DIMA Annual Report 2000-01

Output 2.3 Australian citizenship

This output covers promotion of the value of Australian citizenship, policy and law on Australian citizenship and the delivery of decisions on Australian citizenship status.

Key results

• the department supported the development and launch of the Government's response to the Report of the Australian Citizenship Council, titled Australian Citizenship… A Common Bond. Its launch by the Minister in Melbourne on 17 May 2001 attracted considerable media attention and many responses from organisations and individuals in Australia and overseas
  
  
• the department also developed a discussion paper on Loss of Australian Citizenship on Acquisition of Another Citizenship to facilitate community discussion. This paper was widely disseminated both in Australia and overseas
  
  
• implementation has started on all aspects of the Government's response, including the national campaign to promote acquisition of Australian citizenship launched on 1 July 2001
  
  
• significant changes to access to Australian citizenship for New Zealand citizens were introduced with effect from 26 February 2001 and these have operated smoothly
  
  
• applications for the grant of Australian citizenship lodged in 2000-01 totalled 63,751 (77,166 people) compared with 61,132 (72,487 people) in 1999-2000. Recent trends in applications for the grant of citizenship are in the table above
  
  
• the increase in applications reflects higher interest from New Zealand citizens arising from revised migration and citizenship arrangements with New Zealand to help support a new bilateral social security arrangement from 26 February 2001. Outcomes for other citizenship applications for the past three years are in the table above
  
  
• some 64,898 decisions (79,048 persons) on applications for grant of citizenship were made in 2000-01, including 62,719 approvals (76,705 persons)
  
  
• Australian citizenship was conferred on 72,070 people, including children, compared with 70,836 in 1999-2000. This reflects an increase in the number of applications for grant of Australian citizenship received in 2000-01. Statistical information on the former nationality or citizenship and the previous country of residence of persons granted Australian citizenship in 2000-01, as required by Section 42(d) of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, is provided at Appendix 1
  
  
• the national Citizenship Information Line (CIL) received 334,336 calls in 2000-01, an average of 27,861 calls per month. This compares with 349,073 calls in 1999-2000, an average of 29,089 calls per month. CIL responds to citizenship inquiries from around Australia and distributes application kits to clients.

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