Sheelagh Blanckenberg
18th September 2009, 02:04 PM
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has welcomed the passage of the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Test Review and Other Measures) Bill 2009 through the Parliament yesterday.
Some of the exptected changes to be brought into the Citizenship Act include:
exemption from the Citizenship test for people who have a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity which means they are not capable of meeting all the legal requirements for conferral of Australian citizenship. Under current arrangements, it is difficult if not impossible for these people to become Australian citizens.
a requirement that children must be permanent residents before they can be eligible for citizenship. This requirement will prevent people under 18 and who are in Australia unlawfully, often with their families, or who are about to be removed from Australia with their families because they have exhausted all their migration options, from applying for citizenship and prolonging their stay.
the addition of two special residence requirements for certain people who are not able to meet the general residence requirements for Australian citizenship due to their international travel commitments:
People who are out of the country for 90 days or more in the year before applying for citizenship are currently ineligible to become citizens. In 2007, the previous Government also changed the residence requirement for citizenship from two years to four years and removed certain discretionary residence provisions leaving a small group of people significantly disadvantaged.
It means people such as elite athletes who spend months out of Australia due to their sporting commitments will be eligible for citizenship within two years of becoming a permanent resident rather than waiting a full four years, provided they have been a permanent resident for two years before their application with at least six months physically in Australia and have their application supported by a recognised national peak body such as the Australian Olympic Committee or Tennis Australia.
.
people engaged in particular kinds of work such as international airline pilots or cruise ship crews, which require them to travel frequently outside Australia, wil be eligible for citizenship.
Under this requirement the person will still need to have lived in Australia for four years but the special residence requirement will enable them to be absent from Australia for more than 12 months during the four-year period.
The special residence requirements aim to strike the right balance in facilitating Australian citizenship for those who are unable to meet the general residence requirement due to the nature of their occupation, yet who genuinely ‘call Australia home’ and wish to formalise that relationship by becoming Australian citizens.
Some of the exptected changes to be brought into the Citizenship Act include:
exemption from the Citizenship test for people who have a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity which means they are not capable of meeting all the legal requirements for conferral of Australian citizenship. Under current arrangements, it is difficult if not impossible for these people to become Australian citizens.
a requirement that children must be permanent residents before they can be eligible for citizenship. This requirement will prevent people under 18 and who are in Australia unlawfully, often with their families, or who are about to be removed from Australia with their families because they have exhausted all their migration options, from applying for citizenship and prolonging their stay.
the addition of two special residence requirements for certain people who are not able to meet the general residence requirements for Australian citizenship due to their international travel commitments:
People who are out of the country for 90 days or more in the year before applying for citizenship are currently ineligible to become citizens. In 2007, the previous Government also changed the residence requirement for citizenship from two years to four years and removed certain discretionary residence provisions leaving a small group of people significantly disadvantaged.
It means people such as elite athletes who spend months out of Australia due to their sporting commitments will be eligible for citizenship within two years of becoming a permanent resident rather than waiting a full four years, provided they have been a permanent resident for two years before their application with at least six months physically in Australia and have their application supported by a recognised national peak body such as the Australian Olympic Committee or Tennis Australia.
.
people engaged in particular kinds of work such as international airline pilots or cruise ship crews, which require them to travel frequently outside Australia, wil be eligible for citizenship.
Under this requirement the person will still need to have lived in Australia for four years but the special residence requirement will enable them to be absent from Australia for more than 12 months during the four-year period.
The special residence requirements aim to strike the right balance in facilitating Australian citizenship for those who are unable to meet the general residence requirement due to the nature of their occupation, yet who genuinely ‘call Australia home’ and wish to formalise that relationship by becoming Australian citizens.