Australian Multiculturalism for a New Century: Towards Inclusiveness
Appendix F - privileges and responsibilities
of Australian citizenship
Civic privileges/responsibilities
- Australian citizens can enrol to vote at Commonwealth, State and Territory elections and referendums. (Note that voting is also available to British subjects who were enrolled to vote on 26 January 1984.)
- Australian citizens can stand for election at Commonwealth, State and Territory level (subject to section 44 of the Constitution).
- In both Territories and most States, voting and standing for election at local government level is restricted to Australian citizens. (Note that voting is also available to British subjects who were enrolled to vote on 26 January 1984.)
- Australian citizens can serve on juries. (Note that jury service is also available to British subjects who were enrolled to vote on 26 January 1984.)
General privileges/responsibilities
- Australian citizens can obtain an Australian passport and, therefore, leave and re-enter Australia without a visa. Australian permanent residents require a resident return visa if they wish to return to Australia after a period of time overseas.
- Australian citizens can obtain permanent employment in the Australian Public Service.
- Australian citizens can be employed in the Australian Defence Forces. (Note that Australian permanent residents who are in the process of obtaining Australian citizenship, or who are eligible for Australian citizenship, may obtain employment in the Australian Defence Forces contingent on their acquiring Australian citizenship.)
- Australian citizens can register a child under 18 years of age born to them overseas, as an Australian citizen by descent.
- Persons who acquired Australian citizenship by birth cannot be deprived of this citizenship and cannot be deported from Australia. Persons who acquired Australian citizenship by grant can only be deprived of this citizenship and be removed from Australia in strictly limited circumstances (eg where fraud was involved in their migration to Australia or their acquisition of Australian citizenship). Australian permanent residents can be deported from Australia in some circumstances.
Educational privileges
- Australian citizens have the choice to pay HECS fees up-front with discount, or defer payment. (Note that this option is also available to: permanent resident students who became permanent residents before 1 January 1996; students who started their course of study before 1 January 1996; permanent resident students who became permanent residents and started their course of study on or after 1 January 1996 and have been permanent residents for less than 1 year; New Zealand citizens who started their course before 1996 and have been resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 2 years.)
- Students who met the requirements for Australian citizenship over 1 year ago but have not become Australian citizens must pay HECS fees up-front with no discount (effective 2 January 1999).
Privileges relating to migration
- Under the Family Stream of the Migration Program, priority in immigration processing is given to spouses, dependent children, fiance(e)s and interdependent partners of sponsors in Australia. Within these categories, higher priority is given to people sponsored by Australian citizens.
Applicants for migration who are subject to the points test currently, and until 1 July 1999, receive more points if sponsored by a person who has been an Australian citizen for over 5 years than if sponsored by a person who has been an Australian citizen for less than 5 years.
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