On 24 June 2021, the Department of Home Affairs announced that Australian Citizenship application fees will increase from 1 July 2021.
The Department provides that the increases were made in an effort to accurately reflect the costs involved in processing Australian citizenship applications.
The new fees will take effect from 1 July 2021 at 12:00am (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
This means, regardless of when you have started your application, if the Department receives your application and/or payment on or after 1 July 2021, you will be subject to the new fees. It is pertinent to ensure applicants have provided the necessary documents before submitting their applications. Failure to include required documents may result in an incomplete application which may mean having to resubmit the application on or after 1 July 2021 where a new fee would apply.
It is highly recommended that applications be made online as paper applications are at risk of postage times and delays. The date your application form was posted will not be considered in the date that the Department receives your application.
Application for Australian citizenship – General Eligibility
Application for Australian citizenship – other situations
Application for Australian citizenship by descent
Children under the age of 15 who are applying on the same form as a parent remain exempted from application fees. A more comprehensive list of the updated citizenship fees can be found on the Department's Website.
The conversion instrument and places and currency instruments have been amended. This means that from 1 July 2021 officers from Home Affairs must now rely on the amended instruments when calculating and assessing the conversions and charges related to application fees in foreign currencies.
Subregulation 16(2) of the Citizenship Regulation provides that payment of a fee accompanying an application must be made in a currency that is specified in the place and currencies instrument as a currency in which a fee may be paid in that place. For example, the Australian Dollar is the relevant currency to be paid in Australia. The purpose of this instrument is to enable the Department to identify and only accept currencies that are readily and legally accessible to the public and are universally bankable.
The amount payable must then be worked out by using the exchange rate for the currency specified in the conversion instrument. The conversion instrument consists of a table providing the currency and its relevant exchange rate. Assisting overseas Home Affairs officers ensuring that they are able to advise and collect the correct amount in fees from applicants.
Amended to the Migration (Places and Currencies for Paying of Fees) Instrument (Lin 21/004) 2021 (No.2). Schedule 1 provides a list of updated places and currencies that have been deemed acceptable. For information on which places and currencies are accepted as of 1 July 2021, the outlined list can be found in the places and currencies legislative instrument.
Amended to the Migration (Payment of Visa Application Charges and Fees in Foreign Currencies) Instrument (LIN 21/003) 2021 (No.2). Schedule 1 provides the updated currencies and their relevant exchange rates. For details on foreign currencies and exchange rates, the detailed table can be found in the conversion legislative instrument.
For Evidence of Australian citizenship applications, the fee payable for the application is $0 if:
If you want to find out more about your eligibility or need advice on your Australian migration matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can book a Migration Planning Session with one of our immigration lawyers to seek professional advice by calling 02-7200 2700 or email us to book in a time at info@ahclawyers.com.
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