seangolding1987 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Hi, I am able to finally apply for my citizenship as of August this year, but given current circumstance and my mothers health, I may be at a point that I need to go back to the UK for the foreseeable future to see her through old age. If I apply for my citizenship when eligible and onshore, do I need to be in Australia for the rest of the process? I want to ensure I don't shut the door behind me, but it may be more than 5 years until I can return and current processing times are said to be up to 2.5 years from application. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 19 hours ago, seangolding1987 said: Hi, I am able to finally apply for my citizenship as of August this year, but given current circumstance and my mothers health, I may be at a point that I need to go back to the UK for the foreseeable future to see her through old age. If I apply for my citizenship when eligible and onshore, do I need to be in Australia for the rest of the process? I want to ensure I don't shut the door behind me, but it may be more than 5 years until I can return and current processing times are said to be up to 2.5 years from application. Thank you As long as your PR visa is valid you would be able to leave, however, you don't actually become a citizen (and the PR get cancelled) until you've actually attended the ceremony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 The waiting time for approval is 14-18 months, not 2.5 years. After approval, there have been long waiting times for the ceremony, because of Covid. That should improve now, I hope. Your problem will be that your citizenship can't even be approved while you are resident overseas. Do you have a current RRV and how long is it valid for? The rules have been made much tighter in recent years, because there were too many people getting a PR visa, working in Australia for 2 years, getting their citizenship, then going back to their home country. They just wanted Australian citizenship as an insurance policy in case of political unrest or war in their home country. Hence the increase to 4 years and the long wait to get approval after that -- the government wants to reserve citizenship for people who have a genuine commitment to Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seangolding1987 Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 Thank you for your replies. I am in Australia and only got my PR in August, so plenty of time. I'm just looking at the circumstances should my mothers health goes downhill, if I overstay in the UK (past my re-entry date to Aus) I don't want to lose my PR. If I have PR and own a property in Australia, is this usually enough grounds to get an RRV should I lose my travel facility? Just wondering if buying a property is a safer bet to secure re-entry to the country then hoping I get citizenship before "the time comes". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, seangolding1987 said: If I have PR and own a property in Australia, is this usually enough grounds to get an RRV should I lose my travel facility? Just wondering if buying a property is a safer bet to secure re-entry to the country then hoping I get citizenship before "the time comes". In your shoes, I'd do both. Apply for citizenship, but also buy a property (which you can rent out, using a good agent). Also I'd make sure I kept my RRV current at all times, just in case. God forbid your mum has a sudden health scare, but you never know. Looking into the future, let's say you can't get citizenship before you leave, then you get stuck in the UK for several years, your RRV expires, and you don't meet the 2 years in 5 residency requirement. To get your RRV renewed, you will need to demonstrate "strong ties of benefit to Australia". If you can show that you've got a home in Australia (even if it's temporarily let), it demonstrates a commitment to return, so I'd say that's a good strong tie. You'd have your superannuation and bank accounts here too. Of course I'd also say, make sure the property is a good investment in its own right. Edited January 13, 2021 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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