Dual Australian Citizen entitlements
Replies: 78 - Last Post: Dec 16, 2012 2:08 AM Last Post By: GeoffW
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Dual Australian Citizen entitlements
Hi All.My name is Stuart and I have one question about my (if any) dual citizen entitlements once arriving in Australia.
Before I ask it I must stress this is just gathering information I am entitled to and NOT intending to leach of any benefits once I arrive.
So my question is this:
Are my entitlements the exact same as any other Australian citizen as soon as I step off the plane or not. I.e I have to have worked up stamps to be entitled to rent allowance etc.
I have seen the rent allowance requirements and the do not say anything about working up stamps to be eligible to claim this, therefore I could claim this as soon as I step off the plane..... which to me is unfair and too easy.
any information would be grateful.
1
I was curious so I did some googling and found this.New residents become eligible to claim unemployment benefits only when they have been resident in the country for a total of 104 weeks.
The question is, are you a new resident? I don't think so.
Rent allowance is provided as part of Newstart, a type of unemployment benefit, so you would have to go through an interview process and jump through hoops as part of a 'pathway' to work scheme. I don't know what they would make of you in the interview process.
2
Thanks for the quick reply.I have googled info myself but couldn't find anything apart from the new start like you.
I couldn't find any information at all on decent citizens rights when once within Australia.
As for the new resident issue. I have never stepped foot on Australian soil before.
3
I found this on an expat forum in which a Canadian girl asked the same question that I did and a person replied saying this:"My husband is a citizen by descent, from which I got my spouse visa.
You're a citizen, you can come and go freely into Australia. You can and should apply for a TFN & register for full medicare.
ETA..... You must apply for an Australia passport if you do not have one. Citizens can not have visas and you will not be allowed into the country on your Canadian passport without a visa. Simple to do and the high commission in Canada should have all the details on the website.
If living in Australia you are legally obliged to fille taxes every year. You are also legally obliged to register and vote, punishable by fine if you do not.
You are entitled to Centrelink (welfare payments) immediately though most come with criteria and are means tested.
You are entitled to HECS help (student loans) to pay for any education you want to undertake.
If you have children outside of Australia and you have never lived in Australia your children wont be Australian. But if you have then outside and have lived in Australia for 2 years at some point they can also apply for citizenship by descent. BUT if you have children in Australia they are Australian citizens by birth.
You can sponsor your spouse, children or parent for a visa.
Go enjoy Australia, good luck."
This was in January of this year and the info is a little conflicting to what you said.
5
My lad got a Centrelink payment this week even though he only moved to Australia four weeks ago.I have hereby and forthwith disowned the little dole bludger.
7
Things must have changed then. Both my children have always been Australian citizens. They had to prove they'd been in Australia for more than 104 weeks before being eligible for anything. For both, this was more than 10 years ago.They are NZers by descent only making them only residents as their births were never registered here.
Moot point now. One's still in Australia, the other Indonesia.
And because one was under 25, any entitlement he got was dependent on our income even here in NZ. Took a long time ( and a Centrelink Social Worker) to get him approved for anything as an independent.
The other also under 25 but pregnant and Salvation Army helped here with everything.
8
OP I'm not clear of your current citizenship status?You say
I have never stepped foot on Australian soil before
so are you claiming Aust citizenship by descent?This quote from Australian Immigration study paper is fairly clear:
Today, due to Australia’s strong social and welfare policies, Australian citizenship has little practical effect on the everyday situation of the permanent migrant. People who are permanent residents have the same access as citizens to the national health program and public education at the primary and secondary school level. They also have some access to welfare support and public tertiary education. Many are also eligible for special settlement services to help them take part in mainstream life as soon as possible. There are however some distinct advantages to acquiring Australian citizenship. These are an Australian passport, eligibility for permanent government employment, the right to vote in government elections and security from deportation
9
Ray, traveling the country centerlink office to centrelink office and explaining every two weeks why you have come to this new town and how you still need money is Aussie tradition I'd ha thought ..BTW, I posted this exact question on the UK branch once, regarding my UK citizenship rights, and had to duck from a torrent of abuse..
10
What does 'working up stamps' mean? Not something we do here. If you have an Australian passport I think you would be entitled to the same things as other Australian citizens., including NewStart and rent allowance. You will need to be interviewed by Centrelink but, like Ray's son, you will probably soon find yourself receiving a nice little fortnightly deposit into your bank account unless you get a job straight away.12
I beleive the wording from memory in my time working at Centrelink was "Australian Permanent Resident". That is what you will have problem with, having never been to Australia convincing them you are now a permanent resident. I beleive that you application will be rejected, but no harm in trying to test your elegibility.13
There is a difference between resident status and citizenship status. As a resident without citizenship, you cannot get social security for the 104 weeks as mentioned, but you can as a citizen. For example, my kids all have dual nationality and therefore citizenship, even though they didn't live in Oz until they were in their twenties. There was no qualifying period of residency before they could have claimed help, if needed. The residency status means those who have emigrated and have to apply for citizenship.Unfair though it may seem new citizens, don't have a qualifying period.
14
Citizenship is not a requirement for Centrelink payments. You can arrive on a valid visa and after the 104 week waiting period is up they can claim Centrelink payments. Centrelink does not require a person to take out Citizenship before being elegible for payments.You have to be an Permanent Australain Resident, not a citizen. That is the problem OP will have when applying satidying under the legislation that he is now an Australian Permanent resident having never been to the country. If he can convince the Centrelink Interviewer of that, for example stating he is relocating to OZ, then he has a chance.
