Do you think that obtaining a permanent residency is equivalent to acquiring Australian citizenship? However, it is not. For those who are newly interested in immigration, it can be confusing to distinguish between terms like permanent residency, citizenship, and other related terminologies.
The term "permanent residency" originates from the green card issued to permanent residents in the United States, which is green in color. Therefore, Chinese people tend to refer to all foreign residency rights as "green cards." However, permanent residents must meet certain conditions to obtain the nationality of that country. In other words, obtaining a "green card" is equivalent to obtaining "permanent residency status," and does not mean that one has directly acquired Australian citizenship.
Australian Permanent Residency
Permanent residency in English is Permanent Residence, commonly referred to as PR. The Australian green card is essentially an electronic visa that allows the holder to reside in Australia indefinitely and to travel freely in and out of Australia an unlimited number of times within a five-year period.
In terms of welfare policies, holders of Australian permanent residency visas are not eligible to apply for unemployment benefits, emergency relief, or student allowances during the first two years. Other benefits are the same as those available to Australian citizens, such as free primary and secondary education and free healthcare. After holding the green card for two years, one can enjoy all benefits.
At the same time, holders of Australian permanent residency visas can freely settle in New Zealand and enjoy all the rights of a New Zealand green card holder.
Green Card vs. Citizenship
➤ Regarding Chinese Citizenship
The Australian green card is merely a permanent residency right, granting most rights and benefits in Australia except for political rights. It does not require a visa for free travel between China and Australia, but the holder still possesses a Chinese passport, which we refer to as overseas Chinese.
Acquiring Australian citizenship means that the passport is also changed to an Australian one. Although Australia permits dual nationality, China does not recognize dual citizenship. Acquiring Australian nationality means automatically renouncing Chinese nationality, and legally, one will need to apply for a Chinese visa to enter China in the future, which we refer to as Chinese nationals.
➤ Regarding Citizenship Rights
The differences in rights enjoyed by Australian permanent residents and citizens mainly manifest in five aspects: first, the right to vote; second, the right to be elected; third, military service; fourth, serving as a juror; and fifth, engaging in certain special government jobs (such as intelligence personnel). These five rights or obligations are not available to permanent residents, only to citizens.
➤ Regarding Document Validity
A green card is essentially a valid visa, generally allowing the holder to enter and exit Australia within five years. After this period, it must be renewed, and the renewal requires that the holder has spent at least two years in Australia during the past five years.
Once Australian citizenship is obtained, regardless of whether you reside in Australia, you will retain Australian citizenship for life and be protected by Australian consulates overseas.
If a green card holder is sentenced to more than 12 months in Australia, their green card will be revoked. However, Australian citizenship cannot be revoked.
➤ Regarding Children's Nationality
If one parent is a holder of an Australian green card, and the child is born in Australia, then the child is automatically an Australian citizen. If the child is born in China, then the child is a Chinese citizen, but can later apply for an Australian green card. If one parent is an Australian citizen, regardless of where the child is born, the child is automatically an Australian citizen.
Australian Citizenship
After obtaining a green card and meeting certain conditions, one can apply for Australian citizenship.
The residency requirements to apply for citizenship are as follows:
In the four years prior to applying for citizenship, one must have resided in Australia for a total of three years, and at least nine months within the last year before the application. Additionally, during the four years prior to the application, one must have resided in Australia as a permanent resident for at least the last 12 months, with a maximum of three months of allowable absences during that 12-month period.
The application process for Australian citizenship mainly consists of three steps: application, interview, and citizenship ceremony, which generally takes about six months.
1. Application: Applicants can download the citizenship application form online. After completing it, the application form and required documents should be sent to the citizenship office.
2. Interview: Applicants aged 16 and above must attend an interview. The main purpose of the interview is to confirm that you understand the rights and responsibilities of Australian citizens and can communicate in simple English.
3. Citizenship Ceremony: After passing the interview, you will generally receive a notification within two months to attend the "Citizenship Certificate Ceremony" at the specified time and location. During the ceremony, the applicant will take the citizenship oath and receive the Australian citizenship certificate.
With the citizenship certificate, you can obtain an Australian passport within two weeks. With an Australian passport, you can travel to all Western countries, including the United States and Western European countries, without a visa.
It is important to note that the citizenship application must be made individually; families cannot apply together. For example, if the wife has resided for four years, she can apply. However, if the husband has not met the residency requirement, he cannot apply.