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Archive-name: australian-faq/part1
Last-modified: 2 April 1996 Version: 3.10 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge PART I (this posting) 1.About soc.culture.australian 2.How to find Australians, Australian Information 2.1 on the net 2.1.1 Public access sites 2.1.2 Gopher and WWW 2.1.3 Weather 2.1.4 Finding people 2.1.5 Other 2.2 elsewhere 3.Citizenship/Visas/Immigration 3.1 Australian citizenship 3.2 Dual Citizenship of other countries 3.3 Visas 3.3.1 For Foreigners in Australia 3.3.2 For Australians in other Countries 3.4 Immigration 3.4.1 Addresses 3.4.2 Criteria and Points System 3.4.3 Spouse/fiance(e) immigration 3.4.4 Employers sponsoring foreign employees 3.5 Emigrants ----------------------------------------------------------------- PART II (separate posting) 4.Coming to Australia 4.1 Quarantine 4.2 Standards 4.3 Cars 4.3.1 Car Insurance 4.4 Shipping Information 4.5 Miscellaneous 4.6 Australians Returning Home 5.Studying in Australia 5.1 Overview of Australian Higher Education 5.2 Postgraduate Study 5.3 Miscellaneous Questions 5.4 "Classification" of Australian Universities 5.5 Academic Addresses 5.6 Australian Medical Schools 6.For Australians Overseas 6.1 Radio Australia 6.2 Newspapers: 6.3 Australiana in the USA 6.4 Video Conversion 6.5 Expatriate organisation 6.6 Oz News ----------------------------------------------------------------- PART III (separate posting) 7.History 7.1 Pre-Europeans 7.2 European Discovery 7.3 European settlement 7.3.1 Penal Colony 7.3.2 Gold Rush 7.3.3 Post WWI Immigration 7.3.4 Miscellaneous (includes Tasmanian Aborigines) 7.4 Political History 7.4.1 Independence 7.4.2 Aboriginal Voting 7.5 Wars 7.5.1 Boer War 7.5.2 World War I 7.5.3 World War II 7.5.4 Korea, Vietnam and others 7.6 National heroes/Notable Australians 7.7 Miscellaneous 8.Politics 8.1 Political System 8.2 Voting System 8.3 Current governments 8.4 Taxation 8.5 The Independence Debate 8.6 Mabo 8.7 Health Care 8.7.1 Medicare 8.7.2 Medicare Levy 8.7.3 Doctors 8.7.4 Fees 8.7.5 Public Hospitals 8.7.6 Private Hospitals 8.7.7 Aged Care 8.7.8 Skin Cancer 8.8 Economic Information ----------------------------------------------------------------- PART IV (separate posting) 9.Geography, Natural History 9.1 Geographic information 9.1 Cities and Population 9.2 National Holidays 9.3 Weather 9.4 Flora 9.4.1 Extinct Species 9.5 Fauna 9.5.1 Monotremes 9.5.2 Marsupials 9.5.3 Tasmanian devils and Tasmanian Tigers 9.5.4 Venomous Fauna 9.5.5 Extinct and Endangered Species 9.5.6 Koalas 9.6 National Symbols 9.6.1 Flag 9.6.2 Coat of arms 10.Australian Life 10.1 Housing 10.2 Schooling 10.3 Public Transport 10.4 Roads 10.5 Prices 10.6 Shopping Hours 10.7 Crime 10.8 Sport ----------------------------------------------------------------- PART V (separate posting) 11.Travel 11.1 Money 11.2 Jet-lag 11.3 Responses to 3 questions 11.4 Travel Reports and Recommendations 11.4.1 A Trip description 11.4.2 Uluru (Ayers Rock) 11.4.3 Places of interest in Tasmania 11.4.4 Accommodation tips to the low budget motorhome traveler (BB) 11.4.5 Adelaide and SA 11.4.6 Touring Australia by Motorcycle [C] 11.4.7 Cheap travel agent [RM] 11.4.8 Places of Interest in Melbourne 11.4.9 Australia from south to north [JO] 11.5 Advice for Australians in .... 11.5.1 United Kingdom 11.5.2 United States 11.5.3 Canada 12.Language 12.1 Australian pronunciation 12.2 Australian spelling 12.3 Australian slang, word origins 12.4 Australian word usage (misc) ----------------------------------------------------------------- PART VI (separate posting) 13.Culture 13.1 Recipes and food 13.1.1 Vegemite 13.1.2 Sweets recipes: anzac biscuits, pavlova, lamingtons, chocolate crackles 13.1.3 Meat Pies, Damper, Galah, pumpkin soup 13.1.4 Misc 13.2 Songs 13.2.1 "Waltzing Matilda", by Banjo Paterson (3 versions :-) 13.2.2 "Advance Australia Fair", National Anthem 13.2.3 "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", Eric Bogle 13.2.4 "Tie me kangaroo down" (Rolf Harris) 13.3 Literature 13.3.1 Fiction 13.3.2 Poetry - "My Country" by Dorothea McKellar - "The Man From Snowy River" by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson 13.3.3 Children's Literature 13.3.4 Non-Fiction 13.4 Films 13.5 Music 13.5.1 Classical 13.5.2 Pop 13.5.3 Jazz 13.5.4 Other 13.6 Opera 13.7 Ballet 13.8 Theatre 14. Contributors ----------------------------------------------------------------- A major reorganisation has been done (June 1994) and some sections are incomplete. Contributions welcome - send to Stephen Wales, stephenw@mincom.com. PART I 1. ABOUT SOC.CULTURE.AUSTRALIAN The soc.culture.australian newsgroup was established in November 1990, thanks largely to Ann Nicholson's persistent efforts. It is devoted to the discussion of all aspects of Australian culture. Iain Sinclair put together the first FAQ for this group. Ann Nicholson took it over in early 1993. She did a major reorganisation in June 1994 before handing it over to Stephen Wales (stephenw@mincom.com) in July 1994. This FAQ is generally posted to s.c.a in the first week of each month. If I'm travelling on business or otherwise detained, I'll post it as soon as possible after the first week of the month. There are many other related newsgroups. If your article is more appropriate for another newsgroup, please post it there first -- you'll get the audience you're looking for. news.announce.newusers general netiquette rec.travel what to see, when to go, how much, etc. soc.net-people \ where to find Australians on the net aus.wanted / misc.jobs.resumes \ job-hunting aus.jobs / aus.org.acs Australian Computer Society - sorta like IEEE aus.org.efa Electronic Frontiers Australia - like EFF talk.politics.guns all traffic about gun-related issues rec.sport.football.australian \ rec.sport.cricket* | sport results, chest-beating, etc. aus.sport / soc.culture.new-zealand New Zealand life, culture, etc. aus.politics \ aus.music | aus.culture.ultimo | Australian life, culture, etc. aus.films | aus.tv / If you're unable to post to or read the aus hierarchy, talk to your system administrator about getting a feed. Since many people cannot get a feed for the aus hierarchy, cross-postings to s.c.a. and aus.* are welcome. Even though I maintain this FAQ, I cannot find missing friends or relatives last seen in Australia, arrange news or mail feeds, arrange access to the World Wide Web, track down Australian Government Departments or give information on government policy so please don't ask. If you do, I'll politely say 'No' and hope you are not offended. However, I welcome all comments (both complimentary and critical), and additions or updates are always welcome. You can have your name added to the list of contributors and get your 5 seconds of net.fame :-) This FAQ for soc.culture.australian (and quite a few other newsgroups) can be FTP'ed from the archie.au site.0. The FAQ files are located in the /usenet/FAQs/soc.culture.australian directory. (ftp://archie.au/usenet/FAQs/soc.culture.australian) The FAQ is also at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/. There's also a copy of the FAQ for obtaining public Net access in Australia in that same directory. The rtfm archive is updated after each posting. You should always be able to get the latest copy from there. There is also a hypertext version available through the World Wide Web. Nathan Edwards (nedwards@orie.cornell.edu) is making this available after each posting at http://www.orie.cornell.edu/~nedwards/australiana.html - please refer any problems or comments to him about this service. If you have any additions or corrections to make after reading the html version, please send them directly to me (stephenw@mincom.com) and not to Nathan. This FAQ is (C) Copyright 1995 Iain Sinclair/Ann Nicholson/Stephen Wales and contributors. Permission is given to freely copy/distribute this FAQ providing the following conditions are met : - It is distributed in full without modifications/additions/deletions - The date of last posting/last modification is kept so that recipients know how out of date it is - The current maintainer's email address is included so updates may be mailed out if required - You do not intend to make a profit from the distribution. Whilst some care is taken to ensure that the information contained in this document is as up to date as possible, the maintainer will accept no responsibility for any damages the reader may incur from taking this information as gospel truth. Information contained in this document such as immigration criteria and quarantine regulations should be used as guidelines only. For the most up to date and accurate information, contact the relevant Australian Federal Department or your nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate-General. I can not also guarantee the accuracy off the information in this document. I include what is sent to me, as long as it sounds reasonable. If I had to verify *every* bit of information contained herein, I'd never get any real work done. [Sorry for the above disclaimer...but a friend warned me I'd better have one....just in case.......] This FAQ is largely a compilation of posts, comments and email from the readership of this newsgroup. It will only continue to be a useful document if the readership helps keep it up to date. Please send errors, omissions or corrections to me, Stephen Wales, at stephenw@mincom.com. 2. HOW TO FIND AUSTRALIANS, AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION 2.1 Addresses on the Net 2.1.1 Public Access Sites The latest copy of the Network Access in Australia FAQ is available from ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/. Send mail to netfaq@zikzak.apana.org.au for a listing of public access sites in Australia, with Subject: Network Access in Australia, and First line in Body: Network Access in Australia These are all dialup sites; most should offer news and mail for some fee (UNIX, unless stated otherwise). APANA (the Australian Public Access Network Association) covers some of these. For more info on other sites in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, potential users can mail info@apana.org.au. Melb: Cloud postmaster@cloud.apana.org.au [msdos] Melb: Werple postmaster@werple.mira.net.au 03 888 1726 postmaster@werple.apana.org.au Syd: Krazilec postmaster@kralizec.zeta.org.au 02 837 1183 - Pegasus postmaster@peg.pegasus.oz.au 066 85 6789 email (Syd) info@sydney.apana.org.au Pegasus is now based in Brisbane and has an (07) dial-up number. It is fully internetted and you can telnet to it (telnet://peg.apc.org) or within Australia reach it via AUSPAC x.25 switching (but this method is billed at a higher rate). They are a member of the APC just like GreenNet or the Web. [Scot] [JS] DIALix is a commercial Internet access provider, with access for business, personal, and student use. DIALix now offers live Internet services (ftp, telnet, talk, finger etc) in addition to e-mail and Usenet news groups. Charges are 1c/minute for connection and 1c/1000 bytes for non-DIALixNet (Internet/AARNet) traffic. All accounts are "in advance". Minimum annual usage of Business $250, Personal $80, Student $10. Permanent live DIALixNet and Internet connections also available. Further info from: Sydney (N.S.W.) Perth (W.A.) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Phone (24hrs) 02 948 6995 -> Justin 09 244 2433 -> Jeff Email justin@sydney.dialix.oz.au jeff@perth.dialix.oz.au Modems 02 948 6918 09 244 3233 Mobile 018 491 642 018 638 249 Snail Mail PO Box 153, Box 7, 145 Sydney Rd, Farlight NSW 2094 Doubleview WA 6018 Information on network access in Australia is available by automatic reply be sending mail to netfaq@zikzak.apana.org.au, put together by Zik Saleeba. [JL] 2.1.2 Gopher and WWW There is now an Australiana Gopher open in Canada, maintained by Tim Littlejohn (Tim@bch.umontreal.ca) Name=MegaGopher, Type=1, Port=70, Path=, Host=megasun.bch.umontreal.ca (gopher://megasun.bch.umontreal.ca) Stuff of interest on the MegaGopher includes: - Current and Back issues of "OzNews", News summaries from Australian newspapers (thanks to Brad Alexander, Ann Nicholson and Shane Dunn) - Links to Other OzGophers - Oz Sports news (footy, cricket and Motorcycle racing) - Interesting Oz Stats - Latest FAQ Tim writes: "My collection is small but growing and it's definitely worth a perusal! If you have any interesting Oz information you want to see on the gopher, please let me know." [ NOTE: As of November, 1995, I have information that Tim has relocated back to Australia (tim@angis.su.oz.au) and is no longer maintaining this gopher. However, I will leave the reference here for the time being.....SW ] "aus" newsgroups seem to be available on the following gopher: [IR] gopher services.canberra.edu.au 4320 --> 2. USENET News/ --> 3. aus/ * GUIDE TO AUSTRALIA The Guide is a hypermedia (= hypertext + multimedia) book that draws together a comprehensive range of up-to-date information about Australia. It available on-line via World Wide Web at this URL: http://www.csu.edu.au/education/australia.html The Guide distills information available on the Web into an organised collection of pointers to useful information, such as: - Statistics about Australia and the surrounding region; - Interactive maps - Current weather forecasts and satellite images - The environment, including flora and fauna - Direct links to all Australian Web and Gopher services - Postcodes and telephone information - Travel advice - General information about Australian society and culture The editors are: David G. Green (david.green@anu.edu.au), Jim Croft (jrc@anbg.gov.au). * Australian Newsletter There is a newsletter called "Word From Down Under" published out of LA. The publisher is Neil Brandom. He is an Aussie living in LA. It contains all the latest info on Oz. Subscriptions for 26 issues cost $34.95US. You can contact Neil at 72506.23@compuserve.com or write to him at: Word From Down Under P.O. Box 5434 Balboa island CA 92662 * Other sites Australian Embassy Washington DC http://www.aust.emb.nw.dc.us/ CIA page for demographic info http://www.odci.gov/ 2.1.3 On-line Weather Information [IC] It's possible to find out the current weather for any state of Australia from the Victorian Bureau of Meteorology via telnet. (telnet://vicbeta.vic.bom.gov.au:55555) % telnet vicbeta.vic.bom.gov.au 55555 | ************ VIC WEATHER - MAIN MENU ************ | | 1 = CURRENT MELB FORECAST | 2 = CURRENT VIC FORECAST | [...] | 9 = INTERSTATE FORECASTS .................(menu) | 10 = INTERSTATE CITIES MET OBS | |enter choice => 1 | |***********************START MELBOURNE FORC********************* | | Forecast for Melbourne issued by the Bureau of Meteorology Melbourne | at 2145 on 21/09/1993 for WEDNESDAY. | | CLOUDY PERIODS WITH A FEW SHOWERS. COOL WITH A MODERATE WEST TO | SOUTHWEST WIND. ie Typical Melbourne Weather :-) [IC] | MIN = 8 MAX = 16 | | OUTLOOK THURSDAY. FINE. MAX = ABOUT 17 | OUTLOOK FRIDAY. FINE. MAX = ABOUT 19 | OUTLOOK SATURDAY. MAINLY FINE. MAX = ABOUT 19 | CURRENT OBSERVED TEMPERATURE (within last hour) | MELB MELBOURNE CITY 10.5 GOPHER: The Bureau of Meteorology has just set up a Gopher server to provide forecast information for each state and territory around Australia. Currently only textual information is available, but we hope to add charts and satellite images sometime in the future. The server is known as "babel.ho.bom.gov.au" and should be accessible through AARNET at the normal Gopher port (i.e port 70). Please note : This service is initially purely experimental and will not be supported outside normal office hours. Contact : Justin Baker, Central Operations and Systems Branch, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia e-mail : justinb@bom.gov.au. (gopher://babel.ho.bom.gov.au) There's also another gopher with Australian weather, at gopher.austin.unimelb.edu.au, the Austin hospital in Melbourne. (Search general, then weather.) I found this on a gopher menu at Michigan State University. [AE] (gopher://gopher.austin.unimelb.edu.au) 2.1.4 Finding people * Currently about 30 academic institutions in Australia offer Gopher servers. If you have access to gopher you can use these servers to examine local email directories. Unfortunately this facility appears to be restricted to educational institutions, there's nothing available in the .com.au hierarchy. [2/93, CP] * For organizations, it's best to use nslookup (read the manual pages first). Example session: % nslookup > server aarnet.edu.au > ls edu.au [...] There's also the information posted in comp.mail.maps occasionally -- most of it is dated, but some of it might be helpful. * For people, mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "send usenet-addresses/[name]" in the body of the message. If [name] has posted to Usenet in the last few months, the mail server will send back a list of matches. Otherwise, try: telnet bruno.cs.colorado.edu, login as netfind. telnet NIC.DDN.MIL, login as whois. (telnet://bruno.cs.colorado.edu telnet://NIC.DDN.MIL) (Not very useful -- user has to explicitly register with the server.) * Another resource which is slowly being developed is the X.500 directory system. Gateways into this system can be found on many gopher servers both within and outside Australia (e.g. there is one accessible from the gopher at Monash university). The system currently contains address information for about 80 commercial, academic and scientific organisations. 2.1.5 Other * Information on extinct, endangered, and vulnerable species available from the Environmental Resources Information Network gopher at ANU. * The Australian Computer Society national office is now on-line: [JL] Chief Executive Officer: ashleyg@acs.org.au Business Manager: samb@acs.org.au Overseas Membership: kathc@acs.org.au PA to the CEO: edithc@acs.org.au Examination Coordinator: belindaw@acs.org.au Membership Data Maintenance: lilyb@acs.org.au National Conference Manager: annaa@acs.org.au National Membership Manager: peterh@acs.org.au (Originally Posted by Tom Worthington, Director of the Community Affairs Board Australian Computer Society Inc., e-mail: tomw@act.acs.org.au 7/22/93) 2.2 Other Addresses * Most reasonable libraries should stock the "College Collection on Microfiche", which contains copies of faculty handbooks/catalogs from Australian Universities and Colleges of Advanced Education. Large libraries should also have copies of recent Australian telephone books. * There is also an English(?) publication, the "Commonwealth Universities Yearbook", that has summaries of the programs and staff of Australian and other Commonwealth universities. This appears to be a standard reference and widely available. * If you need to get in touch with someone pretty dramatically, try sending a wild fax to 'Tonight Live' (a poor 'Letterman' clone, +61 3 690 8749). * The address of the Australian Computer Society is: Australian Computer Society Tel: (02) 211 5855 National Office Fax: (02) 281 1208 PO Box 319 Darlinghurst NSW 2010 3.CITIZENSHIP/VISAS/IMMIGRATION Disclaimer: The information in this section may not be complete, or correct, or up to date. Contact the Australian Embassy or Consulate in your country for up to date and accurate immigration information. If you still want commentary from within Australia, write to: The Department of Immigration & Ethnic Affairs Canberra, ACT Australia and inclose an international reply coupon or similar with your request for information. 3.1 Australian Citizenship Informally, you are an Australian citizen if one of the following applies: - you are born in Australia - you are born overseas to Australian parents and they register your birth - you become a naturalised Australian and - you don't do anything to give up your citizenship 3.2 Australian (Dual) Citizenship [CW] Here are some excerpts form the "Hints for Australian Travellers" booklet produced by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs - its the little booklet you get when you get your passport (at least it was a year ago...). Portions in [...] are my comments. [CW] * Nationality or Citizenship Each country is free to determine who it will regard as its citizens, and under what conditions its citizenship can be acquired or lost. Citizenship laws are often complex and they can be quite different from Australian laws. In many countries, for example, citizenship is not considered to be lost simply because the person has acquired Australian citizenship. The laws of some countries require people who wish to renounce their citizenship to make formal written application to do so. Because of such laws many Australian citizens are also citizens of other countries and therefore, possess what is internationally referred to as "dual nationality". [translation - dual citizenship is possible; whether or not you retain your original citizenship upon becoming an Australian depends on the laws of the original country.] * Dual Nationality Australian citizens who hold another citizenship are likely to be those who: o were not born in Australia; o were born in Australia but had one or both parents or grandparents who were not born in Australia; o are married to a person with another citizenship. [stuff deleted about being citizen of certain countries may make you subject to certain laws if you return...] * Loss of Australian Citizenship Australia provides in its own citizenship law that an Australian citizen, who is 18 years of age or over, who does an act or thing, the sole or dominant purpose of which is to acquire the citizenship of another country, ceases to be an Australian citizen from the date he or she becomes a citizen of that country. If you marry a citizen of a foreign country you may, under the law of that country, automatically become a citizen of that country. Under these circumstances you will not lose your Australian citizenship provided you are not required to take any further action yourself (eg. registration) to acquire your spouse's citizenship. If you lose Australian citizenship as a result of doing an act or thing to acquire another citizenship, you can apply to regain it by grant any time after 12 months from the date of loss, provided you are in Australia and have been present there as a resident for 12 months in the 2 years immediately prior to lodging your application. Alternatively, you can apply to resume Australian citizenship by making a declaration to the Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs that at the time you did the act or thing: o you did not know that by doing it you would cease to be an Australian citizen; or o if you had not done it, you would have suffered significant hardship or detriment. The person making the declaration must: o have been legally present in Australia for a period, or periods, amounting in aggregate to not less than 2 years; and o intend to continue to reside in Australia or, if living overseas, intend to return to reside in Australia within 3 years of making the declaration; and o have maintained a close and continuing association with Australia whilst abroad. If the Minister believes the statement is true, he may register the declaration and you may become an Australian citizen again. Persons needing up-to-date information should consult the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs or an Australian mission overseas. A child under 18 years of age loses Australian citizenship if his/her responsible parent or guardian ceases to be an Australian citizen, and o he/she possesses another citizenship at the time, and o his/her other responsible parent is not an Australian citizen at the time. Should you lose Australian citizenship before your 18th birthday, as a result of a responsible parent ceasing to be an Australian citizen, you can, within one year after your 18th birthday (or later if special circumstances apply), make a declaration that you wish to resume Australian citizenship on the date the declaration is registered. Anyone who loses Australian citizenship is no longer entitled to hold an Australian passport. If you think you may acquire another nationality in some way, you should seek advice about the effect this would have on your Australian nationality from Australian authorities. * Children born overseas A child born outside Australia may be registered as an Australian citizen by descent at the time of birth of the child. Registration must be made within 18 years of the child's birth by a responsible parent or guardian. Applications can be obtained from any Australian mission overseas or the department of Immigration (etc.) in Australia. [translation - if an Australian deliberately acquires citizenship of a foreign country, they lose citizenship for at least a year... if it is involuntary then there is no problem...] [SW] Personal experience on dual citizenship for Australians with children born abroad. The child automatically has the citizenship of the foreign country. To register as an Australian by descent, you have to provide originals of both parents birth certificates, the child's birth certificate, the parent's marriage certificate (if appropriate) and parent's passports. Send all of this plus the correct form and the fee ($80 USD in the USA - rate as of May 1993) to the appropriate consulate for the region you live in and then eventually you get a Certificate of Australian Citizenship by Descent for the child. To get a five (5) year child's passport you must present yourself (in Person) at a Consulate or Embassy with the passport photos, the application form and the appropriate endorsement on the photos (and the Citizenship certificate of course). They'll then give you the passport. [MJ] This is not always true. A country gets to decide who it will regard as its citizens. Basically there are two ways of doing this: you can do it by birth (ie you are a citizen of a country if you are born there) or you can do it by descent (if your parent(s) were citizens of another country then you are a citizen of that country). Most countries have a combination of the two systems. For instance, if you are born in the US, you are a US citizen by right. If you are born out of the US to US parent(s) (providing that the parent(s) have lived in the US at some point) then you are a US citizen. However, not all countries operate like this. Germany for instance operates entirely by descent. It is possible to be born in Germany, only speak German and have never left Germany in your life but not be a German citizen, and this is indeed the case for many people of Turkish origin in Germany. A very similar situation is the case for people of Korean origin in Japan. Australia is closer to the other extreme. I do not know if birth in Australia confers an automatic right to citizenship (the key question is whether being born in Australia to parents who are illegal immigrants entitles you to Australian citizenship). However, AFAIK you must _register_ the birth of a child overseas if that child is to be an Australian citizen. This is unusually strict. Most countries give citizenship to children in such cases. Registration is not necessary. This leads to an important question, which is what happens when Australian parents have a child in a country that does not confer citizenship automatically on the child and do not register the birth. Does the child have any citizenship at all? There is an international (UN, I think, although I forget which one) decree which states that countries should wherever possible prevent the birth of stateless people (those without any citizenship). Therefore, many countries have laws that state that children of citizens of that country who do not receive any other citizenship at birth shall receive the citizenship of their parents regardless of the circumstances. (For instance, British citizenship is given automatically to the children of people born in Britain, but is not given to the children of British citizen not born in Britain (ie it is one generation only). However, if the child of a British citizen born outside Britain would receive no other citizenship, then British citizenship is given to the child (ie if other citizenships are not given to the children, British citizenship can be passed on to any number of generations). The question is does Australia have such a law? If Australian parents have a child in Germany, does that child receive Australian citizenship even if the birth is not registered? * Joint US/Australian from a US perspective [ZS] The situation with USA citizenship is that the US constitution says that anyone born or naturalised in the USA is a citizen. US citizenship is a right, not a privilege. US citizenship cannot be taken away from you against your will. However, you still have the right to renounce it, and other countries often require you to do so in order to become naturalised. This used to be the case in Australia up till 1986. The oath of citizenship used to include the phrase `renouncing all other allegiance'. When the oath was changed in 1986, it became possible for US citizens to become naturalised Australians without losing their US status. The US doesn't like it, and for many years the local US consulates actively tried to bamboozle USAns into renouncing their US citizenship if they became Australians. If you sign anything acknowledging that you have renounced, or give away your US passport, or anything of that nature, the USA will assume that you have voluntarily renounced, and it's up to you to go to court and prove otherwise. I was born in the USA, have lived here since the age of six, and was naturalised in 1989. The Department of Immigration demanded that I turn in my US passport, because they had an agreement with the US embassy to do so, and return the passports to the embassy. I insisted that I didn't want to lose my US citizenship, and they refused to process my application until I gave over my passport. They said if I needed it before the naturalisation went through, I could get it back, so after a long argument I gave them my passport, and then on the day before my naturalisation ceremony I went in and asked for the return of my US passport. On the form they gave me, under `reason', I ticked `other', and wrote that I wanted it back because I didn't want to lose it. I don't know whether they read the form or not, but I got the passport back. Then I got a letter from the US consulate. The Department had informed them of my naturalisation, and they asked me to fill in a questionnaire, with the questions slanted to produce answers that would constitute voluntary renunciation. I sent them a letter explaining why I refused to fill in the questionnaire, and setting out quite clearly the circumstances. I regarded the very fact that I had my passport as the greatest proof that I wanted to keep it. I got a letter that my case was on hold. A few months ago I went in to the consulate to renew my passport, and they were a bit more helpful. The attitude seems to have changed in the past few years. They still made me fill in the same questionnaire, but I did it in front of them, explaining verbally my objections and putting down N/A all over the place, and waited there until I got an official determination that I retain my citizenship. I probably made a nuisance of myself, but I insist on my constitutional rights. If they don't like it, let them change the constitution. The dual citizenship FAQ is available : (from Rich Wales) [no relative -ed] ==> on the World Wide Web, http://home.opentext.com/~richw/dualcit.html ==> via Internet anonymous FTP from home.opentext.com as the two files /home/richw/dualcit.txt and /home/richw/dualcit2.txt ==> via e-mail to me (richw@opentext.com); put "Subject: send dualcit" in the header of your message ..The US State Department now says that it will assume that a US citizen intends to =retain= his US citizenship if he (1) is naturalized in a foreign country, (2) takes a routine oath of allegiance to a foreign country, or (3) accepts foreign government employment that is of a "non-policy-level" nature. A person in such a situation will eventually be asked to fill out a State Department questionnaire on the subject (e.g., the next time he/she applies for renewal of a passport); but unless he/she affirmatively intended to give up US citizenship, no action will be taken to revoke said citizenship... The minus side of retaining US citizenship is that the IRS retains rights to tax worldwide income, and say you must file even when the deductions cancel out the tax. I have met many US citizens living outside the US who ignore this - how does this work out when they apply for passport renewals? [Any US citizens in Australia care to comment on this last question ? -SW] * Carol C Denehy <ccd@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au> replied to my above question with : In reply to the comments on dual citizenship. I was born an American citizen and lived in the US for the first 43 years of my life. I emigrated and married an Australian citizen. I now hold a public service job which requires me to be an Australian citizen. I have read the document on dual citizenship for US citizens describing the *current* US policy. I applied for Australian citizenship last Feb and became a citizen in March 1993. At the time I became a citizen I notified the US consulate and said that I did not intend to relinquish my US citizenship. I had to fill out a questionnaire (which I didn't find slanted at all). It asked things like did I still have ties to the US like family and friends, did I intend to vote and file taxes, did I own property or have bank accounts in the US. I answered honestly, and subsequently received a letter informing me that I had not lost my US citizenship. I assume I will have to show that letter when I need to renew my US passport. I have voted by absentee ballot for major US elections. I have filed taxes every year. This is pretty simple although the forms make it much more complicated that it is (typical IRS). I do not have to pay any US taxes because of foreign income exemption. Hope this sheds a little light on the process. [TT] A couple of years ago my accountant (at Peat Marwick) told me that a couple of her clients, US citizens but Canadian residents had taken a trip back to the US, flying via Montreal. They were stopped at the border (US immigration is done in Montreal) and prevented from entering - being told that they hadn't filed their returns for the previous three years, they would not be allowed back in until they filed. Apparently, IRS records are now accessible by Immigration and one's tax status can be checked automatically this way. She tells of several others who have relinquished US citizenship for the reason that they are fed up with the filing requirement. [As always, you should DOUBLE CHECK everything told you by anyone about immigration laws to ANY country - as even the officials sometimes get it wrong.] * Australian/Canadian [FN] According to the 1977 Citizenship Act, which applies to all who were Canadian citizens as of Feb. 15, 1977 or later, citizenship is a right that cannot be revoked by the voluntary act of a citizen in doing such things as applying for citizenship in another country, or being absent from Canada for any length of time. Has anything happened to change this? [How about a Canadian answering this one ? -SW] [MJ] I am not a Canadian, but have heard that some members of the Canadian legislature think that the current law is too liberal, and that taking out another citizenship should cause you to lose Canadian citizenship. The law has not been changed, but there are noises suggesting that it might be. Rich Wales (richw@mks.com) responded: I am, incidentally, a US citizen living in Canada as a landed immigrant (non-citizen permanent resident). I plan to apply for Canadian citizen- ship next year, which means I would eventually become a dual US/Canadian citizen. I have no Australian ties. Re: Dual Australian/Canadian citizenship Canada's 1977 Citizenship Act freely permits dual Canadian/other citizenship. Acquisition or exercise of another country's citizen- ship does =not= result in loss of Canadian citizenship. Even if the naturalization oath of another country (such as the US) has a renunciatory provision in it, this has no legal effect in Canada. In June 1994, the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Citizen- ship and Immigration issued a report which, amongst other things, recommended that Canadian law should be changed to revoke Canadian citizenship in most cases following foreign naturalization. As of the present time (July 1995), no formal action has been taken on this or any other proposal in the committee report. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Sergio Marchi, has reportedly been planning on introducing a completely rewritten Citizenship Act for some time now, but so far this has not occurred. Whether this new legislation will include provisions banning or restricting dual citizenship, or not, is unknown. So, for the time being at least, it is possible for a Canadian who becomes an Australian to retain both citizenships. Assuming Aus- tralia follows through on proposals I have heard of to permit dual citizenship following foreign naturalization, it would also be possible for an Australian who became a Canadian to retain both citizenships. Re: Dual Australian/US citizenship As Zev Sero and Carol Denehy have noted already, US law now permits dual US/other citizenship. The US State Department has become much more permissive toward dual citizenship claims since 1990 -- as can be seen by comparing Zev's and Carol's experiences. Assuming Australia follows through on proposals I have heard of to permit dual citizenship for Australians who acquire a foreign citi- zenship via naturalization, it should be possible for Australians to retain their Australian citizenship despite naturalization in the US. The US naturalization oath still includes a renunciatory clause, but it is my understanding that this renunciation is not enforced by the US in any meaningful way. A requirement that new US citizens must intend to reside permanently in the US following naturalization (and could lose their newly gained citizenship by moving away from the US within one year after naturalization) was repealed by Congress in October 1994. I do not have any informa- tion as to whether there is any move afoot to repeal the renuncia- tory clause in the naturalization oath. <End commentary by Rich> 3.3 Visas 3.3.1 For Foreigners in Australia [Using information obtained June 1994] * Application for a visitor visa to Australia in the US All Applicants require: - a valid passport containing at least 2 blank _visa_ pages - completed and signed Application form 48 - one passport-type photograph - return postage (if applying by mail) [RLW] A photograph is no longer required and the instructions ask for a stamped self-addressed envelope in addition with proper return postage. Also, they now accept a FedEx airbill with your account number for return of your passport - see later section on mailing If you are a foreign passport holder (i.e. not US or Australian) - all of the above - Alien Registration card or valid visa, I-94 or I-20 [RLW] Additionally, they also require: If you are a non-EEC/Canadian passport holder, information on your family disposition (ie countries where your parents, children and siblings live. If applying for an extended stay (i.e. more than 3 months or 4 year validity) - US$27.00 bank check or money order payable to "Australian Government Impreset Account" as processing fee. (NB-not refundable regardless of the outcome) [check this figure at the time of application...it frequently goes up] [RLW] Instructions I have say the money order should be in the name of "The Australian Consulate-General". - evidence of funds (i.e. bank statement) [RLW] Currently US$1500/month of stay - letter of leave from employer stating the length of approved leave and the proposed date of recommencement of employment - itinerary or airline ticket - proposed plans whilst in Australia and on return to USA [RLW] Additionally, if over 70 years of age, doctor's certificate regarding fitness to travel and medical insurance. If traveling on business - brief letter from employer or company explaining business activities, duration of stay and contact in Australia If under age 18 traveling on own or with one parent - notarised letter of consent from both parents or legal guardians [RLW] They've changed the wording on this to: If under age 18 at time of application: 1. A copy of birth certificate showing both parents, AND 2. Notarized letter of consent from any parent not accompanying - Required if that parent has any access or visitation rights, even if the accompanying parent has full custody. (Death certificate should be provided for any parent who is deceased). Parents accompanying the child, but not applying for a visa with the child need to show either a valid visa for Australia or an Australian/NZ passport There is an additional section: Long life visas: Regular travelers to Australia for a visa for up to 4 years travel (or life of passport if expiring in less than 4 years): Payment of $US27 If answered "YES" to any health conditions - if a _minor_ condition, provide a brief statement outlining condition - if a more _serious_ condition (eg diabetes), provide a recent medical report on your health now and for your proposed period of stay in Australia If answered "YES" to any character questions - statement outlining any convictions, sentence, dates and relevant factors Occasionally our computers do random checks and requires some applicants to complete an additional information form. Once the form is completed and returned to this office, processing takes 7-10 days. How to obtain your visa You can apply for your visa by mail, by using a visa service/travel agent, or in person at an Australian Consulate. In person Visas van normally be issued on the spot to US passport holders who apply in person during office hours (ie before 12pm Monday-Friday). Occasionally there is a need for longer processing, so it is advisable to apply at least one week before your planned travel if possible. Non-US citizens usually require several days processing. By mail To apply by mail, enclose the completed visa application form, passport (and fee payment if appropriate), with a self-addressed, return envelope with sufficient postage for the safe return of your passport. As regular mail is often insecure of delayed, we strongly recommend that you use US Post Office pre-paid express mail for the despatch and return of your passport. We are also able to return passports via Federal Express if you hae an account number - we ask that you enclose a return airbill completed with name and address details and account number. (Certified mail should also be secure but is extremely slow - often taking 21 days to arrive). We are unable to return by registered mail. This office cannot be responsible for the loss or delay of passport where the applicants do not provide postage for the secure return of their documents. As a guide to correct postage please provide: First class mail: minimum of 55c per passport; certified mail - stamps to the value of $1.75 per passport; Express mail - stamps to the value of $10.75 for up to 3 passports. Allow 3 weeks for processing of a visa by mail (or more if you are using a slow form of mail such as first class or certified mail). * Application form 48 Explanatory notes [Some things already included above left out] Form to be used to apply for visa to visit Australia for any of the following purposes; Tourism: for a visit to Australia as a tourist Business: For entry to conduct business, undertake negotiations and discussions or attend seminars, etc, within a short stay. Close Family: for a visit to parents, spouse, child, brother or sister who is an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident. Medical: for people who have made prior arrangements to undergo medical treatment or consultations in Australia Other: - for a parent or guardian of an overseas student studying in Aus - visiting fiance or other family - an unaccompanied child under 18 years - extended tourism Where there are several reasons for seeking to enter Australia, identify primary purpose of stay on the form. This application form can be used to apply for Short Term Visit Visa (classes 670-675) for stay of less than 3 months or a Visit Visa (classes 680-685) if you want to stay for more than 3 month on any one visit (A$30 processing fee). [again, check the fee] Do not use this form for settlement, temporary residence, studies (except incidental studies), or transit. You may get a visitor visa only if you: - are intending a genuine visit to Australia - are of good health (except medical visitors) - are of good character - do not have any restrictions on your travelling to Australia (such as having breached conditions of entry on a previous visit) - have adequate funds to support yourself during your visit, or provide evidence of assurance of support from a permanent resident of Australia; and - are not seeking to remain permanently in Australia. Business Visit. Visitors are generally barred from working in Australia, however, business visitors are permitted to conduct business where the work is of a short term nature and is not going to disadvantage a local resident. Persons not usually included within this, or other visitor provisions are entertainers coming to perform and religious workers entering for religious activities. Study. Visitors may undertake study in Australia provided it is: - non-formal or recreational in nature, - incidental to the purpose of the visit. Visit for Medical Treatment. Pre-conditions for this visa include confirming your condition will not affect the health of others; having adequate funds to pay for the full cost of treatment and having made adequate arrangements with those providing the treatment. Medical Report Visitors applying for classes of entry other than medical treatment just be of sound health, free from any disease or condition which is likely to require significant care or treatment and/or not become a significant charge on public funds. If there is any doubt about your health, a recent medical report or statement from your doctor, will be required to confirm your good health. If you already have a medical report, please attach it to the application form. Conditions: When you are in Australia as a visitor, - you will not be allowed to undertake work unless you have prior approval in writing of the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in Australia - you will not be allowed to do a formal course of study Further periods of stay in Australia If you apply for a Short Term Visit Visa (classes 670-675) you will not be able to obtain a further period of stay in that class after arrival (beyond a total stay of 3 months). Extensions beyond that period involve a change of visa class and an increased charge. If you apply for a Visit Visa you may be able to obtain a further period of stay in Australia as a visitor where the need and adequate funds can be demonstrated. If you believe you have a case for extending your stay, you will need to apply to an office of the Dept of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs before your period of authorised stay expires. Among the circumstances the Dept considers are the applicant's record of compliance with the conditions of entry. A fee is payable when the application is lodged. Leaving Australia: you must leave Australia on or before the date your entry permit expires. A departure tax is payable when you leave Australia. [MJ] The departure tax is presently A$25 and is payable however you leave Australia. This is a _tax_ and is paid to the government. It does not (directly) pay for airport maintenance/ expansion as is the case in some other countries. It is payable at the airport and can also be paid in advance at places like post offices. I believe that this tax is shortly to be increased by a couple of dollars and that people are going to have to be required to pay it when they buy their air ticket (a much more sensible arrangement, IMHO) [TT] As of January 1, 1995 the tax is $27. As of July 1, 1995, the tax is included in the ticket price. Healthcare. Overseas visitors are not generally covered by Medicare, private health insurance or travel insurance with a comprehensive health coverage is recommended. Currency requirements. Any person taking or sending Australian and/or foreign currency equivalent of AU$5,000 or more into or out of Australia must report the currency transfer to Customs, at the time of arrival or departure. There is no limit to the amount of currency taken into or out of Australia. Currency means cash -- coins and paper, not traveller's cheques. Penalties for not reporting are severe and non-reported currency may be seized. * Migrating to Australia (957i January 1994) Everyone who is not an Australian or New Zealander needs a visa for Australia. [MJ] Not everyone thinks that this is a great policy, as foreign countries tend to take this as an insult and require visas of Australians. Often they issue single entry visas and charge significant amounts of money (tourist visas to visit Australia are free), which can be a real nuisance if you are an Australian trying to see the world. 3.3.2 For Australians in other Countries * Visa requirements for Australians in Britain [I have heard both that Australians need a visa, and that they don't! Can anyone who has travelled to the UK recently please comment] [MJ] They don't at the moment. The Treaty on European Union (commonly known as the Maastricht treaty) states that the countries of the EU (EC, EEC, whatever you want to call it) should abolish internal border checks and adopt a common list of countries requiring visas. Eventually therefore there is likely to be such a thing as a European visa that is the same for all European countries. A draft list has been published. I don't however know which countries are on it. If Australia is, then Australians will require visas to visit Britain in a couple of years. If not, they won't, and the visa requirement for France and Spain will also go away. * Visa requirements for Australians in the United States [MJ] It's worth mentioning that for a tourist (B1) visa, the US has a policy of treating other rich countries _exactly_ the same way that they treat US citizens. As Australia issues tourist visas for free, the US issues tourist visas for Australians for free. If Australia was to charge $15 for visas for Americans, the US would charge $15 for visas for Australians. If Australia were to drop the visa requirement, so would the US. [No guarantee that these are completely up-to-date or accurate] Visa for the US are as follows: J-1: Exchange Visitor visa (for students, researchers). * student J-1, J-2 experience [SD] I am here at Penn State University to do a PhD. The max amount of time I was given to do this is 6 years. I applied for a J1 visa so that my husband would be on a J2, this allows him to apply for a work permit (which he now has - the application was not as straightforward as we were led to believe, let me know if you are interested in any details). Initially I was on funding for 1 year, and as a result our visas were valid for one year only, even though all my paperwork said I was accepted into a PhD program of at most 6 years. With my J1 visa comes a pink form called the IAP-66. This form, not the actual visa is our permit to reside in the US. The visa is for (re-)entry purposes only. My supervisor recently acquired 4 more years of funding for me, so I got my IAP-66 renewed without any problems, the university took care of it and it was all done within a week. The visa, however, is another story. It is not possible to apply for a US visa within the US or even from Canada! I wouldn't trust Mexico, so the only safe option would be to go home and re-apply. We want to travel to Canada, Mexico, etc while we are here, so not having a valid visa is a huge pain!! I have been assured that with a valid IAP-66 it is trivial to get a new visa. So when applying people should make sure they have funding for the entire period that they plan to be in the US, that way both visa and IAP-66 will be valid and you can travel outside the US during your stay. When I applied I think it cost A$120, they wanted a letter from the university that accepted me including financial details and proof of US$5000 in our bank account. It took about 4 or 5 weeks for the embassy to process everything. And yes, when I am done here, I have to go home. I applied in June 1993, and I think the amount of personal funds has gone up to 5400 US dollars now. This money, plus my University stipend is meant to support both my husband and myself. They will allow a J2 to work, but only for their own benefit (to see the country and do other activities and just to have something to do), but NOT to support a J1. A J1 is only allowed to work in the job they came to the US for, a student is allowed to work on campus only (I tutored during my first year here, officially called a TA - teaching assistant). A J2 can work anywhere they like, but their visa and work permit are valid only with a valid J1 IAP-66 form. Another thing to note is that the immigration service is as changeable as the weather, they change their rules very frequently. * postdoc J-1 experience [AN] I came in on a J-1 for my postdoc at Brown University. Brown organised my original IAP-66 for my 1-year contract. I took the IAP-66 to the US consulate in Melbourne, with passport, passport photo, filled in the appropriate form, paid them money and acquired a J-1 visa for a year. When my contract was extended for a second year, again, Brown filled out the IAP-66 form, and I sent it off to Immigration in the US, together with US$80, and got it validated. I was supposed to get the actual visa in my passport the next time I went out of the country. As it happened, I went to Bermuda for Christmas, arriving late on Dec 23rd, nothing (consulates, etc) was open until after Boxing Day, when I was due to leave, so I could not get my visa done. So I just explained this to the person at Immigration (which was actually done in Bermuda) and that seemed to be ok. When I was next in Melbourne, I filled in the same form, gave in my passport, a photo, and another A$158! I was very annoyed about having to pay again, but as I was told rather rudely, lots of people would be happy to pay a lot to be able to work in the USA! J-1 holders are called non-resident aliens. U.S. Visa Type J-2: For spouse of J-1 holder. A J-2 can work anywhere they like, but their visa and work permit are valid only with a valid J1 IAP-66 form. U.S. Visa Type H-1 An initial h-1 is issued for 3 years, it can be extended for 3 more years. If you change jobs on an h-1, your new company has to get you a new one in their name, but the time period does not reset i.e. you cannot remain in the us more than 6 years after you first get an H-1. [NF] U.S. Visa Type L-1 [DS] L-1 visa a working visa issued to foreign citizens working for U.S. corporations. They are known as Intercompany Transferee visa and are typically valid for a period of three years from the date of issue, although this can usually be extended for an additional 3 years. Application for an L-1 must be made on your behalf by the employer. Holders of L-1 status are known as "Non resident Aliens" (charming name really). I am not sure of the cost of an L-1 as typically it is paid for by the employer. Dependents of L-1 holders are recipients of L-2 status. L-2 holders are not permitted to work. Approval of an application for L-1 status is dependent on some or all of the following: 1. Period of employment with the U.S. firm 2. Specific reasons why the beneficiary is uniquely qualified for the particular task 3. Evidence that the job in question has been advertised and no suitable applicants found Any L-1 holder that has travelled outside the U.S. will have learned that re-entry into the U.S., even with your valid passport and visa, is near impossible without some additional documentation. Typically, an L-1 holder will need to carry: 1. The *original*, repeat *original*, petition approval (I have been asked for this document on each re-entry -- [DS]) 2. A letter from the sponsoring employer stating your continuing employment with the company (signed notarized and dated within 3 months) [SW] Unusual. I have been in and out of the US about 4 times in the last 3 years and they have only asked for the original petition on the first entry. [NF] I am here on the L-1 visa, basically for executives or essential technical personnel on intra-company transfers. For example, I worked for a company which had offices in Adelaide and Santa Clara and transferred between the two on the basis of technical knowledge which I possessed. This is a nice visa to get because you don't have to do labour certification to get a green card which speeds up the process somewhat. Green Card Basically, you apply, fill in the (what seems like) thousands of forms, and wait. If you're over here on an H-1 or L-1 visa it's pretty much a formality (especially with the new H-1's that already have labour certification). [NF] Becoming a citizen. [Entry needed. AN] * Visa requirements for Australians in France [JB] Yes, Australians need visas for France. In 1986 (je croix), it might have been 1987, there were some bombings in Lyons, which were suspected to have been done by <ethnic-minority> fanatics. In the midst of the howls of "what is the government doing about it", the French Govt, in a particularly stupid knee-jerk reaction, brought in a requirement that visas will be required for all non-EC nationals. (As if needing a visa ever stopped a terrorist. And the border checks had long since gone.) This rule is waived in cases where there is a bi-lateral agreement, e.g. with New Zealand, and in cases where it was feared to hurt the tourist trade, e.g. US. As Australia doesn't play footsies about visas for visitors, we need them to go to France. French visas are in two flavours: (a) less than 90 days. These are done over-the-counter here. They cost FF200 (about $A54). I had to provide a letter for my 19-yo son stating that we were supporting him financially, etc. Otherwise they would have wanted bank statement proving he had enough money to live on in France. (b) 90 days - 1 yr. To get these I needed: (i) three interviews at the consulate; (ii) FF600 ($A162) per person in cash or bank cheques. (iii) the letter of invitation from the French university (iv) a letter from Monash saying everything about my status, salary, travel grants, insurance, etc. (v) tickets or confirmed itinerary (vi) a medical certificate, in French, from an approved physician (only one in Melbourne!) certifying: A) good health B) free of TB (X-ray result) C) free of syphilis (blood test) [the French bureaucracy hasn't discovered AIDS or hepatitis yet.] Once I had all these, my application, because it was "pour la sabbatique" had to be couriered off to Canberra to be "assessed" by the Scientific & Cultural Attache at the French Embassy. Well it's all done. Each of the long-term visas set us back about $250 (such medicals are, rightly, not covered by Medibank.) Fortunately the consulate staff were very helpful, polite and understanding. The total time was was nearly two months, largely due to the queuing delays in waiting for inteviews and medicals. [MJ] Actually they come in three flavours. If you are going to France for 6 days or less, they will issue you a 'transit' visa. It doesn't matter if you write some other reason (eg tourism) on the form. They will still issue a 'transit' visa. These are significantly cheaper than the visitors visa. The last time I got one of these it cost me something like (UK pounds) 6.30. I suspect that they are officially something like FF50. * Spain [MJ] Australians now require visa to visit Spain. This requirement came in on September 1, 1993. I don't know why. 3.4 Immigration [ A commercial venture has asked me to include their URL in the FAQ as a company to help with your immigration needs. I'll do so to provide the pointer for those who wish to use it. I am in no way affiliated with them and have never used them so I cannot attest to the value of their services. If you want to use them, feel free, if not that's your option as well. http://iinet.net.au/~pshield Steve, FAQ maintainer ] 3.4.1 Addresses Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs, Chan St, Belconnen 2617, Australia * USA Australian Embassy New York Consulate General 1601 Massachusetts Ave NW, 630 Fifth Ave, Suite 420, Washington, New York, NY, 10111 DC, 20036-2273 (212) 408-8400 (202) 797 3222 (202) 797 3000 Australian Tourist Commission. 489 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (800) 395 7008 (note: new number June '93) 212 687 1800 333 0199 for tourist information San Francisco Consulate General Houston Consulate 1 Bush St, 7th Floor, Suite # 180, 1990 South Park Oak Blvd San Francisco, Houston, CA, 94104-4413 TX 77056-9998 (415) 362 6160 (713) 629 9131 Denver Consulate: Boston Consulate: The Honorary Consul is The Honorary Consul is Mr Mark O'Regan Margaret Stanzler C/- Australian/American 20 Beacon St, 5th floor Chamber of Commerce Boston, Ma. 999 18th Street, Suite 1370 (617) 248 8655 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 297 1200 Fax: (303) 2972050 Office visits by appointment only. Los Angeles Consulate General 611 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (213) 469-4300 * Southern England, Southern Wales, Channel Islands Migration Branch, Australian High Commission Australia House Strand, London WC2B 4LU (UK) 071 379-4334 * Central England, Northern Wales, Isle of Man Australian Consulate Chatsworth House Lever St Manchester M1 2DL * Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England Australian Consulate Hobart House 80 Hanover St Edinburgh EH2 2DL * Republic of Ireland: Australian Embassy Fitzwilton House Wilton Terrace Dublin 2 The Immigration Process To get the relevant forms, write to an Australian consulate and they will send you some info asking you to send them some money (about $5) for the forms. When you get these forms you send about half a ream of photocopies back with the "application processing fee" of $250 (this fee is regardless of which class you are applying under !!). If they decide that they like you, you need to get various medicals done (which in England cost about #100) with a nominated (probably private) practice - if you happen to be a medical doctor, mention this when making your appointment and they don't charge you (as my wife found out :-). This medical includes an AIDS test (Note: this can stuff up your life insurance in the UK) as well as X-rays for TB, checks for a bad heart and anything else that will cost Australia lots of money. The whole application process takes a minimum of 3 months (once you have sent them the forms). All correspondence must be by mail. With the points test, if you are <30, have a degree or trade (plus some experience) and can speak English you pass. As a friend of mine found, being employed on a graduate program doesn't count as experience. He was also told "even if you had the experience we don't need any professional buyers at the moment". That is, passing the points test only eliminates a reason for not letting you in. Some occupations get preferential treatment, but as of October 1992, there are no occupations on the list, although these change with the times. If you have a criminal record there's probably not much point applying. Should you get past all this, you get a visa stamped in your passport that is both for migration in the next year and multiple-entry for the next 4 years. They also send you lots of stuff telling you that there is little chance of getting a job at the moment. [PW] After you make the points test, you submit your application. You also need loads of other official papers to make an application (marriage license if you're married, certifications from your jobs if you've been working, etc.). After application, you also need to pass a medical test and provide a set of chest x-rays and other things, but they'll tell you when they want you to do it (I guess it's to save you money if you flunk the points test). The whole process takes four months at least. When and if you pass and are granted permission to migrate, you have the opportunity to move within the space of one year, and are given to enter and leave Oz freely for a period of four years after that. [CB] [CD] adds: I had to file ALL forms, including medical and educational forms, etc. at the same time. I was applying as spouse and you can still get turned down if your medical or criminal record offends. If the embassy/consulate has to send things back to Australia for approval it can take MUCH longer. 3.4.2 Criteria and Points System In summary, to immigrate to Australia, you must fall under one of the following categories. * Family (almost automatic): spouse, de-facto spouse, immediate family * Skill: - you have a job that was advertised extensively in Australia without success (As of 1 October 1992, there have been no occupations on this list) - you pass the points test, and they feel like letting you in - "distinguished talent" ie., bloody good at sport * Special eligibility: former citizen, former resident, relative of a New Zealander living in Australia Ros Whysall adds: There is now a business entry class, which I do not have details of but it requires something like A$300,00 in net assets to start with, plus fairly long term senior management experience in a company. There are two ways to get entry to Oz; via an Independent Entry Class and via a Concessional Family Class. The former works if you just say, "Hey, I want to go to OZ" and put in an application. The latter works if you have a family member in Oz who is willing to vouch for you. You can only rack up points in one of the two categories. Here's the list of points: CONCESSIONAL FAMILY VISA CLASS AND INDEPENDENT ENTRANT VISA CLASS Employability Factor 80 Trade certificate/degree/diploma (Acceptable to Australia), 3 years post-qualification work, on Priority Occupation List [changes yearly].** 70 Trade certificate/degree (Acceptable to Australia), 3 years post-qualification work. ** 60 Trade certificate/degree (Acceptable to Australia), with less than 3 years post qualification work. ** 55 Diploma (Acceptable to Australia), with at least 3 years post-qualification work experience.** 50 Diploma (Acceptable to Australia), with less than 3 years post-qualification work.** 30 Trade cert/degree/diploma (recognised by overseas authorities and assessed by Australian authorities as requiring only minor upgrading), and 3 years post-qualification work.** 25 Trade cert/degree/diploma but qualifications held are unacceptable. 25 Post secondary school qualification. 20 12 years of primary and secondary schooling 10 10 years of primary and secondary schooling 0 Less than 10 years schooling ** Work experience must be immediately before your application to migrate. Age Sub-Factor 30 18 to 29 25 30 to 34 15 35 to 39 10 40 to 44 5 45 to 49 0 Less than 18; more than 50 INDEPENDENT ENTRY VISA CLASS ONLY Language Sub-Factor 20 Able to communicate effectively in English in a range of situations. 15 At the level described for 20 points above for 3 of the 4 skills of reading, speaking, understanding and writing, but at a lower level for the remaining skill. 10 Able to communicate effectively in English on familiar, everyday topics. 5 Able to handle basic communication in English in familiar every day topics or fluent in at least 2 languages other then English. 0 Familiar with only a few common English words and phrases. NOTE: You may be required to sit a test to determine the number of points will receive for the language skills sub-factor. CONCESSIONAL FAMILY VISA CLASS ONLY Relationship factor 15 You are the parent of your sponsor 10 You are brother, sister, or non-dependent child of sponsor 5 Nephew or niece of sponsor Citizenship factor 10 Your sponsor has been an Oz citizen for 5 years or more 5 " for less than 5 years Settlement Factor 10 Sponsor has been resident in Oz for 2 years and they or their spouse have been continuously employed for the last two years. Location Factor 5 Sponsor has lived in a State or Territory designated area for the last two years. The designated area list is (effective 1 February 1993) : Victoria except Melbourne Region Queensland except urban Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast Western Australia except Perth Metropolitan Region South Australia - entire State Northern Territory - entire Territory Tasmania - entire State Australian Capital Territory - entire Territory Okay, tally up the points, and if you have a high enough total, you're Oz-bound! The point total changes each year, but I think it goes like this (effective 23 December 1993) : CONCESSIONAL FAMILY VISA CLASS Pass Mark 95 Pool Mark 90 INDEPENDENT VISA CLASS Pass Mark 100 Pool Mark 95 NB: the number of points required for entry to the pool is the same no matter what country you come from. [JM] ([SK] For Independent application you have to reach min. 100 pts. For concessional family application (with relatives that sponsor you, other than spouse) you have to reach 95 points. After that you have to take an English test (for non-english speaking people) at the moment it's the IELTS test. If you don't have enough marks at the test, you will have to pay the "English Education Charge", about 4000 AUS$!!) In the last category, you are placed within an entry pool, and I think winners are chosen by lot from the pool. Note that there is also a Business Entry Class, for folks who are going Down Under to start their own business. There is also an entirely different system whereby you bypass the points test and the wait if you somehow manage to get a job, and your employer will vouch for you. 3.4.3 Spouse/fiance(e) immigration [LS] [To make things simpler, 'you' will refer to the person in the United States, and 'spouse' will refer to the person in Australia.] * Once you have applied for permanent residence in Australia, you may not reenter Australia until your new visa has been issued. The process is handled in stages. The total time for obtaining your new status will usually take three to six months. * The spouse must go the Australian emigration officials and get a copy of Form M40. He/she should complete that and send it and a certified copy of his/her birth certificate (assuming Australian birth) to you. * Locate your nearest Australian embassy to get the forms you will need for the first stage of the process. The application processing fee is $285 (US) which must be in the form of a certified check or money order. You need to file the following documents: your spouse's completed sponsorship form and certified birth certificate, a certified criminal record clearance for yourself (from your local police), a certified copy of your birth certificate, a notarized outline of the chronology of your relationship, 3 passport photos, a certified copy of your divorce decree (only if you have been married before, obviously), a form they call 'personal particulars', your passport, and either a letter from a marriage celebrant of your intention to marry or a certified copy of your marriage certificate. Return all of this paperwork to the Australian embassy. * After this initial paperwork has been approved by the immigration officer, you will receive the forms for your physical. When you have your physical, ask the doctor for a detailed report of *anything* that isn't absolutely "normal", including things you may consider unimportant like allergies. Basically if there is anything at all on your forms that could be considered any sort of medical "condition" ask for a separate letter describing what medical treatment or followup is necessary (if none, make sure the doctor states this). This forms should then be returned to the immigration office at your local Australian embassy. * While it appears to make no difference to immigration officials whether you are married or engaged to be married, if you are engaged, you will have to be married within 2 or 3 months (the answers given on this varied) of your arrival in Australia. Rory Clancy (rclancy@nmrc.ucc.ie) asked: > What I'd like to know is whether an application for a Permanent Resident > Visa as an individual or as a couple are considered differently. Is the > application viewed as two separate applications and the Points System > calulated for both individuals or together as one combined effort. > What is the situation if one of the couple may fall short of the > 110 points qualification level, does that disqualify one or both?? and then answered his own question with: I got almost no feedback from the newsgroup but somehthing turned up in my dealings with the Embassy, basically I applied for the forms `Application for Migration to Australia'(Form 47). This included a form `Explanatory Notes Application for Migration to Australia' (Form 47N). Under the section `Who this form covers' on page 1. The form and the fee cover a family unit - comprising a main applicant and, where applicable, spouse and dependants. If you are married, or living with a partner in a de facto/ common law relationship, you should consider which of you is most likely to meet the requirements before filling in the application form. That person should be the main applicant. Questions 17 to 19 in Form 47 Cover the Marriage Status of the applicant. Again from `Explanatory Notes Application for Migration to Australia' (Form 47N). Under the section `Questions 17 to 19' page 8. If you are living in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex but are not legally married (also called a `de facto' relationship or `common law' marriage) you must provide evidence. This could include evidence that you and your partner use the same last name, share accomodation, have joint bank accounts, have property in common, share responsibility for children or have wills made out in each other's favour and so on. >From Form 47 Question 17, Marriage Status includes: Never Married Divorced Widowed Separated Engaged (Date of intended Marriage) (Met in person) Married De Facto/Common Law Questions 36 to 60 in Form 47 Cover `Spouse, intended spouse or prospective spouse'. Again from `Explanatory Notes Application for Migration to Australia' (Form 47N). Under the section `About your Spouse, intended spouse or prospective spouse' on page 11. If you are married, living together in a de facto/common law relationship, engaged and intend to marry and then migrate as a married couple, or engaged and intend to marry in Australia this part must be completed. So once a couple can establish their relationship as engaged/de facto/common law they can apply using a single application form(47) as a family unit; applicant and spouse, where the applicant is the most likely person to satisfy the requirements (points system for independent visa class for example) for immigration. Antonio Lam adds: I married my wife after I had my first landing in Australia. To apply a permanent resident for my wife, what I had to do was to show the Australia Embassy in Hong Kong our marriage certificate, bank statement, my visa, and the termination letter from my employer. Point system was not applicable to my wife. The visa was issued under the condition that my wife would not be allowed to enter Oz under I have my first landing. Once the principle applicant has a visa, it is almost guaranteed that your spouse will be ok for the entry requirements. 3.4.4 Employers sponsoring foreign employees People often assume that Australian companies can sponsor foreign employees, with the same ease as US or Canadian companies can. Unfortunately for such posters this is generally not the case. Organisations can sponsor foreigners, and such people can be given temporary working visas. To do this the sponsoring organisation has to first identify under what category they will sponsor the individual. There are many categories to choose from. For example there is a category by which foreign embassy staff can sponsor people to work in the embassies. Also Universities can sponsor academics fairly easily using a special category for academics visiting on a sabbatical. Entertainers can be brought out by appropriate organisations, and there are special categories for professional sportsmen/sportswomen. But for comapnies there are only three potential categories. These are the executive, specialist, and exchange categories. The executive category is very much restricted to an organisations senior staff. It would not be much use for the average such poster. These working visas are usually valid for a max of 24 months. The exchange category is usually reserved for government bodies, but might be for companies. The idea is that an Australian is swapped for a foreigner. It is used only for organisations that want to internationalise their staff. I don't know how one applies under this category. I expect it is difficult. The last applicable category is the "specialist" category. It is easy for companies to do this for less than four months. The Dept of Immigration requires no proof that an Australian couldn't be found to do the job. Such visas are not extendable beyond 12 months. For a visa from 4 months to 12 months, though, the sponsoring companies must be able to prove that they have attempted to find an Australian to do the job. This cateory has been abused by companies in the past. Australian companies are required, before being allowed to sponsor someone, to do the following: 1) Advertise the position with the PES or CES within the last 4 months. Proof is required that they have done so. 2) Have advertised in ALL of the following within the last 6 months. a) A major metropolitan newspaper b) A national newspaper c) A local newspaper d) An appropriate trade or professional journal. These ads need to have included salaries and conditions, and a copy of the ads and proof of their having been placed and the day of their being distributed is all required for the Dept of Immigration should they request it. (And they apparently often request it) Thus very few Australian companies would go through all this unless they genuinely needed someone they could not employ here. (And note they would need to do it every 12 months at least). Bernd Kissler (mailto:bekissler@dataweb.nl) has a page setup with information on immigrating to Australia (http://www.dataweb.nl/~bekissler/index.html) 3.5 Emigrants [The following needs to be confirmed. AN] If you have lived in Australia for more than 2 out of the last 3 years, you are eligible for a return visa, so that you are able to come back to Australia after you left for overseas. The visum is granted to permanent residents, and is valid for 5 years. If later on you come back to Australia and live there for 2 years, you are eligible for another 5-year extension. (1-year extension after 1 year). [MJ] People who have lived in Australia for a minimum of three years as permanent residents are entitled to apply for citizenship. They are no longer required to take an oath of allegiance to the queen. This is one of the shortest waiting periods in the world, something that (IMHO) we should be proud of. Antonio Lam modifies this to: People live in Australia for 2 years within the first 5 years after the entry visa is issued are entitled to apply for citizenship. ( 3 years as stated). -- | | | | | | Stephen Wales | Internet: stephenw@mincom.com |M|I|N|C|O|M Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. | No employer opinion included User Contributions:Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: |
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