Citizenship: How you become an Australian Citizen.

Just like America, getting into Australia is the hard part. You need to enter with a valid travel-ticket and Visa. It also helps if you can speak Oztraalien(pronunciation-spelling intended)..can shear sheep, and have a dry cutting sense of humour helps also...

To stay longer than a visit, as either a Studen,t or a Tourist, requires a Visa which will have an expiry date.. If you intend to stay longer you need to apply for a new Visa or apply for Permanent Residency. This should not be left until your current visa has expired. I repeat apply for a new Visa whilst your Visa is current. If you do not do so you risk detention and possible deportation. Not a pleasant experience.

You automatically qualify for Citizenship if your the son or daughter of an Australian citizen. Alternatively you can marry an Australian citizen or be the son or daughter of a person who marries an Australian. Currently I am an Australian Citizen even though I was born in the United Kingdom. I migrated here in 1975 and applied and became an Australian citizen in 1987. My sister now wants to move here she has to apply and is applying two ways wither as a sole surviving relative or as a normal applicant in which she is assessed on a merit system. I came here on the Migrant Assisted Passage Scheme which gave me assisted resettlement in Australia. This scheme was closed in 1975. As I said if you marry an Australian this entitles you to Australian Citizenship-if the person you marry is an Australian with Australian Citizenship. You can visit the Government official website to gain more information about the process. A Migration Agent would assist you greatly in this process.

Alternatively you can apply to migrate to Australia. This works on a points merit system. Ideally you have skills which Australia is in need of. Certain professions which are in short supply offer preferential treatment. You would need to look at the website to see what the current professions which are in high demand for which their is a shortage of skilled workers. The website to check this is the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Citizenship Section. Here the system of applying is explained to you. It naturally helps if your of good character & health have a relative here have a recognised skill which is in short supply. A couple of hundred thousand people migrate here each year so there is a good chance that you will qualify if you tick most of the boxes and these are verified as correct.

Another way you can apply is through the refugee protection programme. In this section you would need to prove that you were in imminent threat of political persecution which would endanger your life. A few thousand refugees arrive by boat each year for nations such as Sri Lanka Iraq & Afghanistan. This process is very hard and is subject to mandatory detention in remote and difficult detention camps. It can take considerable time for the Refugee Review Tribunal to assess your cases. There have been cases where this process has taken years. Unless you come from a war torn area and or can prove you are the subject of political persecution.

There is another migrant category which is a business category. You would need to provide details of an established business medium size that you have together with the assets that you would transfer and operate in Australia. The government would upon your consent do a security and medical check. you would need to be of good character also. Not convicted or serious indictable offences with a penalty of three years or more. This is a popular method of entering the country and migrating here. Once you are here their are many government departments and private business associations to help you succeed in a business here. Again a Migration Agent would be very helpful to assist you in this process.