DIMA Annual Report 1997-98
Sub-program 4.2: Citizenship
Objective
Description
Performance information
Financial and staffing resources summary
Performance outcomes
Objective
To grant citizenship to eligible people so they can participate fully in Australian society.
Description
The citizenship sub-program covers policy on Australian citizenship and the planning and delivery of citizenship services.
Citizenship services are available to clients from all departmental regional offices in Australia and from Australian posts overseas. In addition, designated Australia Post offices offer citizenship interviewing services. Citizenship ceremonies are normally undertaken by local governments, although the Department offers ceremonies in urgent or compassionate circumstances.
Citizenship and Language Services Branch administers the sub-program.
Performance information
Outcomes are measured by the extent to which:
- citizenship inquiries, applications and conferrals were effectively managed;
- improvements were made to citizenship character checks with the introduction of on-line real-time checks to the Police Reference System maintained by the National Exchange of Police Information (NEPI);
- client services were improved under a renewed agreement with Australia Post for the conduct of citizenship interviews at Australia Post outlets;
- the citizenship ceremonies handbook was revised and made available to local governments;
- support was provided for the establishment of the Australian Citizenship Council; and
- preparations were begun for the 50th anniversary of Australian citizenship in 1999.
Financial and staffing resources summary
1997–98 |
1997–98 |
1996–97 |
|
| Budgetary (cash) basis | |||
| Components of appropriations | |||
| Annual appropriations | |||
| Running costs | 10 995 |
9 247 |
n/a |
| Other program costs | 0 |
0 |
n/a |
| Total appropriations | 10 995 |
9 247 |
n/a |
| Less adjustments | 1 474 |
1 543 |
n/a |
| Total outlays | 9 521 |
7 704 |
n/a |
| Total revenue | 14 267 |
13 935 |
n/a |
| Staffing | |||
| Staff years (actual) | 109 |
101 |
n/a |
Due to program restructures in both 1996–97 and 1997–98, sub-program figures for 1996–97 actuals are not meaningful for comparative purposes to 1997–98 figures. They have therefore not been included in this table.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance outcomes
(i) Citizenship enquiries, applications and conferrals
The national Citizenship Telephone Enquiry Line (CTEL) received 258 988 calls in 1997–98 representing an average of 21 582 calls per month. This compares with a total number of calls in the previous year of around 205 000 calls or 17 100 per month. CTEL services citizenship enquiries from around Australia and distributes citizenship application kits to clients.
The number of applications for the grant of Australian citizenship lodged in 1997–98 totalled 89 111. This compares with 109 631 applications in 1996–97. Recent trends in applications for grant of citizenship are at Table 4.2 (a). Outcomes for other citizenship applications for this year are at Table 4.2 (b).
[ Top Of Page ]Table 4.2 (a): Number of applications for grant of citizenship, 1991–92 to 1997–98
| 1991–92 | 102 513 |
| 1992–93 | 106 029 |
| 1993–94 | 93 727 |
| 1994–95 | 97 224 |
| 1995–96 | 102 144 |
| 1996–97 | 109 631 |
| 1997–98 | 89 111 |
The decline in applications for citizenship in 1997–98 is largely a result of reductions in the migration program in recent years.
There were 89 623 decisions made on applications for grant of citizenship, including more than 87 139 approvals.
Australian citizenship was conferred on 112 343 people (including children who were part of their parents' applications).
Statistical information on the former nationality or citizenship of persons granted Australian citizenship this year, as required by Section 42(d) of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, is provided at Appendix 2.
The percentage of applications decided within the target of three months from receipt was 91.2 per cent, compared with 91.1 per cent in 1996–97 and 92.4 per cent in 1995–96.
Of these, 46.6 per cent were decided within one month of lodgement, compared with 43 per cent in 1996–97.
The number of complex applications which had been with the Department for more than three months totalled 1 169 at the end of 1997–98. This compared with 1 037 cases at the end of 1996–97 and 771 at the end of 1995–96.
[ Top Of Page ]Table 4.2 (b): Outcomes for other citizenship applications, 1996–97 to 1997–98
1995–96 |
1996–97 |
1997–98 |
|
| Certificates of Australian citizenship issued as evidence of Australian citizenship |
10 091 |
9 748 |
9 549 |
| People registered as Australian citizens by descent |
7 810 |
8 296 |
8 867 |
| People registered as losing Australian citizenship |
601 |
532 |
655 |
| People resuming Australian citizenship |
424 |
279 |
451 |
A booklet What it Means to be an Australian Citizen has been produced to assist prospective citizens in gaining information about citizenship values and the Australian way of life.
It outlines the rules for acquiring and losing Australian citizenship, the responsibilities and privileges attached to Australian citizenship and provides a brief overview of Australian history and our system of government.
The booklet is given to prospective citizens at citizenship interviews.
An Internet site for school children, titled About Citizenship (www.immi.gov.au/citizen), was launched in March 1998. About Citizenship provides background information on Australia's history and system of government and presents a range of material on issues relating to citizenship and national identity.
[ Top Of Page ](ii) Improved character checks
As forecast in the Portfolio Budget Statement 1997–98, improvements were made to citizenship character checks through the design and implementation of an electronic link with the Police Reference System maintained by the National Exchange of Police Information (NEPI), which provides national character checks for the Department for the purpose of assessing citizenship applications.
The operation and timeliness of the checks were significantly improved with the introduction of on-line real-time checks in December 1997.
Prior to the introduction of on-line character checks, processing time had taken up to seven days.
(iii) Enhanced client services
A renewed agreement has been reached with Australia Post under which a number of non-metropolitan Australia Post outlets conduct citizenship interviews on behalf of the Department.
The arrangements assist clients who are located in regional or remote parts of Australia or who are not easily able to reach departmental offices.
The renewed agreement expands the Department's arrangements with Australia Post to include licensed as well as official outlets, potentially providing for a significant increase in the number of outlets covered by the contract, from the current 300 outlets.
Australia Post conducted around 10 000 interviews on behalf of the Department in 1997–98, compared with 8 800 interviews conducted in 1996–97.
The new contract with Australia Post also provides for the development of a multi-media training package for Post Office staff and the investigation of electronic lodgement and receipting arrangements between DIMA and Australia Post.
The Citizenship Automated System is being redeveloped as part of the DIMA-CSC Strategic Alliance's development of the Integrated Client Service Environment (ICSE).
ICSE will replace 10 separate, service-oriented computer systems with one client-oriented system.
It will facilitate improved services to clients and support re-designed work practices for citizenship and other areas of client processing and services.
Jan Chantry congratulates Mohamed Abshir after an Australia Day Citizenship ceremony at Moonee Valley.
[ Top Of Page ](iv) Citizenship ceremonies
A revised ceremonies handbook was distributed to local governments which conduct Australian citizenship ceremonies and confer Australian citizenship.
The handbook was upgraded to enhance the value, meaning and content of citizenship ceremonies and to provide clearer guidance to local governments on the conduct of ceremonies.
It was distributed in January 1998 to over 700 local governments around Australia.
(v) Australian Citizenship Council
Preparation continued for the establishment of the Council, which will undertake an independent review of Australian citizenship. It is expected that the Council will be fully established in 1998–99.
[ Top Of Page ](vi) 50th anniversary celebrations
Australian citizenship reaches a fifty-year milestone on 26 January 1999 and preparations for the celebration of this occasion were started in 1997–98.
A range of activities will aim to encourage Australians to take pride in their citizenship and encourage eligible permanent residents to take out Australian citizenship.