Have you been contemplating about residing in Australia permanently and becoming a full-fledged citizen? If you do, there are certain steps that you must follow to obtain Australian citizenship.
For this, you would need the expertise of a reputable lawyer specializing in immigration law in Townsville and other places. Your attorney may help you breeze through the entire process. Your lawyer should have a deep knowledge of the Australian immigration law and lengthy experience of handling citizenship applications of foreigners. Fortunately, there are many highly capable lawyers today, so finding one that possesses all the needed credentials should be an easy thing to accomplish.
But to get you started, here are the essential steps in becoming a naturalised Australian citizen:
Make sure you’re eligible
The first step in your application should be to check whether or not you’re eligible. You have to be a permanent resident for no less than four years and must be residing in Australian for the past four years prior to your application. You should also pass the character requirement and an English language exam. Moreover, you will have to show proof that you’re integrated into an Australian community for your application to be considered.
Gather relevant documents
It’s also important that you gather and present documents that would support your application and convince immigration authorities that you fully satisfy their requirements for naturalisation. Among others, these documents would include:
- Scanned or original copies of police certificates and other documents
- Passport, diver’s license, and national identity card
- Birth certificate
- Latest passport-style photo
- Proof of residency, such as lease contract, bank statement, and utility bills
Begin your application
Once you’ve prepared all the required documents, you may now file your application online (you just need to upload electronic copies of your documents) or by sending your documents via mail. Your immigration lawyer could assist you in this process, as well as in preparing the needed supporting documents.
Attend your scheduled interview and test
The time between the date you filed your application and your scheduled interview and citizenship test might take several moments. Take note that in some cases, applicants need to have both interviews and tests while some only need to be interviewed by immigration officials.
Wait for the authorities’ decision on your application
Once the interview and test were done, it’s now a waiting game. Keep in mind that you may be required to submit other documents to bolster your application and improve your chance of being approved. Be sure to provide the documents needed the soonest time you can to avoid jeopardising your application. You will be notified by the authorities in writing so make sure that you have provided a valid address or that you notify someone to notify you of the decision in case you will be out of town or going abroad.
Be at the citizenship rites
It’s important to attend the citizenship ceremony to complete your naturalization. During the ceremony, you will be made to make a citizenship pledge to consummate your naturalization and become a full-fledged Australian citizen.
With these steps, it’s easy to see why it’s vital to have an immigration lawyer by your side. With the lawyer’s expertise and assistance, you will have an easy time moving along the entire process so that you can be a naturalized Australian citizen as quickly as possible.
