joeldee Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 My 186 visa was approved last week my question is I have lived here for 3 years and 7 months now (since September 2011) so technically I should be able to apply for citizenship after a further 12 months? How is this time accumulated? Is it 12 months from my 186 visa approval date? Say I go on holiday for 2 weeks in between this 12 month period does that 2 weeks not count towards my 1 year as a resident? Reason I ask is I've seen my family 4 times since 2011 as they all still live back in the UK, I was thinking about going back to spend some time with them for 1-3 months towards the end of this year, if I leave for 2 or 3 months how does this affect applying for citizenship? Whats the most ammount of time I can leave without it affecting this? Any help much appreciated before I call immigration to try clear this up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chewitts Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 As far as I recall you cannot spend more than 90 days outside of australia in the 12 month preceding your citizenship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeldee Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 So the days that apply to the 1 year as a PR accumulated daily? i.e I have to be here 365 days in total, so if I go away for 60 days I would have to live here a extra 60 days upon returning until I can apply? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pommekate Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 You must have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for 4 years immediately before applying, including 1 year as a permanent resident, and You must not have been absent from Australia for more than 1 year during the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year immediately before applying. So my understanding is that you are allowed up to 90 days in the year as a permanent resident. However have your previous holidays to UK add up to over a year? I see it as even though you are going on holiday to the UK you are still a permanent resident, but make sure it is under the 90 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeldee Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 So does my working holiday visa count towards the 4 years too? So: 417 September 2011 - June 2012 457 June 2012 - April 2015 186 April 2015 - On-going So basically I can leave but not for more than 90 days. If I leave for 60 days though does this time not count towards my year as a resident? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killara Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 (edited) The 60 days would count towards the year as permanent resident. You would not add the 60 to 365 days from grant of the 186. There is a residence eligibility calculator on the citizenship website which can be useful to calculate residence eligibility. http://www.immi.gov.au/citizenship/Pages/residence-calculator.aspx Edited April 22, 2015 by Killara Added link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pommekate Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Not too sure about the working holiday visa, the website just says a valid visa, that does include temporary visas. Their is a calculator on the department of immigration website that can calculate if you fit the criteria. You have to put in all your visas that you have held and the dates you have been overseas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movingback Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 The WHV is included in time towards citizenship Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeldee Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 So basically in the 12 months of residency I cant leave for longer than 90 days. And the total 4 years of being in Australia and one as a resident I can't have left for longer than a total of 12 months is that 12 months in total accumulated or a one of 12 month period? All confusing, I rang immigration and even they couldn't give me a straight answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pommekate Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 I read it as 12 months accumulated with no more than 90 of those days being in the year prior to applying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 So basically in the 12 months of residency I cant leave for longer than 90 days. And the total 4 years of being in Australia and one as a resident I can't have left for longer than a total of 12 months is that 12 months in total accumulated or a one of 12 month period? All confusing, I rang immigration and even they couldn't give me a straight answer From the website You must: have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying which must include the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and not have been absent from Australia for more than one year in total, in the 4 year period, including no more than 90 days in the year before applying. http://www.citizenship.gov.au/applying/how_to_apply/conferral_app_process/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeldee Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 Sweet thanks for the info, so really I should be allowed to leave for up to 90 days without it affecting citizenship. Just don't know if I have to do that extra time added to the 12 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Sweet thanks for the info, so really I should be allowed to leave for up to 90 days without it affecting citizenship. Just don't know if I have to do that extra time added to the 12 months You don't need to add any time outside Australia to the 4 years overall or to the 12 months as a resident. To put it another way, the 4 years is the exact 4 years immediately before you apply and the 12 months as a PR is the 12 months before you apply even if some of that time has been spent outside Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeldee Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Question: So in the 12 months as a resident, if I leave for 60 days then return, and then leave for another 60 days does that make it void? If so what happens? The 12 months as a resident just starts again from when you return? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMay24 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 You'd need to wait until you have a 4-year period in which you hadn't spent more than 12 months outside Australia, including no more than 3 months in the final year before your application. So in your question, you could apply when you reached the anniversary of the middle of your first trip (so 30 days of it plus your second 60 day trip equal the allowed 90 days). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Unregistered Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Hey guys, on a 186 and can apply for citizenship this april Question is do you have to submit criminal record checks again? I went back to the UK for a month at xmas so someone told me you have to provide the checks again? Is this true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeldee Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 Hey I have a question I am on a 186 and can apply for citizenship this April. Apart from the application form could anyone advise me what supporting documents they will require? I went back to the UK for a month this xmas and someone told me I must get fresh criminal record checks again, is this true? Any other documents I should have ready? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabelj28 Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Hey I have a question I am on a 186 and can apply for citizenship this April. Apart from the application form could anyone advise me what supporting documents they will require? I went back to the UK for a month this xmas and someone told me I must get fresh criminal record checks again, is this true? Any other documents I should have ready? no, only need police check if out of country for more than 12 months and or in one place for more than 90 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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