Grand

Hi,
I am an Australian permanent resident and next year going to apply
for citizenship. Unfortunately, my passport will have expired by the
time I'm eligible for citizen application. It is going to be too much
hassle to renew my passport. Can I apply for Oz citizenship with an
expired passport which has a Residency Visa (the visa is valid until
2008)?
Thanks.

BKate

Whats your original nationality?

Grand

Originally posted by BKate
    > Whats your original
nationality?

Ukraine

Jaj

You don't need a current valid passport to apply for citizenship - just
bring your expired passport with existing visa to your citizenship
interview.

You won't be able to travel outside Australia until you either get a new
passport from your existing country, or wait to get an Australian passport.

Jeremy

Grand wrote:
    > Hi,
    > I am an Australian permanent resident and next year going to apply
    > for citizenship. Unfortunately, my passport will have expired by the
    > time I'm eligible for citizen application. It is going to be too much
    > hassle to renew my passport. Can I apply for Oz citizenship with an
    > expired passport which has a Residency Visa (the visa is valid until
    > 2008)?
    > Thanks.
    >
    >

BKate

Oh right I only really have knowledge of the UK, have you thought about
the implications of not renewing your paasport and then having to travel
back to the Ukraine. Can you not renew though the Ukraine commision in
Oz or is there not one?

Bondipom

Originally posted by BKate
    > Oh right I only really have
knowledge of the UK, have you thought about the implications of not
renewing your paasport and then having to travel back to the Ukraine.
Can you not renew though the Ukraine commision in Oz or is there not
one?
I doubt you will get past the airport without a valid
passport. When you obtain Australia citizenship you must obtain an
Australian passport to travel in and out of Australia.

Grand

Originally posted by BKate
    > Oh right I only really have
knowledge of the UK, have you thought about the implications of not
renewing your paasport and then having to travel back to the Ukraine.
Can you not renew though the Ukraine commision in Oz or is there not
one?

Well, renewing my Ukrainian passport will be meaningless
after getting my Oz passport as Ukraine does not allow dual citizenship
and I'm going to lose it "automatically" when I become Oz citizen.
BTW,
does anyone know what "automatic" loss of citizenship mean and how my
home country is going to know it if I don't tell them myself ? As I
know, after April 2002, Australia does not require a person to notify
his or her home country that he or she applied for Oz citizenship.
Right?
Does Australia notify the person's home country authorities about
grant of Oz citizenship after the Oz citizenship is given? I personally
would strongly doubt it although I may be mistaken.
If Australia doesn't
[notify], how Ukraine authorities are going to know that I now possess
another country's citizenship???

Jaj

Grand wrote:
    > Well, renewing my Ukrainian passport will be meaningless
    > after getting my Oz passport as Ukraine does not allow dual citizenship
    > and I'm going to lose it "automatically" when I become Oz citizen.
    > BTW,
    > does anyone know what "automatic" loss of citizenship mean and how my
    > home country is going to know it if I don't tell them myself ?


It depends on how Ukranian law is written, but if they have a genuine
automatic loss of citizenship provision they don't *need* to know. As
soon as you became Australian you would cease to be Ukrainian, and if
you applied for a Ukrainian passport and got it you would actually be
using a passport illegally.

But it does depend on exactly what Ukraine's law says, and how exactly
it is enforced. You might need to consult with a Ukraine lawyer
familiar with these matters if it's important.



    >As I
    > know, after April 2002, Australia does not require a person to notify
    > his or her home country that he or she applied for Oz citizenship.

They didn't require it before April 2002 either.



    > Right?
    > Does Australia notify the person's home country authorities about
    > grant of Oz citizenship after the Oz citizenship is given? I personally
    > would strongly doubt it although I may be mistaken.
    > If Australia doesn't
    > [notify], how Ukraine authorities are going to know that I now possess
    > another country's citizenship???


How can the other country find out:

- they can ask you wen renewing your passport (would you tell the truth
or not?)

- they can ask to see proof you're not an Australian citizen when you
renew your passport

- an immigration officer may notice the lack of an Australian visa and
entry/exit stamps in your home passport (after you become an Australian
citizen)

They are the three most common ways. If keeping your home citizenship
is important to you, and that country does forbid dual citizenship, then
you need to think carefully about whether you want to keep it vs the
benefits of having Australian citizenship. Don't count on being able to
have both.

Jeremy