New OZ Baby / SA Visa

[LinziC]

We are in the process of applying for a 190 visa and currently deciding whether or not to have our second child in Australia however, we want to know should it not work out for us in Oz for whatever reason and we needed to return to South Africa:

 

How easy is it to obtain South African residency for the second child if he/she was born in Oz? 

Is it almost automatic due to the three of us be SA citizens or not? 

Do you know roughly what it would cost to obtain SA permanent visa for the second child? 

What process would we need to follow?

[Jordy]

My understanding is that it is a fairly easy process, although we didnt do it. 

When the child is born in Australia you could register the birth through the High commision in Canberra. Once the birth is registered you would apply for a passport through the same means. 

 

So my understanding is that no South African residency visa is required because the child will be a dual citizen of both Australia and South Africa. again no Permanent visa is required because they will have South African citizenship.  

[planningahead]

One of my friends live in Sydney and their child was born in Australia but they couldn't register the child as an Australian citizen. In Australia, citizenship is not granted automatically by being born in the country. You become a citizen of Australia by birth IF your parents are Australian citizens.

 

Therefore you would have to ensure your child becomes a South African citizen when he/she is born in Australia by following the process that Jordy described above. Only later when you are all eligible for Australian citizenship will you be able to also register the baby.

 

This is my understanding based on the process my friend had to follow when his child was born in Australia.

 

EDIT:
 

Please ignore this as they had the child on a 457 and NOT a 189/190. Australian citizenship can be granted to your child when they are born there as you will be a permanent resident. 

Edited September 7, 2016 by planningahead
Inaccurate information provided

[Jordy]

11 minutes ago, planningahead said:

 

EDIT:
 

Please ignore this as they had the child on a 457 and NOT a 189/190. Australian citizenship can be granted to your child when they are born there as you will be a permanent resident. 

 

Was just about to say this. In our case, my son became an Aussie 3 years before we did (we were PR). We have never bothered to register him in South Africa. 

[TashyL]

Hi Jordy, 

 

Did you apply for an Aus passport for your Aus born child and travel to SA in the period when you were stilk on PR? 

 

We are considering a trip back to SA and would like to get babies passport done and are still awaiting the birth ceritifcate. 

 

Any advice on how to do this? Its a little confusing on Google 

 

Tash 

[monsta]

If you want to do it the "correct" way:

 

1) Email and ask for a DHA-24 BI-9 to be posted to you  -> https://www.sahc.org.au/citizenship/Birth_Registration.htm

2) Get your kid a photo identity. This could be an Australian Passport. To do that get an Aussie Citizenship Certificate. Then apply for his/her passport at AusPost. It will cost a few hundred dollars all up.

3) Fill out the DHA-24 and BI-9 and the other forms on the SAHC website. You are applying for birth registration and a passport. -> https://www.sahc.org.au/citizenship/Birth_Registration.htm

4) Print this out and take it to a photo place... get at least six photos of your child. https://www.sahc.org.au/pdf/dha/Passport_Photo_Requirements.pdf

5) Go and visit your local police station. Get all the certification  of the documents done. Show them your child's photo ID (i.e. Aussie Passport), so they can certify the photos. 

6) Post this all off to the high commission in Canberra using registered post and include a registered post envelope for them to post the passport back to you.

 

It does get a bit more complex if the child is over a year old. Then the high commission needs more proof that he/she is your child. For example, a person to ring up at his/her day care, a person they can ring up to confirm a religious ceremony performed on him/her, etc..

 

You will also need a reference from a government employee, doctor, etc... to initial your child's photos for the Aussie passport. There is a list of who can do this on the passport application. 

 

I know getting a citizenship certificate sounds weird... but its really paying the government money to decide if your child is a citizen or not. If the answer is yes, they print out a certificate. You obviously need them to make the decision before you get a passport

 

So, yeah its a bit like applying for a VISA. Its a lot of paperwork and waiting around. 

 

You could get your paperwork done by a Justice of the Piece (if you are in NSW... similar associations exist in other states). But, in my experience, nothing beats an official looking police stamp in Africa. If the policeman puts his rank and number on there then even better. But you might have to apologise a few times and say "its for Africa... they like policemen to do it". Oh and make sure you get him/her to stamp everything. 

 

NB: Before you go to the police station or JP make sure you know exactly what they need to do. The policeman/JP has probably never filled out paperwork for the South African government in his/her life.

 

It is also a good time to ring up the police station and ask when they are quiet. Then go along when its their less busy time. Be prepared... some till say "well we are quiet for the next hour or so..". There is nothing worse than a raging drunk shouting like a lunatic  in the small police station while the copper is trying to figure out this "African paperwork" thing.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by monsta