Australia Announces 3 Categories of Foreigners Exempt From Paying Citizenship Application Fee
- Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlines specific circumstances under which foreigners can apply for citizenship without paying the standard application fee
- Three categories of applicants qualify for a full fee exemption, while others may be eligible for a reduced fee under separate concession rules
- Holders of a valid Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government are among those who can access reduced citizenship fees
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Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined three categories of foreigners who are fully exempt from paying the citizenship application fee, with additional concessions available to certain other applicants.
The information published on the Australian Government's official immigration website applies to those seeking citizenship by conferral as permanent residents.
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Crucially, anyone eligible for a fee exemption must submit a paper application rather than applying through the online portal.
Who qualifies for Australian citizenship fee exemption?
1. The first group covered by the exemption includes British and Maltese former child migrants who arrived in Australia without their parents between 22 September 1947 and 31 December 1967 under the Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme. Applicants in this category are required to submit a letter from the Child Migrants Trust confirming their arrival and sponsorship details.
2. The second category covers individuals who served for a minimum of 90 days in the permanent forces of the Commonwealth of Australia. Those applying under this provision must include a letter or discharge papers from the Australian Defence Force clearly stating their service dates.
3. The third group consists of people applying under the Statelessness provision, specifically section 21(8) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.
Australian citizenship: Fee concessions for other applicants
Beyond the full exemptions, the Australian Government also provides reduced fees for certain applicants who do not qualify outright. Any individual holding a valid Pensioner Concession Card issued by either Services Australia or the Department of Veterans' Affairs can apply for citizenship at a discounted rate, provided they are listed as the primary cardholder and the card has not expired.
Dependants aged 17 years or younger who appear on a valid Pensioner Concession Card may also access the reduced fee. Additionally, children aged 15 or younger who are applying on the same form as a parent pay no fee at all.
It is worth noting that Health Care Cards, Student Cards, and Senior Health Cards do not qualify an applicant for any fee reduction under the current rules.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
