Australia Sets Travel Limits for Foreigners Applying for Citizenship
- The Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs published the travel rules foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship
- Applicants cannot have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months across the four years before they apply for citizenship
- The travel cap tightens further in the final year before application, with absences capped at no more than 90 days
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Australia has set strict travel limits on foreigners who want to apply for citizenship, with the country's Department of Home Affairs publishing the conditions applicants must satisfy before lodging a citizenship application.
According to the official guidance published by the department, an applicant must have been living in Australia on a valid visa for four continuous years before the date of their application.
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Within those four years, the person must not have spent more than 12 months outside Australia in total.
Australian citizenship: 90-day cap in the final year
The restrictions become tighter as the application date approaches. In the 12 months immediately before applying, an applicant may not have been away from Australia for more than 90 days in total.
This means that even a person who stayed well within the broader four-year absence limit could still fail to qualify if they spent too much time abroad in that final year.
Alongside the travel requirement, applicants must also hold a permanent visa or a Special Category Visa (SCV) for the 12 months immediately before the day they apply, in addition to having lived in Australia on a valid visa throughout the full four-year period.
Australian citizenship: Rules for children and SCV holders
Children under the age of 16 are exempt from the general residence requirement, though they must still hold permanent resident status to be eligible.
The department also made a specific provision for SCV holders who travel abroad. Such individuals are treated as permanent residents for citizenship purposes even when they are outside Australia, as long as they held an SCV immediately before departing the country.
The guidance makes clear that meeting the residence requirement is a mandatory step and not simply an advisory one.
Applicants who cannot satisfy all three conditions will not be considered eligible to apply, regardless of how long they have otherwise lived in Australia.
Legit.ng reported that Australia set out the final requirement for foreigners applying for citizenship.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Australia published the cost of its 10-year passport for applicants.
Age requirement for foreigners seeking Australian citizenship
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia published the age requirement for foreigners applying for citizenship.
The two categories both apply to young people applying on their own, rather than as part of a parent or guardian's application.
The two categories both apply to young people applying on their own, rather than as part of a parent or guardian's application.
Source: Legit.ng
