Becoming an Australian citizen

No visa lasts forever, you figure out that Australia is your dream and you can’t imagine leaving this amazing country, so how can you escape this limbo? The solution would be to become an Australian citizen. It is not an easy goal, but not impossible.

Australia, as well as and many others countries, allows you to get a dual citizenship, in other words a dual passport, which will make you feel invincible and will arouse the envy of all your friends. So, how do you become an Australian citizen for all intents and purposes?

How to become an Australian Citizen

As in most cases if you are an immigrant, the first basic requirement is to obtain a permanent visa. This is valid for 5 years after which, if you are still in Australia, will not need any renewal, but will be enough to obtain a label to put directly onto your passport. In order to obtain Australian citizenship, it is necessary to live in the country for at least four years under a valid visa and be a permanent resident for at least one year (inclusive). Be careful! In these four years you should not have spent more than one year outside of Australia, nor more than 90 days in the year prior to the request.

Once you have obtained these necessary requirements, the proper documentation will be asked of you: photos, residence address, proof of identity and a copy of your birth certificate. There is also a police check guaranteeing a complete absence of convictions and outstanding matters with the Italian justice.

But it’s not enough, an identity declaration will be requested: you’ll need an Australian citizen to fill in a form for you and state that they have known you at least for one year, confirming that you are who you say you are. This person must have no blood relationship to you and has to be available by telephone if the Department of Immigration needs to contact them.

Once all of your documents have been approved, you will have to take a simple citizenship test to prove your knowledge about the country, its tradition and laws. The test is multiple choice and takes place at the Immigration Offices. There are 20 questions and to pass the test you need to answer at least 75% of the questions correctly. After passing the exam you will be called up for the citizenship ceremony during which you will give an oath of allegiance to the state, thus obtaining an Australian passport and the right to vote. What a gratification!

The situation is more or less similar for those who marry an Australian: you will need to broadly satisfy the requirements and still get a permanent visa in order to apply for the citizenship. Moreover, Australia allows you to obtain the citizenship by descent if you have at least one Australian parent, even if you were born in another country. Becoming an Australian Citizen in this way is not automatic but you can request it through the form by descent.