Criteria for Citizenship

Letter to the Editor - The West Australian
29 July 2005

Dear Sir/Madam

Your article (Ruddock cool on deportation push, 28/07/05) fails to set out the quite detailed criteria people are required to meet before being granted Australian citizenship.

The article mentioned some of the eligibility criteria for citizenship but failed to mention that applicants must be permanent residents of Australia, and, they must have lived in Australia as a permanent resident for at least two of the past five years, including at least 12 months of the past two years.

They must also understand the nature of their application and have an adequate knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship.

Kym Charlton
Acting Director
Public Affairs
DIMIA