Effective 7 October 2008, the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 has been amended to provide that to be eligible for citizenship under subsections 21(2), 21(3) and 21(4), a person must be a permanent resident at the time of the application and at the time of the Minister’s decision on their application. These subsections have been amended to eliminate uncertainty regarding the time at which certain criteria must be satisfied.

Anyone considering applying for citizenship, should be aware that the amendments apply in relation to applications made on or after 7 October 2008; and in April 2009 the following forms will be affected

• Form 1290 – Application for Australian citizenship by conferral – Other situations
• Form 1299i – How to apply for Australian citizenship by conferral
• Form 1300T – Application for Australian citizenship by conferral – General eligibility