Australian Citizenship - who's got it / going to get it, and why?

[calNgary]

To us it was like the final piece of the migration jigsaw slotting into place. The other factor was for the kids, as someone has said earlier, you never know when goal posts get moved and we wanted to give our children the chance to explore or live in both areas when they are older without them having the cost and hoops to jump through that we had to.

Do i feel 'more' Australian? Nope, .. do i feel 'less' British? Nope, its a piece of paper at the end of the day.

 

Cal x

[Peach]

I got it as soon as was able. Who knows EW, you might feel more of an affinity if you take some of those barriers down? Presently you seem determined to keep it all at arms length..

[Guest]

I got it as soon as was able. Who knows EW, you might feel more of an affinity if you take some of those barriers down? Presently you seem determined to keep it all at arms length..

 

I appreciate the sentiment Peach but I doubt that I could ever feel any affinity with Australia. I say that with the greatest respect to the place and it's people after 7+ years spent here. :smile:

[Sea breeze]

We got ours with no intention of EVER going back and living there. After a year of bad weather stress and not much spare cash in the uk all I'm saying is I'm glad we got a get out card if you can get it , get it you never know what the future holds xxx

[VERYSTORMY]

We took it as we thought at the time we would stay in Oz long term. That and the fact I was commuting between Oz and Africa, so would have needed RRV's.

 

Probably pointless now as we don't have children who may benefit from it and while never say never, I would say the chances of us returning even for a holiday are very very small. For holidays, there are many more places I want to visit and moving again feels like far too much hassle and expense.

[Peach]

[/b]

 

I appreciate the sentiment Peach but I doubt that I could ever feel any affinity with Australia. I say that with the greatest respect to the place and it's people after 7+ years spent here. :smile:

 

You know that still makes me scratch my head Whether you like it or not you are part of Australia after 7 years, not filling out the last set of forms won't change that. It's just another place to live, I don't think I'll ever understand being barefoot in a supermarket, or those bizarre rats tail hair things on kids but I'm prepared to elbow my way in and get what I want from living here -- and as a citizen who is to say that I shouldn't?

[Marisawright]

I completely understand the notion of the 'insurance policy' to enable someone to return to Australia if required, I just wonder whether applying for citizenship is the only way to ensure this in the long-term? Particularly as I already have a Spouse Visa?

 

I should point out that I completely understand why people might choose to be pragmatic in securing citizenship just in case they need it. It's just that for me it would feel wrong as I don't identify with Australia and so applying for citizenship would feel like hypocrisy in my case.

 

 

The spouse visa will lapse eventually and if the UK spouse visa is any guide, it will just get harder and harder and more expensive to renew it. So, not to be relied on.

 

I think you are over-thinking it, frankly. Australia really doesn't care whether you're being hypocritical or not, so there's no need to lose sleep over it.

 

I suspect your real reason is that you've set your face against Australia (for reasons I completely understand) and getting citizenship would mean admitting that you MIGHT have to come back one day, which is something you don't want to contemplate.

[Nemesis]

The spouse visa will lapse eventually and if the UK spouse visa is any guide, it will just get harder and harder and more expensive to renew it. So, not to be relied on.

 

I think you are over-thinking it, frankly. Australia really doesn't care whether you're being hypocritical or not, so there's no need to lose sleep over it.

 

I suspect your real reason is that you've set your face against Australia (for reasons I completely understand) and getting citizenship would mean admitting that you MIGHT have to come back one day, which is something you don't want to contemplate.

 

So many spouses got caught out by the UK changes, didn't they, thought they could always return then found the rules had changed to prevent it.

 

There are serious rumours of a big shake up to the Aus Spouse Visa rules this year or next, it can only get tougher and more expensive so getting citizenship now really would be a good idea for the OP.

Also relying on RRVs does get more expensive, and the rules could change there too - and if it expires and you need to travel at short notice. Being a citizen has to make things easier.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Nemesis

[Harpodom]

Yeah EW, just do it already, FFS!

[dmjg]

Yeah EW, just do it already, FFS!

 

He can do what he wants,

 

But he, and his family, may, one day, have to suffer the concequences of his choices now.

[bunbury61]

Why do you have to do it as soon as she is born.

Couldn't she get hers herself whenever she wants later ?

 

Because iam her dad ,and dads try and thi k ahead ,and give their kids the best options .

She was born in 2000 ,how do we know what the world would hold for her in 2016 ?

Would she still be eligible in 2016 ,being born in the u.k .

We only have our kids for a short time ,as kids .

The eldest doesn't come away with is now .

So bloody glad I crammed so much Into their life c.v.

It was done conciously ,and we have had some bloody great laughs and memories.

The other reason for the passport for both ,it gives them both equal choice .

Thank god they are both healthy and doing o.k .

The eldest has a job for life ,with massive opportunities ,and a great pension ,if not a fantastic salary.

Thank god they take after their mother in the looks dept .....both very pretty .

The world is wide open to them ,its just getting them to see it .

Don't thi k they will fly too far though .

[Patphillips47]

Just remembered the case of Clifford Tucker who was deported from Adelaide because of his criminal history He had been in Oz from being a child but never became a citizen He had holidayed in Bali then returned to Oz this somehow seemed to open the door to his deportation !

[Parley]

To us it was like the final piece of the migration jigsaw slotting into place. The other factor was for the kids, as someone has said earlier, you never know when goal posts get moved and we wanted to give our children the chance to explore or live in both areas when they are older without them having the cost and hoops to jump through that we had to.

Do i feel 'more' Australian? Nope, .. do i feel 'less' British? Nope, its a piece of paper at the end of the day.

 

Cal x

 

No. It is so much more than that.

If that is the way you feel that is incredibly sad.

[Harpodom]

No. It is so much more than that.

If that is the way you feel that is incredibly sad.

 

Yes. It is a religious calling. Like joining the priesthood

[NicF]

An Irish colleague of mine was surprised when I shared with her that despite having been in Australia for over seven years I hadn't applied for citizenship. She applied immediately upon living here for the mandatory period of time to be eligible (four years I think?) and is awaiting a date for the ceremony. When i asked her why she'd applied, she described it as an "insurance policy" against any future changes to immigration legislation, so that even if she went home to Ireland for a period of time she'd always have the opportunity to return here if she wished. Personally, I did briefly toy with the idea of applying for citizenship in 2014 when I was stung for the cost of a Resident Return Visa during a trip back home, but instead elected not to. When it came down to it, it just didn't feel like a very honest thing for me to do. I currently live in Australia but only because my (Australian) partner wanted to spend some time back here. I've never felt at home here and feel no affinity with this country and so that in all honesty making a pledge to the place seemed well, dishonest, in truth.

 

I just wondered though how many P.I.O. members have either got citizenship or are planning to apply for it and what prompted it? Was it because you feel Australian now (perhaps more than you feel British), or because you want to display your commitment to your adopted country or because you want the ability to come and go with the ease that comes with holding an Australian passport? Or, is there another reason that I haven't touched upon?

 

My Australian OH only got UK citizenship as we were gathering our evidence to apply for my Australian spouse visa. He got it to ensure he could return back to the UK should he ever want to. Really there was no particular reason for him not to get it before hand, he just never got round to it. Having a UK passport means that if we ever feel the need to return to the UK, even if it's just for a year or two, we can do without having to worry about visas. I will get my Australian citizenship once eligible so I have the same status as my OH and kids and not because I feel Australian in any way. I do feel a strong affinity to South Australia but I can't say I feel part of the larger Australia as a whole.

 

Really there is no particular reason to not get citizenship and it may even have advantages for you elsewhere. I don't know the rules for all countries but there may well be places you can go with an Australian passport that are more difficult with a UK one. Also there are some places that you can't visit if you have a stamp from another particular country in your passport. If you have two passports then you could use one for one country and the other for the other. Having both passports may also mean you have access to consular help in more countries while travelling. It would mean having to vote though....

 

My OH's nephew's wife is from Norway and although she loves it in Australia and wants to remain living here long term she will not get citizenship. But that is because it would mean her loosing her excellent Norwegian pension. This I can understand. Not getting citizenship because you don't like Australia and don't want to be a hypocrite is all very well and shows strong ethical and moral principles but seems a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me. Having said that though, if the process proves to be in any way difficult or onerous I may still be Australian citizenshipless in 10 years time myself.

[Que Sera Sera]

I actually think it says a great deal about your character that you care enough to even ask if it's the right thing to do. I've not been shy in saying I don't think it's right that people take the p#ss out of the whole citizenship thing, being very vocal of their dislike of all things Aussie but staying the 4 years so they can get their insurance policy before running back to the UK , but in this case if you have an Aussie wife and probably more importantly an Aussie daughter then you'd be mad not to.

 

I got Citizenship because I wanted all the rights of a Citizen. I don't "feel" Aussie, I feel English with full Aussie rights. I love living here and can't see that changing anytime but you can never say never .

[Si T]

Quite simple reasons for me.

I live here, I like it here, I'm eligible and you never quite know what the future holds.

At almost 44 it is highly unlikely I will ever feel "Aussie" and will always be Welsh first and foremost but my current situation means that obtaining citizenship makes sense.

[JockinTas]

I became a citizen after my two boys were born here. OH is Australian born too so it made sense really.

[ABL275]

Just became a citizen yesterday; we had lived here for four years and decided to stay permanently so I applied but would have done so anyway in case we;d gone home and then wanted to come back at a later date.

 

Other main reasons:

 

1. We live and work in Canberra where you need to be a citizen to work in government (about 55% of all jobs here) or get a security clearance to work with government as a consultant/contractor (about 35%)

2. My wife and daughter already have dual UK/Australian citizen so we wouldn't get separated at airports etc.

3. As I intend to be here long-term I believe in committing and participating in the country's affairs

4. It doesn't adversely impact my British nationality in any way.

[Suzukiscottie]

Finally got my ceremony date.

 

Just hoping that my offspring will greatly improve the Australian gene pool.

 

Oh, and voting. Yes, I can then vote for one of 2 poor options.

 

[emoji41]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wooba]

Back many years ago now I'd just reached voting age and wanted to become a citizen of Canada so I could vote in the next election. Besides that, customs seemed to give us extra scrutiny as just a resident for some reason. My parents were like some of the posters on this forum. Indifferent to Canada. It was just where they lived and worked but they had no special attachment to it. I started the process on my own because they didn't see the point but they quickly jumped on board and we did it together. Years later my parents felt much closer to Canada and I know they would say it was the right choice. It simplifies so many things.

 

As was also pointed out I this thread you never know when it might come in handy. For example travel to the United States is much easier for Canadians. Visas are not required and we're exempt from giving biometric data. It works the other way round too. My partner is Brazilian. To visit hey family I might need to get a visa. Canadians require visas to travel there, Britons do not.

 

While I definitely consider myself Canadian before British, i would encourage anyone who can take citizenship to do so*. You never know when it can come in handy.

 

*not Brazilian. Never take Brazilian citizenship :-)

[LKC]

We've held citizenship for almost three years, and applied for it as soon as we were able. I suppose the biggest reason was for future security. We moved to Australia when our girls were little, so Australia is their home. You never know what is going to happen in the future, and so it made sense for us all to have citizenship so that we had options. I would be perfectly happy living in either country, but who knows where our girls will end up. At least this way if they live in Australia we can be here too. If one lives in the UK and one in Aus, we can do that too. If one or both of them wants to live elsewhere then, at least, they could come back to wherever we are if need be.

 

Secondly, since we live here I would like to have at least a small part in deciding who is elected into government. I always felt that if you don't take part in the political process, you have no right to complain about it. To that end, I wanted to be able to vote.

 

I don't see us returning to the UK, at least not for many years if at all, but it is nice not to have to worry about RRV etc if we do. It feels like the full stop has been put at the end of the sentence (you could take that to have two meanings!).

[Rossmoyne]

I took citizenship as soon as I was eligible (23 years ago) for many reasons.

1. My entire family live in WA and are Australian citizens

2. I love Australia and knew I would always live here

3. To give my children options when they were adults

4. Most importantly, I wanted to vote and have a say in the politics of the country.

 

Never ever regretted taking citizenship and I actually now identify as an English born Australian, and not an English person living in Australia. Very subtle difference.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

We have been citizens 8 years now. We were eligible in 2006 but it wasn't until we considered leaving Australia for a holiday and looked in to the RRV we decided to proceed.

For us citizenship gives you security, voting rights and the option of returning if ever we left.

Ive known families who have had parents come out and return home to the UK without citizenship and then these same children 20 odd years later can't get a visa to get back

[Guest]

My oh and his mother both been here 30 years neither are citizens and are unlikely to bother now. My oh has toyed with the idea a few times but has never quite got there. They just don't feel the need.