# Countries resided / visited (Online vs Paper)



## captain_hoomi (May 12, 2013)

Hi all,



I am submitting my citizenship application online and got confused by this part:

"Since the age of 18, has the applicant lived or travelled outside of Australia?"

Looking at the paper version, the question is :

Since the age of 18 years, have you lived or travelled outside Australia (only consider the last 10 years)?

Does it mean for the online version I can also only consider the last 10 years?

Also should I include my own country that I was living as a citizen? (before coming to Australia)

I appreciate your help with this 



Cheers,

Hooman


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## kaju (Oct 31, 2011)

captain_hoomi said:


> Hi all,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It does seem a little strange that the questions are different, but sometimes the online and written applications apply for different people.

Anyway, the question in the online application is what you have to answer, so you just need to truthfully answer that. 

You're not being asked the question from the written form, so you must only answer the question "Since the age of 18, has the applicant lived or travelled outside of Australia?"

Since the online question doesn't state anything about any 10 year period, you just need to answer what is being asked. 

If you have lived or travelled outside of Australia since you were 18 years old, you must answer "Yes". 

Of course, any country, including yours, is outside Australia. So, if you have lived or travelled outside Australia (that mean ANYWHERE outside Australia), then you must say "Yes". 

In government forms (in Australia, anyway) there are no hidden meanings - you just need to read the question, and answer that question. 

You can't answer about some other question, and you can't not give the information - you simply need to answer the question being asked, with nothing more added.


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## captain_hoomi (May 12, 2013)

kaju said:


> It does seem a little strange that the questions are different, but sometimes the online and written applications apply for different people.
> 
> Anyway, the question in the online application is what you have to answer, so you just need to truthfully answer that.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the very detailed answer


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## captain_hoomi (May 12, 2013)

kaju said:


> It does seem a little strange that the questions are different, but sometimes the online and written applications apply for different people.
> 
> Anyway, the question in the online application is what you have to answer, so you just need to truthfully answer that.
> 
> ...





kaju said:


> It does seem a little strange that the questions are different, but sometimes the online and written applications apply for different people.
> 
> Anyway, the question in the online application is what you have to answer, so you just need to truthfully answer that.
> 
> ...


The problem is I can't remember some of the old trips. Is it OK to put estimate dates?


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## kaju (Oct 31, 2011)

captain_hoomi said:


> The problem is I can't remember some of the old trips. Is it OK to put estimate dates?


Yes. You can only do your best, be honest, and try to be as accurate as you can, but not worry if you have to guess a bit. I've moved and travelled generally, so many times, and going right back I don't have exact dates.

You can say "Approximate dates" next to the dates if possible, otherwise just using a date starting at the beginning of a month (eg 1/4/2008, 1/9/1998 etc) can be a good indicator to a Case Officer that it's an approximation.


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