DIAC to introduce Citizenship Support Grants Program
Letter to the Editor - www.chinatown.com.au
3 March 2008
Dear editor
I am writing to you in response to the article by Dr Anthony Pun, Tweaking the citizenship test is not the answer, published on the chinatown.com.au internet site on 29 January 2008 which may be misleading to some readers.
Reference to the ‘Let's Participate’ program offered by the Adult Migrant English Program might give some people the wrong impression that completing the program is a way of avoiding the citizenship test.
Since implementation of the citizenship test on 1 October 2007, this course does not exempt a person from taking the test. In fact the course is not currently being offered.
However, the Australian government recognises some prospective citizenship applicants have some difficulty preparing for the citizenship test.
To address this, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship will be introducing a Citizenship Support Grants Program in August. The program will deliver services to help people to prepare for the citizenship test, in particular, humanitarian entrants and family stream migrants with low English proficiency.
With regards to some of the other issues you raised in the article, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, is working to ensure the test does not disadvantage those people who most need support. He has acknowledged that more work needs to be done to make sure there are no unintended barriers for people who wish to become Australian citizens.
Sandi Logan
National Communications Manager,
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: (02) 6264 2244