Am I entitled to Australian citizenship by descent?

Everyone who lives in Australia has a story to tell about their origin, and how they came to be in this country.  Here at Visa Solutions Australia we receive enquiries from people who want to know if they can legally stay in this country by claiming eligibility for Australian citizenship by descent.

There’s plenty of reasons why people may want to make Australia their new home.  Australia is a multicultural society with good weather all year round and a laid-back lifestyle which is envied by many. It has lovely natural landscape and some of the best beaches in the world.

Are you eligible?

The Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948 created the concept of Australian citizenship which followed a similar policy to one which had already been adopted by Canada.

There are several ways to find out if your circumstances mean you can automatically receive citizenship.

If you were born before 26^th January 1949 and had an Australian father or mother, and they were born or naturalised in Australia then you automatically receive the right to be an Australian citizen. You also qualify for birthright citizenship  if either of your parents became an Australian citizen on 26^th January 1949 or after that date when the concept of citizenship status was introduced.

You can also receive citizenship if you were born before this date in Papua, New Guinea or Nauru.

Australian citizenship by descent is not conferred at birth, a child born outside of Australia to an Australian parent must apply for citizenship.  Anyone applying for Australian citizenship must be of good moral character and those under 16, need to have a parent apply on their behalf.

Application forms can be downloaded from the Department of Immigration website.  You’ll need to submit details of your birth certificate and passport and the process could take a round a month.  Once your application is approved, you will be classed a citizen, but there’s no need to attend an official Citizenship Ceremony.

Citizenship benefits

There are many benefits of becoming an Australian citizenship.  Once you have a passport, you can live and work in this country with no restrictions and receive all the benefits that come with being a citizen. This means you can vote, apply for jobs in the Defence Force or Australian Police and represent this country in international sporting events. It also opens up the opportunity to of travelling with a visa to 168 countries.

An Australian citizen is also a commonwealth citizen in UK law and you may be eligible for a UK right of abode if you were born before 1983.  There’s also the possibility of working in the UK with few restrictions for a maximum of 5 years.

If you want to find out whether you can achieve Australian citizenship by descent, why not speak to one of our team here at VSA?  We are a trusted migration service with excellent reviews and can offer advice on all your visa and migration requirements.