guptsur

I emailed the department and for a reply from citizenship.online.applications@homeaffairs.gov.au today. Basically they said that when I was offshore and renewed my residency and went on RRV I should have come into the country to activate my RRV. This is because of the day my I got RRV my old residency stopped and as I was offshore my RRV did not start. As I did not come into the country to activate my RRV therefore my residency period starts from July 2016 when I entered the country. Hence I have to wait till July 2020 for the four year period. I hope if helps others in similar situation. -> make sure after you get RRV from offshore you come into the country to activate it <-

Thanks Paul, I have replied to you via your websites inquiry form. Please share your email and I will accordingly send you an Excel file with all the travel dates. Thank you.

Hi Paulhand, I called the citizenship number today and they again said that they only look at four years in the past from today and say that I will only be eligible in July 2020. I guess I will wait another few days in case I calculation is not correct. But its really weird that they don't look at the fact that I have been loving in AU for so long. I really thought that they would consider 2015 July to 2016 July as my 12 months outside the country and then three years from July 2016 to July 2019 as my three years in the country but seems like as per the office that is not the case. He just said I don't meet the 3 year out of 4 requirement even though I have been a permanent resident since 2010 (and have been on RRV since 2015 Jan). Lets see if anything changes in the next 7 days in my immi account. Regards,

Hi Milano, Unfortunately I don't remember. Even if it did then I would not have I think.

Thanks @Paulhand - I will report back in few days. Thanks for your reply once again. Regards,

Hi Everyone, Following is my timeline. Dec 2004 – Came to Australia as a student. Dec 2009 – Finished double degree and applied for residency. 26 Feb 2010 – became resident while I was in Australia. July 2010 – started working with my current Employer (I have been working with the same employer for close to 10 years now in 2019). 2011 Feb – I because eligible for citizenship but did not apply (Mistake of my life.. as you do stupid things when you are young). 2013 Aug – Went to US for a three year assignment with the same employer. Employer was paying me superannuation in AUS and salary in US (Multi-national company – all legit). 2015 Jan – I renewed my residency before it was meant to expire - I was in US at the time. 2016 July – came back to AUS after my three year assignment finished in US. Entered AUS on a RRV for the first time. - In the three years from Aug 2013 to July 2016 I did not come to Aus as I was travelling in US a lot As per the residency calculator on the immi website I am eligible to apply for citizenship on 16th November 2019 (because of the overseas trip that I have taken in the three years from 2016 I had to wait another 4.5 months). In the residency calculator I state I got residency in 2010 Feb and residence started on the same day as residency. Currently the 6th page on the citizenship application in not allowing me to progress further (as of 17th Nov 2019). And as of 16th Nov 2019 the residency calculator says I am eligible. Two weeks back on 30th October I called the immigration department and they told me that I will be eligible to apply for citizenship on 7th July 2020 because I have to be in the country for four years. I returned from US on 6th July 2016. This does not make any sense to me. The citizenship requirement is 1. Be in Australia legally (I was through out from 2004). 2. In the last 4 years I should have been in the country for 3 years. 3. In the last 12 months I should have been in the country for 9 months. I don't get how my time on the original residency visa from 2010 is not counted anymore since I transferred to RRV. Any help or feedback from the group here is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Thanks a lot for your reply Yelverton. Gives me a lot of hope. I too am counting on my 12 month overseas being in the first year and then 3 years straight as being in the country, so hopefully will be able to apply citizenship in few weeks time.

Sigemup, were you able to apply or are you still waiting ?

Hi Gabriel_P, Any news ? were you able to apply or are you having to wait till next year ? I am in a very similar situation as you where the residency calculator says that I will be eligible around 16th November 2019 but the office on the phone says that I will not be eligible till 7th July 2020. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Yelverton, Can you provide us update on your situation ? I am in a similar situation as you. Were you able to apply in June 2018 or if you had to wait till June 2019. Thanks mate.