What is happening with the demand for Australian citizenship?

What is happening with the demand for Australian Citizenship?

Australia is a great place to study, work and live, and for this reason there are many who are considering migrating to Australia. To do so, you will first need to have a clear idea about Australia’s current immigration scene.

Even as the migration numbers to Australia have increased, in recent times, Australia has been seeing a low demand in citizenship applications. In fact, the number of those applying for citizenship seems to have dropped since 2014 and in the year 2018-19 there was a 42% decrease in citizenship application. This is an indicator of serious realities, and there are several reasons for this.

The first of these factors involves practical issues. There is a 2 year backlog of old applications that has delayed the processing of fresh applications. A reversal of this situation can hasten up the process and can revive the status, creating a surge in new applications.

Secondly, there are many decisions made by the government. In 2017, a new rule required higher English standards for citizenship. There was a surge in applications for citizenship in 2017, before the new rule came into effect, so that applicants could steer clear of tougher evaluation for citizenship. This sudden surge is what has created the present backlog in processing of applications. Wait times were unduly increased, making many people back out and seek alternative pathways to different countries.

There are several other reasons as well, which include reluctance among candidates to abandon their motherland, or the choice of various other countries which also appear to offer good conditions for overseas migration.

There are some people who think that permanent residency in Australia is good enough, and they do not wish to apply for permanent citizenship. The only disadvantages of PR with respect to citizenship, is that PR holders cannot vote and cannot hold down Government jobs.

In conclusion, we can say that by streamlining and ironing out obstacles in the processes, and with the Government making prudent decisions, immigration can get back on track in Australia.

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