Australian Citizenship and Long Term Residency

Once you have been granted your permanent visa it is important that you ensure that you do not lose it. Permanent visas can be cancelled, they can expire or a new visa can replace the older one. It is important that you protect and maintain your status.

Resident Return Visas
While you have the right to remain in Australia on a permanent visa, if you spend too much time out of Australia it is not an automatic entitlement to renew your permanent visa.

Australian Citizenship
For those who migrated to Australia as permanent residents and made it their permanent home prior to 1 July 2007, citizenship can be obtained after two years. A residency requirement applies and applicants must prove they have lived as a permanent resident in Australia for at least 2 of the last 5 years as well as 1 of the last 2 years. The residency requirements can be set aside in limited circumstances.

For those who became permanent residents after 1 July 2007 a longer period of residence is required. However, periods of residence as a temporary resident can now be counted.

Changes made to the Australian Citizenship Act that took effect on 1 July 2007 make it much easier for children of former Australian citizens to become citizens.

Since 1949, when the first Australian citizenship laws were introduced, there have been many changes and different rules may apply to different people depending on when they were born or when they began to reside in Australia.

Thornton Immigration lawyers are able to assist you with your application for citizenship.