Will I still meet the residency requirement for Australian citizenship?

[NicoKnowles]

Hi there,

 

So, I have been living in Australia since July 2013, as an international student. I will be soon graduating from my undergrad studies in mid-march 2020, and departing from Australia as my visa will also be expiring short after completing my studies. I am planning to get some overseas experience in my field during the remaining of 2020 before starting my postgrad studies in 2021 in Australia. After this, I intend on applying for the graduate visa, find a job, and hopefully apply for permanent residency and possible citizenship. I am unsure if by being absent from Australia with an already expired visa will affect any future possibility to meet the residency requirement for citizenship once I lodge my application— will all my time spent in Australia go to waste if I leave for a year? Will my residency start from zero upon my return? Is the residency requirement based on cumulative or consecutive years?

 

It would be greatly appreciated if anyone can assist me with this.

 

Regards

[Riekie]

At the time you apply you must have been:

• living in Australia on a valid visa for the past 4 years
• a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for the past 12 months
• away from Australia for no more than 12 months in total in the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in total in the past 12 months

[Wesso]

1 hour ago, Riekie said:

At the time you apply you must have been:

• living in Australia on a valid visa for the past 4 years
• a permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen for the past 12 months
• away from Australia for no more than 12 months in total in the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in total in the past 12 months

Isn’t this for Australian citizenship? 
I think OP needs to get permanent residency first before looking into citizenship. 

Edited March 5, 2020 by Wesso

[TeeTMI]

On 2/29/2020 at 9:40 PM, NicoKnowles said:

Hi there,

 

So, I have been living in Australia since July 2013, as an international student. I will be soon graduating from my undergrad studies in mid-march 2020, and departing from Australia as my visa will also be expiring short after completing my studies. I am planning to get some overseas experience in my field during the remaining of 2020 before starting my postgrad studies in 2021 in Australia. After this, I intend on applying for the graduate visa, find a job, and hopefully apply for permanent residency and possible citizenship. I am unsure if by being absent from Australia with an already expired visa will affect any future possibility to meet the residency requirement for citizenship once I lodge my application— will all my time spent in Australia go to waste if I leave for a year? Will my residency start from zero upon my return? Is the residency requirement based on cumulative or consecutive years?

 

It would be greatly appreciated if anyone can assist me with this.

 

Regards

 

 

Yes the period of time outside Australia may impact the 'Residency Requirement' component of a Citizenship application. 

 

The current (and see below re potential changes) requirements are:

• Eligibility for Australian Citizenship:
  • Currently to meet the eligibility requirement you must:
    • have lived in Australia on a valid Australian visa for four years immediately before applying (temporary and/or permanent residence visas)
    • have been a permanent resident for the 12 months immediately before making an application and
    • In relation to absences from Australia during the last for years - have not been absent from Australia for:
      • more than one year in total, during the four year period, including
      • no more than 90 days in the 12 months before applying.
  • Potential changes to the Citizenship requirements: In recent years the government has seeking a change in the legislation relating to Australian Citizenship.
    Therefore, you cannot be assured that planning in advance to meet the current legislation would guarantee citizenship by the time you become eligible to apply. 
    • If, or when, this new Bill may eventually be passed and what changes may be agreed following negotiations between the parties within Parliament and Senate are still not known at this stage.  The government failed to get the changes through the last time they attempted to implement the changes but they were looking at an increased period of time as a permanent resident and more stringent English requirements.

 

[Riekie]

On 3/5/2020 at 10:11 PM, Wesso said:

Isn’t this for Australian citizenship? 
I think OP needs to get permanent residency first before looking into citizenship. 

 

The question was if they'd meet the residency requirement for future citizenship.   

 

"I am unsure if by being absent from Australia with an already expired visa will affect any future possibility to meet the residency requirement for citizenship once I lodge my application— will all my time spent in Australia go to waste if I leave for a year? Will my residency start from zero upon my return? Is the residency requirement based on cumulative or consecutive years"?