Modern immigration to Australia began in 1788 when the first British royal colony – New South Wales – was founded. Today, 50% of the increase in the Australian population is the result of immigration, which is why Australia is called the country of migrants. This country’s government believes that new residents should be encouraged to learn as much as possible about the new country of residence, its heritage, language, customs, and way of life, as well as how to apply for Australian citizenship when they become eligible. The English Language Program for Adult Migrants (AMEP) provides up to 510 hours of free English language learning to migrants who came with an immigrant visa based on qualifications, with a family or humanitarian visa, so they can learn at least a basic level of English to fit in easily.
As a multicultural country, Australia is known for its kind treatment of immigrants. Because of all the benefits it offers, related to life, work, nature, climate, and entertainment, many consider Australia a promised land. If you want to move permanently to Australia, you will need an immigrant visa, which contains several different categories. In further text, we will give you guidelines on how to fulfill the criteria for citizenship eligibility and how to prepare for the citizenship test.
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How to migrate to Australia and fulfill the criteria for citizenship?
Immigration to Australia involves careful and detailed planning, steering the whole process in the right direction, and meeting all the prescribed conditions for obtaining immigrant visas.
These visas allow you to stay permanently in Australia, live and work, sponsor family members for permanent residence in Australia and apply for Australian citizenship, if you qualify.
Partner immigration scheme
The Australian Partner Immigration Scheme allows Australian citizens, those who have a permanent residence visa in Australia, as well as New Zealand citizens to sponsor their partners to join them in Australia.
Skilled Migration Program
The Australian Government has developed a program to attract immigrants with experience in areas where there is a shortage of skilled workers. The official name of this program is the Skilled Migration Program, within which it is necessary to meet certain conditions set by the Australian Immigration Service. These requirements apply to qualifications, work experience, and knowledge of the English language.
List of deficient occupations
Australia needs skilled workers and therefore, following the immigration scheme for skilled workers, this country updates the list of scarce occupations every year based on the needs of the labor market. If your occupation is on this list, you meet one of the conditions for obtaining one of the works or immigrant visas for Australia.
How to successfully prepare for the citizenship test?
The citizenship test is necessary when applying for Australian citizenship, and is designed to check whether the candidate has the necessary knowledge about Australia, its history, nature, social and state system, as well as the rights and obligations that Australian citizenship brings.
In addition to these items, knowledge of English is assessed as it is the official language of Australia and is essential if you want to fit into the community and actively participate in public life, work, and be educated.
The test consists of 20 rounding questions, which are randomly selected. To pass the test, it is necessary to have 75% of correct answers, or in other words 15 correct answers from a total of 20.
The fee paid for processing the citizenship application also includes the costs of taking the test. The test is taken on a computer, on government premises, where immigration services are located.
The citizenship test is necessary when applying for Australian citizenship, and is designed to check whether the candidate has the necessary knowledge about the country, its history, nature, social and state system, as well as the rights and obligations that Australian citizenship brings.
The questions from the test can be grouped into three parts:
- Questions about Australia and Australians
- Rights and freedoms, the country and its democratic beliefs
- The organization of the government and the most important laws
The study material has been prepared by the Australian Government, as well as the study material, but to get more practice material with the questions relevant for 2020, you can visit citizenshiptestaustralia.com.au . The site will provide you with enough free practice material to make sure you do your best to pass the test.
Apart from the aforementioned materials for preparation, there are also various materials available on YouTube.
There are many benefits for all Australian citizens, and the most common are permanent residence and stay in Australia, without the possibility of deportation, ability to work in certain public institutions (federal police, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, defense), unlimited number of exits and entries into the country, excellent consular protection and support abroad, active participation in public and political life, financial support in education, visa-free travel to as many as 160 countries, and many more.
What do you need to do to apply for the citizenship test?
As it is the case with any formal application, you need to fill in the application, first. Once you fill it, make sure you collect all the documents stated in the application, pay a fee, and with all of this submit your application. The application fees are different, depending on your current status (migrant with permanent residence, a partner of an Australian citizen, or something else), but you can expect to pay between 200 and 300 AUD. Regardless of whether you are currently located in Australia or outside of it, you will be able to finish this procedure od applying. The basic required documents are your ID, documents that prove your good character, permanent residence permit, and in case you have children and wish to add them to your application, their documents as well. After you have successfully submitted your application, you will be informed about the dates of the test.
Passing a citizenship test is not so easy, which is why the preparation phase is very important. Use your time wisely to go through the questions multiple times and minimize the risk of having to take the test again.