Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated ActsAct No. 20 of 2007 as amended
This compilation was prepared on 18 July 2008
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 73 of 2008
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 ................................................................................ 7
5............ Permanent resident ............................................................................. 8
6............ Responsible parent ............................................................................. 8
6A......... National security offences .................................................................. 9
7............ Children born on ships or aircraft or after death of parent ............... 10
8............ Children born as a result of artificial conception procedures ........... 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 18
19B....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 18
19C....... Application and eligibility for citizenship ........................................ 19
19D....... Minister's decision ........................................................................... 21
19E........ Registration ....................................................................................... 22
19F........ Day citizenship begins ..................................................................... 22
Subdivision B--Citizenship by conferral 22
19G....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 22
20.......... Requirements for becoming a citizen ................................................ 24
21.......... Application and eligibility for citizenship ........................................ 24
22.......... Residence requirement ...................................................................... 27
23.......... Relevant defence service ................................................................... 30
23A....... Citizenship test ................................................................................ 31
24.......... Minister's decision ........................................................................... 31
25.......... Minister may cancel approval .......................................................... 35
26.......... Pledge of commitment must be made ............................................... 36
27.......... How pledge of commitment is to be made ....................................... 37
28.......... Day citizenship begins etc. ............................................................... 38
Subdivision C--Resuming citizenship 38
28A....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 38
29.......... Application and eligibility for resuming citizenship ........................ 39
30.......... Minister's decision ........................................................................... 40
31.......... Registration ....................................................................................... 42
32.......... Day citizenship begins again etc. ...................................................... 42
Division 3--Cessation of Australian citizenship 43
32A....... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 43
33.......... Renunciation ..................................................................................... 43
34.......... Revocation by Minister .................................................................... 45
35.......... Service in armed forces of enemy country ........................................ 48
36.......... Children of responsible parents who cease to be citizens ................ 48
Division 4--Evidence of Australian citizenship 49
37.......... Evidence of Australian citizenship ................................................... 49
38.......... Surrender of evidentiary notice ......................................................... 49
39.......... Altering evidentiary notice ............................................................... 50
Division 5--Personal identifiers 51
Subdivision A--Obtaining personal identifiers 51
40.......... Request for personal identifiers ........................................................ 51
41.......... Provision of personal identifiers ....................................................... 51
Subdivision B--Obligations relating to identifying information 52
42.......... Accessing identifying information .................................................... 52
43.......... Disclosing identifying information ................................................... 53
44.......... Unauthorised modification or impairment of identifying information 54
45.......... Destroying identifying information .................................................. 56
Part 3--Other matters 58
46.......... Application requirements ................................................................. 58
47.......... Notification of decisions ................................................................... 59
48.......... Computerised decision‑making ......................................................... 59
49.......... Evidence of whether computer program is functioning correctly ..... 60
50.......... False statements or representations ................................................. 61
51.......... Geographical jurisdiction for offences .............................................. 62
52.......... Review of decisions .......................................................................... 62
53.......... Delegation ......................................................................................... 63
54.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 63
Schedule 1--Pledge of commitment as a citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia 64
1............ Form of pledge no. 1 ......................................................................... 64
2............ Form of pledge no. 2 ......................................................................... 64
Notes 65
An Act relating to Australian citizenship
Preamble
The Parliament recognises that Australian citizenship represents full and formal membership of the community of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Australian citizenship is a common bond, involving reciprocal rights and obligations, uniting all Australians, while respecting their diversity.
The Parliament recognises that persons conferred Australian citizenship enjoy these rights and undertake to accept these obligations:
(a) by pledging loyalty to Australia and its people; and
(b) by sharing their democratic beliefs; and
(c) by respecting their rights and liberties; and
(d) by upholding and obeying the laws of Australia.
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
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 relevant information pertaining to application, saving
or transitional provisions see Table A. Table of Acts
|
Act |
Number |
Date |
Date of commencement |
Application, saving or transitional provisions |
|
20, 2007 |
15 Mar 2007 |
Ss. 2A--54 and Schedule 1: 1 July 2007 (see F2007L01653) |
|
|
|
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) |
Sch. 1 (items 12, 13) |
(a) Subsection 2(1) (item 8) of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Act 2006 provides as follows:
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
|
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) |
Table of Amendments
|
ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted |
|
|
Provision affected |
How affected |
|
Part 1 |
|
|
am. No. 142, 2007 |
|
|
am. No. 46, 2006 |
|
|
am. No. 142, 2007 |
|
|
Part 2 |
|
|
Division 2 |
|
|
Subdivision B |
|
|
am. No. 142, 2007 |
|
|
am. No. 142, 2007 |
|
|
S. 23A................................. |
ad. No. 142, 2007 |
|
Division 5 |
|
|
Subdivision A |
|
|
am. No. 142, 2007 |
|
|
Part 3 |
|
|
am. No. 142, 2007 |
|
|
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.