AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT 2007

This compilation was prepared on 1 November 2010
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 51 of 2010

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney-General's Department, Canberra

Contents

Part 1--Preliminary 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ........................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement ................................................................................... 1

2A......... Simplified outline ................................................................................ 2

3............ Definitions .......................................................................................... 4

4............ Australian citizen ................................................................................. 8

5............ Permanent resident .............................................................................. 8

6............ Responsible parent .............................................................................. 9

6A......... National security offences ................................................................. 10

7............ Children born on ships or aircraft or after death of parent ................. 10

8............ Children born as a result of artificial conception procedures or surrogacy arrangements 10

9............ Confinement in prison or psychiatric institution ................................ 11

10.......... Personal identifiers ............................................................................ 11

11.......... Operation of Act ............................................................................... 12

Part 2--Australian citizenship 13

Division 1--Automatic acquisition of Australian citizenship 13

11A....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 13

12.......... Citizenship by birth ........................................................................... 13

13.......... Citizenship by adoption ..................................................................... 14

14.......... Citizenship for abandoned children ................................................... 14

15.......... Citizenship by incorporation of Territory .......................................... 14

Division 2--Acquisition of Australian citizenship by application 15

Subdivision A--Citizenship by descent 15

15A....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 15

16.......... Application and eligibility for citizenship .......................................... 16

17.......... Minister's decision ............................................................................ 17

18.......... Registration ....................................................................................... 18

19.......... Day citizenship begins ...................................................................... 18

19A....... When a person does not become a citizen despite the Minister's approval 18

Subdivision AA--Citizenship for persons adopted in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption 19

19B....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 19

19C....... Application and eligibility for citizenship .......................................... 19

19D....... Minister's decision ............................................................................ 21

19E........ Registration ....................................................................................... 22

19F........ Day citizenship begins ...................................................................... 23

Subdivision B--Citizenship by conferral 23

19G....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 23

20.......... Requirements for becoming a citizen ................................................. 24

21.......... Application and eligibility for citizenship .......................................... 24

22.......... General residence requirement .......................................................... 28

22A....... Special residence requirement--persons engaging in activities that are of benefit to Australia 31

22B....... Special residence requirement--persons engaged in particular kinds of work requiring regular travel outside Australia .......................................................................................................... 33

22C....... Special residence requirement--legislative instruments .................... 35

23.......... Relevant defence service ................................................................... 35

23A....... Citizenship test .................................................................................. 35

24.......... Minister's decision ............................................................................ 36

25.......... Minister may cancel approval ............................................................ 40

26.......... Pledge of commitment must be made ................................................ 41

27.......... How pledge of commitment is to be made ........................................ 42

28.......... Day citizenship begins etc. ................................................................ 43

Subdivision C--Resuming citizenship 43

28A....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 43

29.......... Application and eligibility for resuming citizenship .......................... 44

30.......... Minister's decision ............................................................................ 45

31.......... Registration ....................................................................................... 47

32.......... Day citizenship begins again etc. ....................................................... 47

Division 3--Cessation of Australian citizenship 48

32A....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 48

33.......... Renunciation ..................................................................................... 48

34.......... Revocation by Minister ..................................................................... 50

35.......... Service in armed forces of enemy country ........................................ 53

36.......... Children of responsible parents who cease to be citizens .................. 53

Division 4--Evidence of Australian citizenship 54

37.......... Evidence of Australian citizenship .................................................... 54

38.......... Surrender of evidentiary notice ......................................................... 54

39.......... Altering evidentiary notice ................................................................ 55

Division 5--Personal identifiers 56

Subdivision A--Obtaining personal identifiers 56

40.......... Request for personal identifiers ......................................................... 56

41.......... Provision of personal identifiers ....................................................... 56

Subdivision B--Obligations relating to identifying information 57

42.......... Accessing identifying information .................................................... 57

43.......... Disclosing identifying information .................................................... 58

44.......... Unauthorised modification or impairment of identifying information 59

45.......... Destroying identifying information ................................................... 61

Part 3--Other matters 63

46.......... Application requirements .................................................................. 63

47.......... Notification of decisions ................................................................... 64

48.......... Computerised decision-making ......................................................... 64

49.......... Evidence of whether computer program is functioning correctly ...... 65

50.......... False statements or representations ................................................... 67

51.......... Geographical jurisdiction for offences .............................................. 67

52.......... Review of decisions .......................................................................... 67

53.......... Delegation ......................................................................................... 68

54.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 68

Schedule 1--Pledge of commitment as a citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia 69

1............ Form of pledge no. 1 ......................................................................... 69

2............ Form of pledge no. 2 ......................................................................... 69

Notes 71

An Act relating to Australian citizenship

Notes to the Australian Citizenship Act 2007

Note 1

The Australian Citizenship Act 2007 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 20, 2007 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For all other relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Australian Citizenship Act 2007	20, 2007	15 Mar 2007	Ss. 2A-54 and Schedule 1: 1 July 2007 (see F2007L01653) Remainder: Royal Assent
Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006	46, 2006	22 May 2006	Schedule 8 (item 2): (a)	S. 2(1) (am. by 73, 2008, Sch. 2 [item 19])
as amended by
Statute Law Revision Act 2008	73, 2008	3 July 2008	Schedule 2 (items 19, 20): 15 Mar 2007	--
Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Act 2007	142, 2007	17 Sept 2007	Schedule 1: 1 Oct 2007 (see F2007L03867) Remainder: Royal Assent	Sch. 1 (items 12, 13)
Migration Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2008	85, 2008	15 Sept 2008	Schedule 5 (items 1A-2, 6-10, 12, 13, 15, 16): 15 Mar 2009 Schedule 5 (items 3-5, 14): 7 Oct 2008 (see F2008L03538)	Sch. 5 (items 14, 16)
Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws--General Law Reform) Act 2008	144, 2008	9 Dec 2008	Schedule 10 (items 1-12): 15 Mar 2009 (see F2009L00259) Schedule 10 (item 76): 1 July 2009	Sch. 10 (items 8, 12)
Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Test Review and Other Measures) Act 2009	90, 2009	21 Sept 2009	Schedule 1: 9 Nov 2009 (see F2009L04034) Schedule 2 (items 1-6, 8): Royal Assent	Sch. 1 (item 9) and Sch. 2 (item 8)
Freedom of Information Amendment (Reform) Act 2010	51, 2010	31 May 2010	Schedule 5 (item 2): (b)	--

Commencement information
8. Schedule 8, item 2	The later of: (a) the time that the provision(s) covered by table item 2 commence; and (b) immediately after section 6 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 commences. However, the provision(s) do not commence at all if the event mentioned in paragraph (b) does not occur.	1 July 2007 (paragraph (b) applies)

Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
7. Schedules 4 to 7	Immediately after the commencement of section 3 of the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010. However, if section 3 of the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 does not commence, the provision(s) do not commence at all.	1 November 2010

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
S. 2A ..................................	am. No. 142, 2007
S. 3 .....................................	am. Nos. 85 and 144, 2008
S. 6 .....................................	am. No. 46, 2006; No. 144, 2008
S. 8 .....................................	rs. No. 144, 2008
S. 10 ...................................	am. No. 142, 2007
Part 2
Division 2
Subdivision A
S. 16 ...................................	am. No. 85, 2008
Subdivision B
S. 19G ................................	am. No. 142, 2007; No. 90, 2009
Subhead. to s. 21(3) .........	am. No. 90, 2009
S. 21 ...................................	am. No. 142, 2007; No. 85, 2008; No. 90, 2009
Heading to s. 22 ...............	rs. No. 90, 2009
Subhead. to s. 22(9) .........	am. No. 144, 2008
S. 22 ...................................	am. Nos. 85 and 144, 2008; No. 90, 2009
Ss. 22A-22C ......................	ad. No. 90, 2009
S. 23 ...................................	am. No. 85, 2008
S. 23A ................................	ad. No. 142, 2007
	am. No. 90, 2009
S. 24 ...................................	am. No. 85, 2008; No. 90, 2009
S. 26 ...................................	am. No. 90, 2009
Division 3
S. 34 ...................................	am. Nos. 85 and 144, 2008
Division 5
Subdivision A
S. 40 ...................................	am. No. 142, 2007
Subdivision B
S. 43 ...................................	am. No. 51, 2010
Part 3
S. 46 ...................................	am. No. 142, 2007; No. 90, 2009
S. 53 ...................................	am. No. 142, 2007

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Act 2007
(No. 142, 2007)

Schedule 1

12 Application

The amendment made by item 4 applies in relation to applications made on or after the commencement of that item.

13 Transitional

(1) If:

(a) a request was made under subsection 40(1) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 before the commencement of this item; and

(b) the request had not been complied with before that commencement;

the request has effect after that commencement as if it were a request made under that subsection after that commencement.

(2) An authorisation in force under subsection 40(3) or (4) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 immediately before the commencement of this item has effect after that commencement as if it were an authorisation made under that subsection immediately after that commencement.

Migration Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2008 (No. 85, 2008)

Schedule 5

14 Application

The amendments made by items 1A to 13 of this Schedule apply in relation to applications to become an Australian citizen made after those items commence.

16 Application

The amendment made by item 15 of this Schedule applies in relation to a decision, in relation to a revocation of a person's citizenship, that is made after that item commences.

Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws--General Law Reform) Act 2008 (No. 144, 2008)

Schedule 10

8 Application of amendments affecting sections 3, 6 and 8

The amendments of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 made by this Part, except the amendments of section 22 of that Act, apply in relation to the acquisition or cessation of Australian citizenship on or after the commencement of this Part because of circumstances (including relationships) existing before, on or after that commencement.

12 Application of amendments of section 22

The amendments of section 22 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 made by this Part apply in relation to applications to become an Australian citizen:

(a) that are made on or after the commencement of this Part; or

(b) that:

(i) were made before the commencement of this Part; and

(ii) were applications in relation to which decisions were not made before that commencement to approve, or to refuse to approve, the applicants becoming Australian citizens.

Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Test Review and Other Measures) Act 2009 (No. 90, 2009)

Schedule 1

9 Application

(1) The amendments made by items 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8 apply in relation to applications made on or after the commencement of those items.

(2) However, the amendment made by item 2 does not apply in relation to a person if:

(a) the person makes an application on or after that commencement; and

(b) the Minister is satisfied that the person had, before that commencement, sat a test approved in a determination under section 23A of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and successfully completed that test (worked out in accordance with that determination).

Schedule 2

8 Application

The amendments made by this Schedule apply in relation to applications made on or after the commencement of this Schedule.

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT 2007 - NOTES

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
8. Schedule 8, item 2	The later of: (a) the time that the provision(s) covered by table item 2 commence; and (b) immediately after section 6 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 commences. However, the provision(s) do not commence at all if the event mentioned in paragraph (b) does not occur.	1 July 2007 (paragraph (b) applies)