Do you consider yourself Australian?

[Quoll]

1 minute ago, Parley said:

Yes if they are born in Australia.

The difference is UK citizenship is conferred automatically down one generation if born in Australia or overseas.

If child is born in UK, Australian citizenship is not automatic but has to be applied for. That is the point i was making to Quoll.

My kids are all born in Australia, and automatically UK citizens even they they have never registered it anywhere.

 

Yup, point taken - it was done very quickly though as soon as we had his birth certificate - there is just one more step to go through for Aus citizenship than there is for UK citizenship by descent.

[Parley]

If born in the UK technically you aren't Australian until the application is approved.

In my case even though my Mum was an Aussie born, she didn't get around to applying for my Aussie Citizenship by Descent until I was 7 years old. So technically i was not an Aussie before then.

[Rossmoyne]

I have dual nationality and until recently held both British and Australian passports.   I was born in England and lived there until I was 18, when I spent 6 years travelling, ending up in Australia.   I returned to UK and stayed there for 20 years until I emigrated to Australia 31 years ago.   At that time I considered I was British but living in Australia.   Then I was granted citizenship and my view has changed over the years, and with every visit back to UK, so that I now consider myself Australian.   So much so that I have not bothered to renew my British passport.   My children, now in their mid 30's, were 5 and 8 when we emigrated from UK.   They both hold dual nationality, but only Australian passports, as that is what they consider themselves to be.  

My parents spent 50 years of their lives in Australia.   Dad always considered he was an Australian from the first day he arrived.   Mum was always fiercely "English" and always refused to be known as an Australian.  

Each to their own though.

[HappyHeart]

42 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Born where?  If in UK, then Parley is right, they are Australian through their dad and there is one extra step before getting passport.  If in Australia then they are British by descent through their mum and all they have to do is apply for their passport.

Born in Australia. Quite a privilege to have the options either way. I wonder how difficult to move to a country you've never lived in regardless of having citizenship...automatically entitled to health, welfare, education and so on? 

[Bulya]

3 hours ago, Parley said:

The more telling choice would be...

Keep your British passport and have to move back to the UK

or Keep your Australian passport and be able to remain in Australia.

Then we really see where the loyalties lie.

Wouldn’t get me back to Blighty in a pine box, but then I don’t have a passport, so I can’t move dead or alive…

[ramot]

6 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

True that!! He sounds more like he's from the South of England than the Midlands like us. The vowels are different. I guess that's the Australian effect 

I just sound posh Only joking, because I have moved so much and lived in several countries, I probably have an  unidentifiable English accent. Probably mostly south of England, but then I go back to Nottingham where I last lived and automatically use local expressions. Then when I’m with my African side of the family,, I start to use some of the African expressions again. When pre covid ( hate the need for  that statement) we went back to England every year, people mentioned I had slight Australian accent, then when just back home here, friends say I sound so much more English. Just a mess really!!!!

I Think I identify as British/Australian, but in some ways I don’t think I will ever feel totally Australian as it isn’t my original background. When Australian friends of my age talk about things they were used to when growing up here, music groups, personalities etc, I have never heard of them, they weren’t part of my growing up.

Having said the above, when after 18 years here I was finally eligible to apply for citizenship, I had no hesitation in applying. and was emotional when I received my Australian citizenship, I am a proud new Australian and very settled in my adopted country.

[newjez]

2 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

Not sure of the ins and outs of it but my friend delayed getting her Australian citizenship purely because of this. I think eventually she just decided to go for it having lived here for many years and feeling quite settled. Her son has dual citizenship having a British father and that they lived in UK for a time and also Dubai. I'm not sure that she ever got British citizenship. Such complexity involved when we move and have children in different countries. 

We have delayed getting my youngest citizenship mainly because it is a pain maintaining two passports. Children need them renewed every five years. I'll get it done before he is eighteen though. Probably easier if I do it in Australia too.

[newjez]

1 hour ago, ramot said:

just sound posh

People always said I sounded posh growing up. I think with English parents you tend to pronounce some words like dance and France differently. 

Although nowadays if you have the ability to use a knife and fork and eat at a table people think you are posh. I swear there are some people who always eat In the lounge in front of a TV.

[Quoll]

5 hours ago, HappyHeart said:

Born in Australia. Quite a privilege to have the options either way. I wonder how difficult to move to a country you've never lived in regardless of having citizenship...automatically entitled to health, welfare, education and so on? 

Quite easy I think.  My son went to UK after Uni, having lived in Australia pretty much all his life.  He was actually British born but education etc was all Australian.  No worries, slotted right in and has no intention of returning.

[Red Rose]

1 hour ago, Quoll said:

Quite easy I think.  My son went to UK after Uni, having lived in Australia pretty much all his life.  He was actually British born but education etc was all Australian.  No worries, slotted right in and has no intention of returning.

No intention of returning to Australia? What is it about the UK that has made him feel that way about staying? 

[Bobj]

first 6 years of my life in India, 16 years in England and 58 years in Australia.

Have a guess where my feelings belong.

Cheers, Bobj.

[Bulya]

2 hours ago, Bobj said:

first 6 years of my life in India, 16 years in England and 58 years in Australia.

Have a guess where my feelings belong.

Cheers, Bobj.

Kolkata or Kerala maybe…

[Parley]

16 hours ago, Bulya said:

Wouldn’t get me back to Blighty in a pine box, but then I don’t have a passport, so I can’t move dead or alive…

Don't think you need a passport to move back dead. You would be like checked luggage in the hold.

[Bobj]

4 hours ago, Bulya said:

Kolkata or Kerala maybe…

It was Calcutta when I was born.

Certainly not British West Bradford...

Cheers, Bobj.

[Quoll]

17 hours ago, Red Rose said:

No intention of returning to Australia? What is it about the UK that has made him feel that way about staying? 

Happy, wife, son, own home, good career, likes to travel.  Once said "having lived in London why would you want to live in Australia, it's so boring".  Sad that my family will be forever separated but them's the breaks huh.

[Wanderer Returns]

On 03/05/2021 at 17:03, Bulya said:

Wouldn’t get me back to Blighty in a pine box, but then I don’t have a passport, so I can’t move dead or alive…

When I returned to the UK 2014 I was definitely on the fence, with a slight leaning towards life in the UK (given that I didn't have any option at that time), but spending the subsequent 5 years there I wouldn't move back for love nor money. In the future I'll probably go back one summer though, to visit friends and enjoy the countryside.

[Wanderer Returns]

On 03/05/2021 at 15:47, Parley said:

If born in the UK technically you aren't Australian until the application is approved.

In my case even though my Mum was an Aussie born, she didn't get around to applying for my Aussie Citizenship by Descent until I was 7 years old. So technically i was not an Aussie before then.

I'd agree. If you need to apply for citizenship then you're not a citizen until that process has been completed, even if you're entitled to it by descent. I've just done it to become Irish. If you can obtain a passport without having to do anything else first, then surely you must already be a citizen.

[Parley]

58 minutes ago, Wanderer Returns said:

I'd agree. If you need to apply for citizenship then you're not a citizen until that process has been completed, even if you're entitled to it by descent. I've just done it to become Irish. If you can obtain a passport without having to do anything else first, then surely you must already be a citizen.

Its not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. That is the way the law works.

Your last statement is correct, at least for the UK and Australia.

[ali]

My daughter's Instagram says she's a British born Australian and that's probably how I think of myself.  We've been here 14 years and Citizens for 12, both my children have now lived in in Aus. for longer than they lived in the UK.  My son says he's English (apparently it gave him some success with the ladies lol).  if we're overseas and people ask where are you from we'll say Australia as it's our home.

 

[Paul1Perth]

If people asked I would say Australian but born in the UK, as if people wouldn't recognise my accent.

Always felt I belong here rather then the UK. I like the weather more, generally the she'll be right mate attitude and love being near the ocean.

[Dusty Plains]

I was going to make a comment on here but I just got beaten up under a very similar theme over on the UK thread.  

[Red Rose]

The real barometer normally of where your heart lies is which team you support when England play Australia. I am going to guess that most of you will still support England still

[Marisawright]

31 minutes ago, Red Rose said:

The real barometer normally of where your heart lies is which team you support when England play Australia. I am going to guess that most of you will still support England still

I would never support England.Scotland, yes. But if Scotland are playing against Australia I’m in the fortunate position of not minding which one wins

[Rallyman]

48 minutes ago, Red Rose said:

The real barometer normally of where your heart lies is which team you support when England play Australia. I am going to guess that most of you will still support England still

Wales

[Parley]

1 hour ago, Red Rose said:

The real barometer normally of where your heart lies is which team you support when England play Australia. I am going to guess that most of you will still support England still

That was a joke wasn't it ?