Australian citizenship offers a range of benefits, including the ability to vote in elections, permanent residency in Australia, unrestricted travel in and out of the country, easier access to mortgage approvals, and access to student finance schemes such as VET FEE-HELP. Additionally, becoming an Australian citizen is a point of pride for many people.

There are four pathways to becoming an Australian citizen: citizenship by descent, citizenship by conferral, citizenship by adoption, and citizenship by resumption. The most common pathways are citizenship by descent and citizenship by conferral.

Citizenship by descent is available to individuals born outside of Australia who have at least one parent who is an Australian citizen at the time of their birth. In order to be eligible, the applicant must prove that their parent(s) were Australian citizens at the time of their birth. Additionally, persons over the age of 18 who are applying for citizenship by descent must undergo a character check.

Citizenship by conferral is available to individuals who are permanent Australian residents or Eligible New Zealand citizens. Applicants must have lived in Australia legally for at least four years before becoming eligible to apply. However, there are certain exemptions to this rule. Persons over the age of 18 who are applying for citizenship by conferral must also undergo a character check.

Most applicants for Australian citizenship will need to demonstrate their knowledge of Australian history and culture by taking a citizenship interview and test. The test is based on the booklet called “Our Common Bond,” which is available on the Department of Home Affairs website. The test covers three parts: Australia and its people, Australia’s democratic beliefs, rights and liberties, and Government and the law in Australia. A score of 75% or higher is required to pass.

Finally, applicants for Australian citizenship must have at least a basic knowledge of the English language. This can be demonstrated by scoring 75% or higher on the citizenship test.