even if you had your approval tomorrow, waiting times for the ceremony can be long (I've been waiting for more than 2 months, and no news yet). So it might be safer to apply for a RRV.

Damn, I was hoping my citizenship would be through before December. I guess the problem then is that I have to apply for the passport as well. I might give it until the end of September and apply for the RRV

My PR has expired and we are going overseas on 18th Dec. I have sat my test (beginning of June) and heard nothing. Should I be apply for the visa to leave the country (I think it’s a 155 visa)? How long do they take to process that?

1. Date applied 21/4/18
2. City/Council: Brisbane City Council
3. Online
4. Date received the acknowledgement email 21/4/18
5. Date of the Citizenship Test 6/6/19 (passed 95%)
6. application status still says Received 
7. Date of ceremony TBA

Just wondering how long, roughly, people waited from test/interview to ceremony and then passport.

I have my test in Brisbane on 6 June but my PR expires in August. I’ve called and it basically doesn’t matter about renewing unless I am leaving the country, which I am in December. However it can take 2 months to get the PR renewal (entering back to Australia) visa thing.. 158 visa I think she said

1. Date applied 21/4/18
2. City/Council area Brisbane City Council
3. Online
4. Date received the acknowledgement email 21/4/18
5. Date of the Citizenship Test 6/6/19
6. Date of ceremony TBA
7. Type of ceremony (Urgent/Normal)

Just applied today.

Fingers crossed it's a quick and smooth processing time.

Congrats on your visa; I'll be doing the same as you, can I ask, did you have to print anything off or was it electronic?

 

I'm taking the same approach as Snifter, no fretting or worrying or pacing will get me there faster, and knowing I'm going out in June anyway is a comfort to me, so once I've submitted my OH's birth certificate, I won't be thinking about it until I take my medicals in May.

Hi guys, hope everyone's visas are processing nicely

My CO was DP.

I printed off so much information for when I entered Australia on a tourist visa (stat decs from my partner saying he would support me, bank statements, emails from my CO...etc). I was worried that as I did not have a flight out of Australia, they might question me. Nothing... they did not ask me a single question!!!! Didn't need to bother with all the paperwork.

Then when I flew back into Australia on my partner visa (after a few days in NZ), I didn't bother with any paperwork at all. I just turned up with my ticket and passport. Everything was fine. The visa gets put on your passport electronically I believe. In fact, they didn't ask me a single question.

I applied to Australia House in July, for my partner visa. The application was acknowledged on 31 July 2012.

I moved out to Australia on 5 December 2012 - on a tourist visa.

I was told in mid January (after a gentle push for information via email!!) that my partner visa would be ready in February, I just needed to let my Case Officer know what dates I would be out of the country (it had to be a minimum of 3 working days).

So I booked my flights to Auckland for 4th February and I woke up on 5th February, in Auckland, to the email confirming that my visa had been granted.

I flew back into Brisbane on 9th February - a little aprehensive that they might question me at immigration. But I walked straight through - no dramas at all!!!

So now the painful part... I have to find a job - I was enjoying being on a tourist visa as it meant I could spend my days being a "tourist"!!!

After the initial stress of getting all the paperwork together, I would recommend to everyone to just forget about the application. Don't stress, don't worry, just let it all happen!! And make sure you supply them with what they need as soon as possible (like medicals etc).

Don't worry, I have no intention of booking flights until my visa is granted. However I think it's only fair that I should at least be considered to be granted at the same time as people who have applied after me but have been told to expect theirs before.

As far as I have seen on this site over the last 7 months ish, people do seem to get their visas granted in a fair order. It may just be that you have not been told that your visa will be granted yet (as your CO knows you're in the UK and therefore you don't need to book flights to leave the country). I asked in early January and my CO was still telling me 8-9 months. Then I asked again on an off chance and he said it could be granted in February, which is just over the 6 month mark. I just had to confirm what dates I will be out of Australia and he has put a note in his diary to grant the visa then.

In terms of booking flights to Australia before your visa is granted - it is a bit risky and is not advised by the case officers, but I always had in the back of my mind that I might have to leave after my 3 month tourist visa expired, if my partner visa still hadn't been granted. We were just impatient and wanted to spend Xmas in the sun!! :cool: