Cazza1404

Thanks for your reply @Rallyman, useful info. Cheers

Thank you @Rossmoyne, mum had a heart attack recently and although she is doing ok I really need to get back to help her with hospital appointments etc... I'm not sure they would class it as urgent? It's more a daughter/mum thing. I think we may head off after the ceremony and apply from the UK when we get there. We can get the forms done here and take a trip to London within the 6 months that the form will be valid. Bit of a pain and an extra cost but seems like it may be easier than sourcing doctors notes. In the middle of packing up a house, selling up and trying to wrap up work so plate is v full. Thanks for your advice

Hi @ScottieGirl Thanks for your reply. I was just thinking the same thing, we may not need them for sometime so is there any point in hanging about for 3 weeks extra just to get the passport here? I just looked up how to get a Au passport issued in the UK and it seems pretty straight forward, just involves a trip to London and bit of extra cash. Cheers

Well having to collect them certainly throws a spanner in my plan to leave after the ceremony and have them forwarded but it's great to get these insights so we can plan properly. It's the most frustrating process I have been through, there are only 10 people on the August ceremony (our council can hold up to 200 people) and it's only because immigration has a 'back log' that our names haven't been processed yet. Really desperate to get home to mum but I don't know when we will return so it's really important for us to get our citizenship. We have 2 Aussie children, young now but may want to come and live here when they're older and it would be nice to be able to join them if we can. Thanks for taking the time to reply and let me know your experiences, Caroline

Thank you, lots to try and get my head round. We have been waiting Since last December for our citizenship, it's such a lengthy process. Thank you

Thanks for your reply @Collie can I ask why you had to collect passports from Post Office? Is it just something they do with passports? Also how quickly did you get it back from posting off your application? Cheers

Thanks for your reply @VERYSTORMY I have checked with our local council and they said they cannot hold a compassionate or one off ceremony without completing a request for an urgent ceremony application with the Department (and the Department is the determining authority). And we cannot "shop around" for a ceremony. Another thought I have is to post off our passport applications on 11th October, head off to the UK and have them forwarded to us from our home address in Lennox Head NSW whenever they arrive..... I guess we can leave Australia on British passports but wouldn't get back in without the Aussie one? I don't want to risk booking flights for the 4 of us without really knowing we have those passports in sight. Thank you

Hi Guys, We are getting set to return to UK and was really hoping for the August citizenship ceremony but it looks like that's not going to happen, next one is Tues10th Oct. My question is, how quickly can we get our Aussie passports after the ceremony? Urgently need to head back as mum is unwell. I am thinking, make a passport interview appointment on Weds 11th at the PO and ask for an express service which should mean we can collect our passports from Brissy on Monday16th October? Would anyone have any advice for me, Many thanks

Thanks @VERYSTORMY good advice.

Hi @Collie thanks for your reply. For now this is a permanent move back so we could get a passport when we're back in the UK. I read that this would mean attending an interview at the embassy in London though? I think we would be able to leave Oz on our UK passports, particularly on a one way ticket but it sounds like getting the Oz passport is the best idea. Just wish DIPB was able to give us more info re timeframes. Thanks

Thanks @VERYSTORMY really helpful. With regards to the passport application, did you hand it in to the passport office? Or go through Auspost interview? Is it a case of getting a paper application all but complete, then attending ceremony, then heading straight to passport office? This could work for us, thanks.

Hi guys, We need to return to UK as quickly as possible but are mid way through our citizenship application, we sit the test on 17th May and are really hoping to get on the Aug 8th ceremony. The problem is, we need to leave asap (9th Aug) after the ceremony which won't allow time to apply for an Australian passport. My questions are: Can my partner and I leave on a one way ticket on our UK passports? If not, what would your best advice be to speed up the passport application process? Thank you, I have trawled forums to get an answer but have no clear cut info so hoping someone here is in the know.

On with ours now @Quoll. our kids were born here but we need to sit the test.

@lou556 i can relate to your situation completely. Im ready to go but OH worried about work and house prices and loves his life here in oz. It's a tricky situ gor sure. How far have you explored renting your house out, I'm thinking the same but just can't get my head around it. It would be nice to go home with some money but great to have the house hear if things don't work out? It may be the only way I can convince OH to go though, knowing we have house to come back to if needed. Keep in touch

@ladyrainicorn I really agree with your last comment. I am now regretting moving to oz with such a permanent outlook. for us, if we went back, I would view it as a 10 year adventure. I have nothing bad to say about oz, but sometimes its just time to move on and change things up.