Migrants await the outcome of citizenship bill with bated breath

By: Mosiqi Acharya

Parliament resumes in Canberra on Monday for a four-day sitting and the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2017 is likely to come before Senate on Tuesday.

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The Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2017 will come before Senate next week.


33-year-old Tushar Choudhary is eagerly waiting for the outcome of the citizenship bill, scheduled to come up before parliament which resumes on Monday.

​Choudhary, who became eligible for citizenship, under current legislation in June says the new changes to Australian citizenship which include tough English language test and the requirement where applicants have to spend four years as permanent residents before they can apply for citizenship, are unfair. 

“The changes are unfair. For those who come from US, Ireland and England, they aren’t required to sit for English test but the rest of us, have to,” he said.

Choudhary is not alone. Several members of the Indian community are waiting with bated breath to learn the outcome of the bill scheduled to come up on Tuesday next week.

“The bill is unfair to so many of us who have spent years in Australia as international students and on other temporary visas before becoming permanent residents. Now the requirement to live for four years as PR before applying citizenship is ridiculous,” says Choudhary, who arrived as an international student in 2006.

“We are stuck. I hope the bill is defeated,” Choudhary told SBS Hindi.

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