Australia continues to grant citizenships online

Countries that are known to welcome a huge number of immigrants either for permanent residency or citizenship are trying their best to continue their immigration operations despite the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. One such example is Australia which is holding online citizenship ceremonies to grant citizenship to applicants. The decision to hold online citizenship ceremonies was taken in April this year. This was in keeping with the health precautions due to COVID-19 which has made it impossible to have citizenship ceremonies in-person. Till date more than 15,000 people have received their Australian citizenship online during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The government is conducting more than 750 online citizenship ceremonies each day. 170, 819 individuals have been given citizenship in 2019-20 while 117, 958 applicants are still in waiting for citizenship. The number of citizenships granted till date this year is 56 percent more than the figures for the same period last year. Eligibility requirements to become an Australian citizen:

• Applicants must be above 18 years
• They must satisfy the residence requirement
• They are most likely to reside or continue to live in Australia
• They should have a good character

Residence requirement This is based on the period you have lived in Australia and the time you have spent outside the country. The residence requirements include: The applicant must have been living with a valid visa in Australia four years before the application date He must have lived as a permanent resident during the last 12 months In this four-year period, he must not have been away from Australia for more than one year He should not have lived outside the country for more than 90 days in the year you apply for an Australia PR visa Processing time for Australian citizenship Citizenship applications are usually processed between 19 to 25 months. The processing time includes the period from the date of application to decision and approval to the citizenship ceremony. According to the Department of Home Affairs indicates the waiting period for Australian citizenship has increased at present due to longer processing time. The postponing of face-to-face citizenship tests and interviews has increased the processing time. Source: Department of Home Affairs Meanwhile, the processing of applications continues where a face-to-face appointment is not needed. Processing for applications is carried up to the point that an appointment is required and to allow the applicant to make an appointment when it is safe to do so. The processing of applications is expected to get back on track once the pandemic is over. Indians top the list of maximum citizenships Indians have been getting the maximum number of citizenship in the past two years with 28,000 Indian nationals getting citizenship in 2018-19. The number of citizenship applicants has increased in recent times owing to the high quality of life and career opportunities Australia offers. If you are looking to Migrate, Study, Invest, Visit, or work in Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company.