Recent changes to Australian citizenship legislation
This section contains an overview of the changes to Australian Citizenship legislation which are contained within the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.
Citizenship Test
Information on the new citizenship test.
Residence requirements
Information on the new residence requirements.
Descent
The Australian Citizenship Act 2007 contains no age and time limitations for registration of citizenship by descent.
Citizenship by adoption in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption
The Australian Citizenship Act 2007 provides for people to be registered as an Australian citizen if they were adopted overseas by an Australian citizen parent in accordance with full and permanent Hague Convention Intercountry Adoption arrangements.
Conferral
Terminology has been changed in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 from the ‘grant of citizenship’ to ‘citizenship by conferral’. There are a number of other changes to the provisions for citizenship by conferral, including an extension of the residence requirement to 4 years lawful residence.
Resumption
I am a former citizen who renounced my Australian citizenship so that I could retain my other citizenship. Will I be able to resume my Australian citizenship under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007?
Revocation
Terminology has been changed in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 from the ‘deprivation’ of Australian citizenship to ‘revocation’ of Australian citizenship.
The revocation provisions have been extended.
Prohibitions on approval
There are new prohibitions on approval.
Personal identifiers
What are you going to be doing now that you weren't doing before?
Security checking
What is the new provision about security?
Fees
Are fees for citizenship applications being increased?
Transitional arrangements from the 1948 Act to the new Act
I became a citizen under the Australian Citizenship Act 1948. Am I still a citizen?