Sheila

Approvals now started pouring in. Stay tight, just a matter of few more weeks. 3-4 weeks.

I think from 1st Nov - 15 Nov most of us will receive the approval letters.

16th April is the date when Eliot applied for citizenship. The guy who approved on 4th applied on 9th April. So he applied 7 days late than that guy. 16-9= 7. So he can expect approved 7 days later than his approval. 4+7= 11th October ( two extra days for 13, just in case ). Complex maths.

Your letter should receive by 20th October

Some movement @ Melbourne office. Here is a timeline for a victorian applicant. NOT me Council: City of Casey, Melbourne Test place: Melbourne CBD office Applied: 9 th April 17 (Online) Email Notification for Test appointment on June 1st : Scheduled on 06 Sep17 Rescheduled Test date online: 31 July 17 Approval Received: 12/10/17( Post), issue date: 4/10/17 Ceremony Date: Waiting

I think they might clear the backlog first before processing applications after 20 April 2017. That is kind of assumption I think

Same here 111 days - 23 June test and passed with 100%

Lady is not from Victoria

someone in another forum posted her update that she received an approval letter on 5th October dated 26 September- test date 22 June. State council not mentioned

There is no citizenship test booked in Nov in Melbourne. I think everyone will be finished with the test in next couple of weeks

You can fight for an early ceremony as you are Council-less, therefore can be accommodated in any council or immediately next available ceremony. Hoping for the good result in next few weeks.

All indicators pointing towards end of October, 1-month Dementia would be helpful:)

That is correct Elliot, as there is definitely something unusual. As the whole system is working differently as compared to 6 months ago. The previous pattern was more waiting time after approval letters and before ceremonies.

No, it is not official but an opinion from someone from another forum

"People who all are waiting for approval mails, don't press panic button. I believe it should be happening for a reason, most of you guys are aware that DIBP stopped processing applications the people who lodged after April 20th, so only work DIBP have is to process the applications lodged before April 20th and it reported to senate committee that they will close the processing of old applications by Oct end, we should take this as liberals word as government officials follow what potato Dutton tells. if DIBP process all applications and keep with empty hand until new bill passes, can government handles the pressure from opposition, other communities and common people? It has slowed down the process till new law passes, it would get pile of applications from Oct 19th to process, so they will try to close the old ones by end of Oct, So wait for another 30 days everything will be all right. " Another opinion

I called today as well. They said, No approval yet. Wait. This time they actually looked in the file.

overall things are not bad 4 us @Elliot Tsao In a bigger picture, it is just 5 months since lodgement. Department increased expected time frame 4 a known reason. From the pattern, it is evident that a huge number of applications are pending.

TEST dates Approval letter Approval date Not approved 30 - Approved 21 Approval rate 40% 29 May 2017 TBA TBA 29 May 2017 06 Jun 2017 29 May 2017 30 May 2017 09 Jun 2017 02 Jun 2017 30 May 2017 TBA TBA 31 May 2017 TBA TBA 1 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 02 Jun 2017 15 Aug 2017 03 Aug 2017 02 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 07 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 08 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 13 Jun 2017 03 Aug 2017 27 Jul 2017 13 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 13 Jun 2017 02 Aug 2017 26 Jul 2017 14 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 14 Jun 2017 19 Aug 2017 14 Aug 2017 15 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 19 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 19 Jun 2017 31 Jul 2017 24 Jul 2017 20 Jun 2017 25 Jul 2017 18 Jul 2017 20 Jun 2017 31 Jul 2017 26 Jul 2017 20 Jun 2017 14 Jul 2017 10 Jul 2017 21 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 22 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 23 Jun 2017 25 Jul 2017 19 Jul 2017 23 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 26 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 27 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 29 Jun 2017 21 Jul 2017 17 Jul 2017 29 Jun 2017 TBA TBA 30 Jun 2017 29 Jul 2017 24 Jul 2017 04 Jul 2017 17 Aug 2017 09 Aug 2017 05 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 05 Jul 2017 01 Aug 2017 26 Jul 2017 05 Jul 2017 09 Aug 2017 02 Aug 2017 05 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 10 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 10 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 10 Jul 2017 01 Aug 2017 26 Jul 2017 11 Jul 2017 17 Aug 2017 14 Aug 2017 11 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 14 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 24 Jul 2017 28 Aug 2017 21 Aug 2017 28 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 29 Jul 2017 05 Aug 2017 03 Aug 2017 31 Jul 2017 TBA TBA 01 Aug 2017 TBA TBA 02 Aug 2017 TBA TBA 11 Aug 2017 27 Aug 2017 17 Aug 2017 08 Sep 2017 TBA TBA 25 Sep 2017 TBA TBA 26 Sep 2017 TBA TBA

In my council, next ceremony is on 5 December. if I receive the letter by 5 Nov so that I can be included in the ceremony I am happy.

The citizenship test is usually scheduled for next 2 -3months after test Email. Now there is only appointments in the month of October and few on Ist Nov only. So waiting period (between test email and citizenship test ) is now squeezed to almost 1 month. DIBP don't have enough applications to process now. As I applied on 18 April around 11 pm and there were only 24 hours left before new rules were introduced and people who applied during that period are still at test stage. I think in mid or end of Nov everybody will be done with the test. Unless the start processing applications post 20 April, in a month time DIBP will have pretty much nothing to do as everybody will be done with the test. So hopefully in next 3-4 weeks, most of us will get approval letters

it is not us, a lot of people are waiting

I think,delay may not be related to LR/ HR issue. it is more like lack of staff

I am from LR country too..!!

Congrats ...!! Get the Form from Post office, get it is signed by a person who is Australian Citizen and know you more than 12 months. That person must be from certain professions, I think same as Identity declaration form for citizen application. Drs, nurses, police officers, pharmacists etc. You can book urgent passport appointment at DIBP office Melbourne the next day of the ceremony. You will get passport delivered in 3-4 days at your home or ready to be collected from DIBP in 2-3 days if you choose to collect from the office. You are lucky that you get all steps completed in time. Good luck and all the best.

Great analysis. ... !!! Hope for the best