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Australian Citizenship - Apply in Australia or abroad?

  • 22-07-2015 7:57am
    #1
    Timistry
    Registered Users Posts: 740 ✭✭✭


    Hi All,

    Im only a few weeks away from being eligible to apply for citizenship. I rang the DIAC last week to ask how long the process will take. He said it is 3-6 months typically between application and being granted approval. Then you need to attend a ceremony and that can take a while also. I was hoping to have it all wrapped up by Australia day 2016 but this looks ambitious now!

    I do plan in going home long-term next year as my line of work has dried up here and don't want my career to suffer. A lengthy citizenship application process will only make matters worse.

    My question is, has anyone applied from Australian citizenship through the embassy in London? As far as I can make out, the process is still the same.


Comments

  • #2
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,014 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Timistry wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Im only a few weeks away from being eligible to apply for citizenship. I rang the DIAC last week to ask how long the process will take. He said it is 3-6 months typically between application and being granted approval. Then you need to attend a ceremony and that can take a while also. I was hoping to have it all wrapped up by Australia day 2016 but this looks ambitious now!
    It's not overly ambitious. Australia Day 2016 is six months away. If you get your application in in the next couple of weeks, and the processing time is towards the quicker end of the indicated range, there's no reason why you couldn't be sworn in next Australia Day.

    On the other hand, there's no guarantee that you will be, because the processing time could come in at the longer end.

    But this doesn't mean that you have to wait for another year. Local governments can swear in new citizens whenever they like, and most will accommodate you if you have a reason (like employment) for not waiting for the next scheduled public swearing. When I enquired about this from my Council, on a Tuesday, they offered to swear me in the following Friday, privately, in the mayor's office. Larger Councils might be a bit more regimented but, still, most will try to help.

    I don't know, but I doubt that going through the London Embassy will speed things up. On immigration matters they basically just act as a postbox, forwarding your application to Canberra, and then forwarding Canberra's response to you, and occasionally subtracting value by misplacing the papers. I doubt that it's any different on citizenship matters.


  • #3
    Timistry
    Registered Users Posts: 740 ✭✭✭Timistry


    I hope it is at the lower in of the scale Peregrinus. It is a long process that begun 5 years ago.

    Im applying on the 15th of August so hopefully it will be approved within 2 weeks and if I do the exam a month after that, the real waiting game begins in October!

    Hopefully I will have my work situation sorted out my the end of the year and it will all fall into place.


  • #4
    universe777
    Registered Users Posts: 469 ✭✭universe777


    Mine was 4 months from submitting application to ceremony, that was last year through Melbourne City Council. They did put on that ceremony at last minute as demand was higher than the usual scheduled ceremonies.
    It's highly unlikely you'll get it quicker than 3 months..
    Not 100% definite but I think you have to attend the ceremony onshore unless you have some exceptional circumstances..


  • #5
    d.pop
    Registered Users Posts: 271 ✭✭d.pop


    I applied online Xmas week, called for interview and test 4 weeks later, had ceremony in April, so just over 3 months start to finish.
    The delay is not with the council ceremony it is the council waiting 4-6 weeks for your citizenship cert to arrive from Canberra.
    My advice, start getting all your documents ready, you'll prob need a new Garda clearance cert and scan all documents ready to go. There is a limit to file size, think it's 500kb per item.
    Also allow 3-4 weeks for your Aussie passport to arrive, apply after your ceremony soon as you have your cert.
    I would go for it from onshore, Do all the hard work while in Aus.


  • #6
    statina
    Registered Users Posts: 330 ✭✭statina


    Peregrenius, did you say the reason or wanting the ceremony was because you had been offered employment in Ireland? And they were ok with this? Did my test in early June, still waiting on notice for the ceremony.


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  • #7
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,014 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    statina wrote: »
    Peregrenius, did you say the reason or wanting the ceremony was because you had been offered employment in Ireland? And they were ok with this?
    They didn't ask my reason. When I didn't hear from them, and Australia Day was coming up, I rang to check that they had got the paperwork and I would be included in an Australia Day ceremony. They are a small Council governing a fairly settled area; they don't get too many migrants. It turned out they weren't planning to run an Australia Day ceremony. They offered to arrange for me to be sworn in at the Australia Day ceremony of the (much larger) neighbouring Council, but said that if there was any urgency I could be sworn in privately by the mayor at a convenient time. The following Friday was suggested, but they were clearly ready to be flexible about it. I took up their offer to transfer me to the neighbouring Council.


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