Understand the Difference Between Australian Permanent Residency and Australian Citizenship

An Australian permanent resident and an Australian citizen are not the same. There are more responsibilities and privileges of being an Australian citizen compared to being a permanent resident in Australia. There are certain differences between Australian citizenship and a permanent resident in Australia.

Being a citizen and enjoying permanent residency in Australia entails certain crucial factors. While you can enjoy a great amount of freedom being a permanent resident of the country, there are things that you cannot do if you are not an Australian citizen. Before you opt for a permanent resident visa in Australia, know some of the differences between a permanent resident and citizenship in Australia.

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Permanent Residency Vs. Citizenship – Know the Difference First

There are some differences between residency and citizenship in Australia. While a permanent resident in Australia is an individual who holds a permanent resident visa, an Australian citizen is someone who represents the country and can enjoy all the rights in Australia.

A permanent resident of Australia can live, work and study without any problems or obstructions in the country. As per the Australian citizenship act of 2007, some laws are set out as to who can or cannot become an Australian citizen.

Some of the ways to become an Australian citizen are:

• Citizenship by descent
• Citizenship by birth
• Citizenship by adoption
• Citizenship by conferral

Difference between Australian Residents and Citizen

While you are a permanent citizen of Australia, you can enjoy a lot of freedom inside the country. But Australian citizenship is different, and there is more privilege and freedom to enjoy if you are an Australian citizen.

Who is a Permanent Resident?

If you want to become a permanent resident, you need to apply for a visa that can allow you to live in Australia permanently. Some of Australia’s important permanent residency visas are the Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189), skilled subclass 190 nominated visa and employer nomination scheme.
If you want to live permanently in Australia, you must hold a permanent resident visa such as a Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190). Under this visa, you can work, study and enrol in Medicare. Under permanent visas such as the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186), you can travel in and out of Australia, stay here for five years and sponsor your relatives.

Differences In Rights and Entitlements

A permanent resident in Australia has most of the same rights and privileges as a citizen, but there are differences between the two. In terms of rights and entitlements, the following are the differences between them both:

1. Travelling- An Australian citizen can easily arrive and leave Australia anytime they want. This is a basic right for them. If a permanent resident wants to travel to another country, they need to have a permanent visa and a valid travel authority to return as a permanent resident.
2. Voting – If you are an Australian citizen, you can vote in the Australian government elections. Most of the permanent residents in Australia are not allowed to vote; the only exception is if a permanent resident was allowed to vote before 1984.
3. Government benefits and services – For an Australian citizen, the eligibility for government services and benefits will only depend on the rules set by the specific government agency responsible for such benefits.

Similarly, for a permanent resident of Australia, eligibility for the government and benefits depend on rules set by certain government agencies. They are the ones responsible for the service and the benefit.

What is a Residence Permit? Who is a Permanent Resident?

A residence permit is a document that can help you live in Australia for around five years and depends on the conditions for acquiring it. You need to renew your residence permit status to maintain it.
A residence permit is the only one that provides you with the right to buy anything you want. Under this permit, you can also buy real estate, purchase health insurance and enrol your child in a school.
A residence permit in a European country can help you stay in other countries without a visa for about 90 days per six months. One way to acquire a residence permit is to take care of certain conditions such as work, marriage or study.
An Australian permanent citizen holds a permanent visa in Australia but is not a citizen. If you are a permanent citizen, you must live, work and study without any problems in Australia.

An individual who turned into a permanent resident on or before July 2007 must be active in Australia for about four years before applying for citizenship. The citizenship eligibility includes the following:

1. Being a permanent resident in Australia for twelve months
2. Should not be absent from Australia for more than twelve months
3. Should not be absent from Australia for more than three months in the last 12 months before applying.

Becoming an Australian citizen indicates that you are committed to Australia and everything that Australia stands for. You cannot become an Australian citizen before becoming a permanent resident in Australia.

To apply for Australian Citizenship, people over the age of 18 need to:

• Have passed a citizenship test (unless applicants are over the age of 60)
• Need to be a permanent resident during the time of the visa application and also during the decision
• Be able to satisfy all the residence requirements
• Be or continue to reside in Australia or maintain a close relationship with the country.
• Be of a good character and provide health and character proofs.

After you satisfy the general eligibility criteria, you need to pass a certain test to be able to apply for Australian citizenship. People who are covered by other situations like being under 18 or above 60 years of age do not need to sit for the test.

From PR to citizenship, the Australian citizenship test is created to help future Australian citizens to have an understanding of Australia’s:

• History
• Tradition
• Values
• National symbols

This is an important test to ensure that you can entirely participate in the Australian community as a citizen and improve the opportunities available in Australia.

This test helps to promote social cohesion and helps you mix with the Australian community perfectly. If you want to sit for the test, you need to:

• Be an Australian permanent resident as you can only receive citizenship after PR.
• Satisfy your identity’s Australian department when you register for the test.
• You can allow the department to take a photograph of yourself or provide them with one.

When you become an Australian citizen, you will have the rights to the following:

• You can live in Australia
• Apply for an Australian passport to leave and re-enter Australia without opting for a resident return visa
• To seek help from Australian diplomatic representatives while you are outside the country
• To serve the armed forces
• To work in Australia’s public service
• To stand for the parliament
• To vote in the Australian general elections.

How Does Migration Agent Perth Help?

To become a citizen of Australia, first, you need to become a permanent resident in the country, and for that, you need certain visas, a migration agent Perth can help you know about those visas. You can contact ISA Migrations, one of the top firms that can provide you with the best visa agents.

You can find many immigration agents in Perth under the firm to know more regarding the immigration process in Perth. These experts can let you know how you can become a permanent resident or citizen of Australia.