Australian Citizenship Legislative Changes Update

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Australian Citizenship Legislative Changes Update

These amendments and the new fees will commence on 1 January 2016

  1. Foreign currency exchange

Acceptable foreign currencies for payment of citizenship application fees will be determined by the conversion instruments Payment of Visa Application Charges and Fees in Foreign Currencies and Places and Currencies for Paying Fees which are updated in January and July each year. 

  1. Increase in citizenship application fees

Amends Schedule 3 of the Citizenship Regulations to change the fees set out in this schedule payable for certain citizenship applications. The new charges can be found below:

Changes to amounts for citizenship application fees
Provision Before Amendment From 1 Jan 2016
Citizenship by descent – person born outside Australia to an Australian parent.

Applications made at the same time under section 16 of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship) by 2 or more siblings.

$120 $230
Citizenship by descent – person born outside Australia to an Australian parent.

An application under section 16 of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item number 1.

$120 $230
Citizenship through adoption – person adopted in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. Applications made at the same time under section 19C of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship) by 2 or more siblings. $120 $230
Citizenship through adoption – person adopted in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

An application under section 19C of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item number 3

$120 $230
Citizenship by conferral – general eligibility

An application under section 21 of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item numbers 5 to 14 or items 14B to 15D, if the applicant claims eligibility on the basis of the criteria in subsection 21(2) of the Citizenship Act.

$260 $285
Citizenship by conferral – other than general eligibility – citizenship test not required.

An application under section 21 of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item numbers 5 to 14B or 15C and 15D.

$130 $180
Citizenship by conferral – general eligibility – applicant previously passed citizenship test in association with a previous application.

An application (the new application) under section 21 of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item numbers 5, 6, 7A, 14 and 15C, if: (a) the applicant claims eligibility on the basis of the criteria in subsection 21(2) of the Citizenship Act; and (b) the applicant previously made an application (the old application) on or after 1 October 2007; and (c) under the old application, the applicant sat a test as described in paragraph 21(2A)(a) of the Citizenship

$130 $180
Resumption of Australian citizenship

An application under section 29 of the Citizenship Act (Application and eligibility for resuming citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item number 16.

$70 $210
Renunciation of Australian citizenship

An application under section 33 of the Citizenship Act (Renunciation)

$285 $205
Notice of evidence of Australian citizenship

An application under section 37 of the Citizenship Act (Evidence of Australian citizenship), other than an application mentioned in table item numbers 19 or 19A.

$60 $190 
  1. Application and transitional provisions

Amendments made by these changes apply to applications made under a provision of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, made on or after 1 January 2016

Source: MIA


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