Changes to pathway to Citizenship

[ian360]

1 minute ago, wombatinabox said:

They now officially removed the online eligibility. You can technically apply by paper but apps after April 20 will be frozen  anyway even if eligible under new rules until new tests are ready and approved early 2018. 

 

Looks like a very long wait period is ahead 

 

Waiting for final confirmation from agent but not looking good for post April 20 apps

Ah that sucks. I am not eligible to apply until October anyway, but still... the queue will be massive by then. What a mess!

[unzippy]

11 hours ago, Beffers said:

You're right.  There's lots of Brits that do that.  It would be interesting to see if any/many would renounce their British citizenship in favour of Australia. I actually think this should be a condition of applying for Citizenship in any country. If you want Citizenship, then prove your allegiance unequivocally. 

I think some people want options.

I'm English and the wife is Aus.  What we would like is to be able to live and work (pay tax) in either county without endlessly paying buckets of money in visa fees.

Given that both countries are governed by the same monarch makes the entire situation quite ridiculous!

[wombatinabox]

39 minutes ago, ian360 said:

Ah that sucks. I am not eligible to apply until October anyway, but still... the queue will be massive by then. What a mess!

Yep the backlog will be so huge, very likely wait times will extend to 2019. 

Edited April 27, 2017 by wombatinabox

[milliem]

it will really suck if we have to sit another IELTS.  

 

[Parley]

2 hours ago, unzippy said:

I think some people want options.

I'm English and the wife is Aus.  What we would like is to be able to live and work (pay tax) in either county without endlessly paying buckets of money in visa fees.

Given that both countries are governed by the same monarch makes the entire situation quite ridiculous!

The monarch doesn't govern the country.

Each country makes its own laws as it sees fit.

Both countries are parliamentary democracies and will have very different priorities from each other at any given time.

[unzippy]

1 hour ago, Parley said:

The monarch doesn't govern the country.

Each country makes its own laws as it sees fit.

Both countries are parliamentary democracies and will have very different priorities from each other at any given time.

Ok, governed was the wrong word 

My point is, despite sharing the Queen, despite the Union Jack being part of the Australian flag, despite both being Commonwealth countries - a French/Dutch/Polish person can come and work in the UK easier than Australian (currently!).

[MaggieMay24]

15 hours ago, ian360 said:

No more applications until 2018? How do you know this?

No one knows anything until DIBP publishes an update, so anything until then is purely speculation.

[rammygirl]

47 minutes ago, MaggieMay24 said:

No one knows anything until DIBP publishes an update, so anything until then is purely speculation.

And the haven't contacted the people who applied yet.  My son  finished his application and submitted on the 20 th ( he was waiting for the ID form to be signed), he has had nothing since the acknowledgement e mail. When he submitted there was no information about the changes on the website at all, they appeared later.

He qualifies under the old rules as of march 2017 but the new rules in Jan 2018.  If they freeze the applications he will qualify under the new rules by the time they sort it I think.  I assume he will have to re apply but I will be expecting my money back or to be transferred to the new application.  

 

I do do think it is bad form to leave people in the dark, they should have realised this would happen and thought about how to deal with it before making the announcement, even Trump has learned from that one!

Edited April 27, 2017 by rammygirl

[ian360]

34 minutes ago, rammygirl said:

I do do think it is bad form to leave people in the dark, they should have realised this would happen and thought about how to deal with it before making the announcement, even Trump has learned from that one!

I have to agree with this part. It feels like they have just made the decision without thinking it through properly or the implications and additional workload on the immigration team. I bet the immigration staff are not happy with the fallout from this.

I have worked for companies before where the bosses would make major decisions off the cuff like this without any real understanding of what was involved and we were all left to pick up the pieces. It never had good results.

It still surprises me that the people who run countries also make these kind of rash decisions. I know they are just human and have the same human instincts and impulses as anybody else, but you expect the best from your top team - which in reality, is rarely delivered.

[jess6]

13 hours ago, unzippy said:

Ok, governed was the wrong word 

My point is, despite sharing the Queen, despite the Union Jack being part of the Australian flag, despite both being Commonwealth countries - a French/Dutch/Polish person can come and work in the UK easier than Australian (currently!).

Yes indeed because the UK is still part of the EU. You will find a lot of Brits in France, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands as well.

[jess6]

On 27/04/2017 at 6:12 AM, Beffers said:

You're right.  There's lots of Brits that do that.  It would be interesting to see if any/many would renounce their British citizenship in favour of Australia. I actually think this should be a condition of applying for Citizenship in any country. If you want Citizenship, then prove your allegiance unequivocally. 

People still have family in their home country.

Life is full of unexpected events and a committed person can have reasons to return back "home".

Would you want them to be unable to go "home" if they had to take care of a loved one in a critical situation? 

I believe in a free world and have no problem seeing people wanting to explore the world.

At the end of the day, during their time in a country, people participate positively to its economy and support the community.

Why would you prevent them from becoming a citizen after a few years?

I also do not see why it would be positive to prevent Australian Citizens to have dual citizenship. Why is that good to prevent people from going "home" if they want or need to?

Loving people is mostly accepting to let them go. Otherwise that's not love, that's self interest. 

[ericacaca2u]

Hey all. There is currently a petition on change.org https://www.change.org/p/department-of-immigration-and-border-protection-australia-vote-against-4-years-after-pr-eligibility-towards-oz-citizenship?source_location=minibar that is against the changes currently at over 30,000 supporters. Please sign and forward on.

[wombatinabox]

Petitions are useless. Plus that petition is so brief and doesn't really address the real issue. 

It's better to contact your local MP and senator ask them to vote against this and submit your feedback to government as per the citizenship changes document. 

[CHOLE]

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/asiapacific/2017/04/28/nz-pm-secures-citizenship-change-exemption.html

The New Zealanders will not effected by changes to Australian citizenship laws announced by Malcolm Turnbull last week.

[wombatinabox]

4 hours ago, CHOLE said:

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/asiapacific/2017/04/28/nz-pm-secures-citizenship-change-exemption.html

The New Zealanders will not effected by changes to Australian citizenship laws announced by Malcolm Turnbull last week.

This makes it even more clear that these changes are purely politically targeted. We all know why.. 

 

[ian360]

57 minutes ago, wombatinabox said:

This makes it even more clear that these changes are purely politically targeted. We all know why.. 

 

What is the political motivation here?

[seraphim]

We became eligible on april 19th so only started the online application then, but we have had PR since the start, and meet the 4 year residence requirement.  Does this mean our application will now be frozen when we make it?  It'd be really annoying to have to pay for an RRV when our 5 year PR travel authority expires just to go on holiday seeing as we've not gone away since arriving for this very reason!

 

On this thread someone said all applications for citizenship are now frozen (Wombatinabox), does this include PR holders who have been here 4 years?  . Where was this information from, or is it just scaremongering at this stage?

 

ALSO, my last question was when completing the online version of 1300T, do I need to scan in my certified copies signed off before this step,  or does this wait? Do I need a UK police clearance cert at this pint or once the application is made?

[wombatinabox]

9 hours ago, seraphim said:

We became eligible on april 19th so only started the online application then, but we have had PR since the start, and meet the 4 year residence requirement.  Does this mean our application will now be frozen when we make it?  It'd be really annoying to have to pay for an RRV when our 5 year PR travel authority expires just to go on holiday seeing as we've not gone away since arriving for this very reason!

 

On this thread someone said all applications for citizenship are now frozen (Wombatinabox), does this include PR holders who have been here 4 years?  . Where was this information from, or is it just scaremongering at this stage?

 

ALSO, my last question was when completing the online version of 1300T, do I need to scan in my certified copies signed off before this step,  or does this wait? Do I need a UK police clearance cert at this pint or once the application is made?

If you applied on April 19th then you are fine don't worry you'll be processed under old rules without delay.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by wombatinabox

[seraphim]

Not clicked it yet. Started application form on 20th. Will this mean they dont look until next year??????

[wombatinabox]

1 hour ago, seraphim said:

Not clicked it yet. Started application form on 20th. Will this mean they dont look until next year??????

Oh well that's too bad you should've applied on the same day knowing the news. Anyways no point looking back or regretting! 

You will now be processed under the new rules which will only be ready by end 2017/ early 2018. Apply now to lock in your place in queue but your application will only move forward when new rules and tests are ready.

Looks like a long wait unfortunately 

Good luck to us all we are on the same boat.

Edited April 30, 2017 by wombatinabox

[seraphim]

Is there a link to an official government statement saying they are stopping ALL citizenships?  I'm british, happy to do another English test or enhanced interview etc etc so sirely dipb arent just downing tools for 7 months?  Couldn't apply as didn't know until turnbull opened his mouth what rot he was going to spout next to appease his right whingers (not a typo!)

[Isabelj28]

4 hours ago, seraphim said:

Is there a link to an official government statement saying they are stopping ALL citizenships?  I'm british, happy to do another English test or enhanced interview etc etc so sirely dipb arent just downing tools for 7 months?  Couldn't apply as didn't know until turnbull opened his mouth what rot he was going to spout next to appease his right whingers (not a typo!)

I don't think they're 'stopping' them as such... it's just a hiatus while they get themselves sorted. They've made these announcements without all the background processes. There is no test at the moment and they can't bring in the new one until the legislation passes

[ian360]

16 minutes ago, Isabelj28 said:

I don't think they're 'stopping' them as such... it's just a hiatus while they get themselves sorted. They've made these announcements without all the background processes. There is no test at the moment and they can't bring in the new one until the legislation passes

In other words... They haven't got a bloody clue what they are doing!

[Roberta2]

20 hours ago, ian360 said:

What is the political motivation here?

Turnbull is feeling the heat from Hanson.  Queensland state elections are not far away, and it is highly likely that she will hold the balance of power.  (Currently the Queensland Premier is on a knife edge and the state economy is not doing well.) Hanson wants to stop ALL immigration and ALL foreign investment.   She is a sort of reincarnation of the Know Nothings in the US.  Don't forget Hanson is far more disruptive to the Liberal/National coalition than she is to Labor - she takes far more votes away from them than she does from  Labor.  And of course she is greatly emboldened by Brexit and Trump.  I haven't noticed the Labor party complaining about these changes.  Maybe I've missed something.  Anyway, if Labor supports them, the Senate is irrelevant.

[Roberta2]

I also think that the proposed new "temporary" visa for parents (five years renewable visa, no access to Medicare, no path to PR) is a dead duck.  It was a result of successful targeting of politicians in key marginals by the Indian community in the last federal

elections.  Can you imagine what Hanson would make of that one?