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Applying for Australian Citizenship then leaving the country


Mmmbop

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There is a citizenship thread a few thousand posts long in there are people who left after the test and had to return for approval. Problem is some are approved straight away and some seem to take weeks. Timelines vary a lot and a backlog has built up but I would still say just apply now and get in the queue you never know. Some are quick now

 

 

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1 hour ago, rammygirl said:

There is a citizenship thread a few thousand posts long in there are people who left after the test and had to return for approval. Problem is some are approved straight away and some seem to take weeks. Timelines vary a lot and a backlog has built up but I would still say just apply now and get in the queue you never know. Some are quick now

 

 

Thanks a lot, I'll check that out!

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On 07/09/2020 at 10:07, Mmmbop said:

Hi there,

My wife (and small baby, who is an Aussie citizen by birth) are from the UK and considering returning very soon. My partner and I are both PRs.

However, we would like to get our citizenship.

We're looking into the possibility of lodging the citizenship application and then leaving, with a view to coming back one day.

I realise this is an unusual circumstance, but has anyone had any experience of this, or know if it is possible?

I've read around it a bit. This page from a migration agent suggests that people who don't have a return date but meet the residence requirement at the time of lodgement (which we would) should in theory be eligible for granting of citizenship while offshore.

So from that it seems it should be possible, but I just wanted to check if anyone knows of any complications or barriers I might have missed?

Many thanks!

Hi Mmmbop,

I recently applied for citizenship and one of the questions asks if you intend to travel in the next 12 months - if you answer yes, you have to give an approximate timeframe and details of your trip. If you're out of the country when the department comes to consider your application, I don't believe you can progress any further. 

From the Citizenship eligibility page:

 

Location at time of application approval

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If you apply for Australian citizenship on the basis of meeting the requirements for:

  • general eligibility
  • having a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity, or
  • being a person aged 60 or over or having a hearing, speech or sight impairment

we must not approve your citizenship application if you are outside Australia at the time we decide your application, unless:

  • you satisfied one of the special residence requirements, or
  • the spouse or interdependent partner discretion was applied to assist you to meet the general residence requirement

 

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1 hour ago, warren84 said:

Hi Mmmbop,

I recently applied for citizenship and one of the questions asks if you intend to travel in the next 12 months - if you answer yes, you have to give an approximate timeframe and details of your trip. If you're out of the country when the department comes to consider your application, I don't believe you can progress any further. 

From the Citizenship eligibility page:

 

Location at time of application approval

Hide 

If you apply for Australian citizenship on the basis of meeting the requirements for:

  • general eligibility
  • having a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity, or
  • being a person aged 60 or over or having a hearing, speech or sight impairment

we must not approve your citizenship application if you are outside Australia at the time we decide your application, unless:

  • you satisfied one of the special residence requirements, or
  • the spouse or interdependent partner discretion was applied to assist you to meet the general residence requirement

 

Thanks Warren. That seems pretty clear cut! Sadly...

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