The government of Australia has upgraded the fees for citizenship applications. The first increase in the fees was announced back in July 2015. After that, there was no change in the application fees till June 2021. And now these changes will be implemented from 1st July 2021. From 2016 to 2020, the fee for Australian citizenship applications remained the same A$285 but has been increased and the new rate will be A$490.
Why Australia has increased the fees?
Due to the following reasons, the fees have been increased:
- Increase in the inflation rate in Australia;
- Increase in salaries of employees;
- To make the application verification procedure reliable and compact.
Citizenship fees, how much will it cost now?
From 2016 to 2020, the fee for Australian citizenship applications remained the same A$285 but has been increased and the new rate will be A$490.
How much you will have to pay now depends upon how have you applied for it – either online or offline – in both cases, it is important when has the related authority received your application.
Online application submission
If you are applying online for citizenship. The implementation of the new fees will depend on the date of the application submission. If your application is submitted to the state before 1st July, you will have to pay the old fees rate. On the other hand, if your application is submitted after 1st July at 12:00 am, you will have to pay the new fees rate.
If you are processing your application with the help of a Credit card or Paypal or any other platform the submission of the application and the fees will be on the same date. There is the exception of BPAY because due to this platform’s regulations, your application and fees will not be submitted on the same day.
By post-application submission
If you will submit the application via mail. The date you capitulated will be considered as the application receiving date. Also, the same rule will apply if you submit your application after 1st July, you will have to pay the new fees.
By post mode application, there might be some uncertainties that you have to face. For example, if you posted the application before 1st July considering that you will be exempt from the new fees – there might happen a delay in the posting delivery due to any issue. And your application will not be received before 1st July. In such a case, you will have to send the extra top-up payment according to new fees through ImmiAccount.
In case you do not submit the extra payment, you will have to send the application again with the new fees. So, the online method to submit the application can be recommended over offline ones.
Essential consideration
You will have to take the required documentation submission seriously. In case, you fail to submit all the required documents rather it is through an online source or offline – your application will be considered disqualified. And you will have to send the new application and new fees.
Citizenship fees concession
The authorities have set aside specific criteria that allow certain people to pay less fees. This is as follow:
- If you have a concession card from the authorities, he card named as Pensioner Concession Card (PCC);
- Your age is less than 18;
- You are applying on your own;
- You are selected as dependent for the Pensioner Concession Card (PCC).
If you meet the above criteria, you will be given a concession from the new fees. For applying with the concession fees, you will have to upload the image of your concession card clearly (in the online application method).
Changes in certificates of citizenship
Those applicants whose application will be verified through descent or by adoption will be selected for a citizenship certificate. Now from1st July, they will be granted the Australian citizenship certificate instead of citizenship extract.
The certificate will be given under the following conditions:
- If you apply for it before 1st July;
- Your application is approved on or after 1st July.
In case you are selected successfully, the authorities will get in touch with you. After the 1st of July, selected applicants will be granted certificates not with the extracts.
Also, with its help, you will be able to avail public funds and rights. If you have citizenship extract already, and you are wishing to get the certificate, then you can apply for authentic evidence of citizenship.
Difference between citizenship certificate and citizenship extract
Citizenship certificate: This is an official document that provides formal evidence of Australian citizenship.
Australian citizenship extract: It is an informal document that can be used to access limited government services.
How to receive Australian citizenship certificates?
For it, we will recommend you provide the authorities with the Australian postal address. This is an authentic and speedy way to receive the certificates without any error. Your application will be in your hands within 14 working days.
In case, you are not providing the Australian postal address then the certificate will be sent to you via international express mail. The arrival of the certificate will be within one and half months.
Furthermore, if there is no service of international express mail on your location possible, then the certificate will be sent to the Embassy of Australia which will be near your residence location.
Australian passport
You can apply for the passport after the approval of your application. All the details for the passport application will be given to you in the confirmation letter. In case you are abroad and need your Australian passport in an emergency, you can apply for it and you do not need to wait until receiving your citizenship certificate.
Who can apply for Australian citizenship?
In many cases, if you fulfill the eligibility criteria, you can be able to apply for “Australian Citizenship”. Some are as follows:
1- Australian citizenship for Permanent residents or New Zealand citizens
Under these circumstances, the following can apply:
- refugees or humanitarian migrants
- children aged 16 or 17
- Australian permanent residents aged 18-59
- Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme migrants
- eligible New Zealand citizens
- children 15 years or younger applying with a parent or guardian
- partners or spouses of an Australian citizen
2- Australian citizenship for those whose parent was an Australian citizen when they were born overseas
The people born overseas to a parent who is or was an Australian citizen and for parents to register a child born overseas can also apply for citizenship.
3- Persons who are 60 years or over
The people who are of age 60 and above can apply for citizenship under the following cases:
- refugees or humanitarian migrants
- permanent residents aged 60 years or over
- eligible New Zealand citizens
- Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme migrants
- partners or spouses of an Australian citizen
There are also some other ways that allow you to apply for Australian citizenship:
| people born in Australia and are stateless |
| people born to a former Australian citizen |
| Becoming an Australian again |
| A child adopted under Full Hague Adoption Convention/bilateral agreement by an Australian citizen |
| Children 15 years or younger applying on their own |
| A person born in Papua before independence in 1975 |