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Australian Citizenship

Australian citizenship is most commonly available to people by conferral and by descent. Permanent residents of Australia and eligible New Zealand citizens have pathways to citizenship if they meet certain criteria. If you require assistance with your citizenship application, Nobis is here to assist. Contact us today to book a consultation.

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Become an Australian Citizen

Basic Citizenship Eligibility Criteria

At the time you apply, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Meet the Residence Requirement

  • Have lived in Australia on a valid visa for the past 4 years.

  • Have been a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for the past 12 months.

  • Have been outside Australia for no more than 12 months in total during the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in total during the past 12 months.

  • Certain exemptions to the residence requirement may apply in very limited circumstances.

2. Meet the Character Requirement

If you are aged 18 or over, you must be of good character. The Department of Home Affairs will assess your past and present conduct to determine whether you meet the Character Test under the Migration Act 1958.

3. Pass the Citizenship Test

Most applicants aged 18 to 59 must sit and pass the Australian Citizenship Test. The test assesses your understanding of Australia, its democratic values, laws, government and responsibilities of citizenship.

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Frequently Asked Questions

An Australian permanent citizen means you can stay in Australia indefinitely and have full work and study rights the same as all other Australian citizens.

Once you are granted permanent residency in Australia you will have a travel facility for five years. This means that you will be able to exit and enter Australia as much as you like for a period of five years. If you have not become an Australian citizen in those five years, you will need to apply for a Resident Return Visa to extend your travel facility.

Permanent residency can be achieved through a number of different sponsored and independent pathways. Nobis are capable of conducting a thorough consultation for you and advise on the best pathway forward for yourself with an end goal of permanent residency.

Yes, eligible New Zealand citizens can apply to become permanent residents of Australia. There are a few different pathway options for eligible New Zealand citizens to become permanent residents in Australia including through the Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) (New Zealand) stream.

The cost of permanent residency depends solely on the pathway through which you obtain it. If you would like to assess your current circumstances and map out the best pathway for your permanent residency, do not hesitate to get in touch with our experienced Visa and Citizenship Lawyers to set up a consultation.

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