# Need help! Offshore applying Australia Citizenship



## LolaHL (Jul 29, 2015)

Hi everyone,

I recently applied Australia Citizenship online in UK on April 2015. It's been more than 3 months since I heard from OCU. I sent them a few emails to ask the process of my citizenship, but they didn't reply. How long normally for process a citizenship offshore? Is there a phone number so that I can contact them? Should I be worried or just wait a bit longer?

Thank you very much!


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## TheExpatriate (Feb 7, 2014)

On what merit are you applying? Descent? Conferral?


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## LolaHL (Jul 29, 2015)

I am applying for Australian Citizenship by Conferral. I have been in Australia since 2009 and granted PR in 2013. Due my partner moved to the UK to work on Feb 2014. I am applying a discretion under the General Residence requirement.


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## LolaHL (Jul 29, 2015)

Extract from the Ministerial discretion number 5:
''If you have spent time outside Australia as a permanent resident with your spouse or partner, or are the surviving spouse or partner of an Australian citizen and have a close and continuing association with Australia, then that period of time may be treated as time spent in Australia.''

This is may be treated as time spent in Australia, which has worried me.


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## TheExpatriate (Feb 7, 2014)

Your partner is Australian right?

Discretions (Special Residence Criteria instead of general residence) take some time usually. There are no timelines for them. So you will need to wait a bit more


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## LolaHL (Jul 29, 2015)

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, he is Australian.

Hopefully not wait too long


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## TheExpatriate (Feb 7, 2014)

LolaHL said:


> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> Yes, he is Australian.
> 
> Hopefully not wait too long


Excerpt from Department Instructions on Citizenship (relevant to your case)

the applicant had a close and continuing association with Australia :


evidence that the person migrated to and established a home in Australia prior to the period overseas
Australian citizen children
long term relationship with Australian citizen spouse or de facto partner
extended family in Australia
regular return visits to Australia 
regular periods of residence in Australia
intention to reside in Australia
the person has been on leave from employment in Australia while accompanying their spouse or partner overseas
ownership of property in Australia
evidence of income tax paid in Australia over the past four year and
evidence of active participation in Australian community based activities or organisations.

So the more you can prove from the above, the higher your chance of securing the discretion


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## auzzi (Oct 2, 2017)

*Ausralian citizenship application*

Hi A2Z,

Could you please give some advice about my case:
My foreign passport will expire after THREE months and I will be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship after ONE month. Do you recommend renewing my foreign passport now or after citizenship application? and why?
Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Adam


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## GaryS1973 (10 mo ago)

LolaHL said:


> I am applying for Australian Citizenship by Conferral. I have been in Australia since 2009 and granted PR in 2013. Due my partner moved to the UK to work on Feb 2014. I am applying a discretion under the General Residence requirement.


Hello LolaHL,
I wanted to ask did you get it granted?

I am Australian Citizen in HK and my wife has PR, but we can't go back to Australia on our original timeframe so I want to apply for Citizenship by Conferral for her, but it's hard to find anyone who has actually gone through the process so I'm not sure if it's a "only in extreme circumstances" or if like me you've been married for 10 years and have a kid it's just a minor formality.

Were you successful in the end? If not, did they say why? Did you go through an agency or any lawyer you might recommend if you think they helped?

Best regards,
GaryS


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