Australian Visa: Changes in citizenship law and travel exemptions for overseas parents in Australia

The Australian Citizenship Act has been amended to provide talented potential Australians with a path to citizenship. The residence requirement, which requires a prospective Australian to have spent a certain amount of time in Australia before getting citizenship, is now more flexible.

This special residency requirement has been extended to holders of distinguished talent and global talent visas who have done the following in the two years prior to applying for Australian citizenship:

He/she has been an ordinarily resident in Australia
He/she has been an Australian resident with permanent residency
He/she has been present in Australia for at least 180 days in total. Out of the total days, at least 90 days must have occurred within the past 12 months prior to application.

Citizenship by descent in Australia and proof of citizenship in Australia

Changes to the lodgement arrangements for applications for Australian citizenship by descent and evidence of Australian citizenship have also been made, requiring all applications to be made through ImmiAccount starting 1 November 2021. These changes will allow for faster application processing and easier application management.

Great news for parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents

Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents were not considered to be 'immediate family,' which ruled them out of eligibility for travel exemptions to Australia during the pandemic. The good news is that when applying for a travel exemption to visit their children in Australia, parents will now be considered immediate family.

This is especially good news for parent visa applicants who left Australia on a bridging visa and have been unable to return, as well as those who have recently welcomed new grandchildren. Parents who are caught offshore on a Bridging Visa B must apply for a visitor visa in order to return to Australia, and their bridging visa will be reinstated once they arrive.

Do you want to know more about being a permanent resident in Australia? Contact us now and call us on 0434 123 123 for a quick chat or email us at [email protected] to book an appointment to have a consultation with our migration agent.

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