Canadian Citizenship Test Vs Australian Citizenship Test: Know the Differences

The citizenship tests for Canada and Australia are different in a few terms as they are designed in accordance with the country’s laws and requirements. Here is a more detailed comparison of the Canadian and Australian citizenship tests:

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Canadian citizenship test, here is the list of criteria:

• Applicants must be a permanent resident.
• Applicants must have a tax report (if they were employed during their stay).
• Applicants must be able to prove that they are able to communicate in either French or English.
• Out of the last 5 years, applicants must have lived on Canadian soil for at least 3 years.

There are some additional requirements for minors:

Minors under the age of 18 are liable to pay a $100 fee.
They must be a permanent citizen.
They are not required to be able to communicate in French or English.
If they are above the age of 14, they are required to take an oath.
A signature is required from either their parents or their guardian.

Now, to be eligible for the Australian citizenship test, the following criteria must be met:

Applicants must be permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
Applicants must be present in Australia during the waiting phase after the application has been submitted.
Applicants must be able to prove that they intend to stay in Australia or at least keep in touch with Australia while they are overseas.

The additional requirements for minors include:

Applicants must be living with a responsible parent who should also hold an Australian citizenship certificate and must also be a permanent resident.
There is no additional cost if the applicant’s parent is also applying for Australian citizenship and has included the minor’s name in their application.
If the minor has decided to apply on their own, an additional fee will be charged.

After You Apply

If you are one of those who have applied via the Electronic citizenship certificate pilot, the Canadian officials will contact you via Gmail. The official Canadian website has stated that following the COVID-19 issue, they are not able to send out the AOR (Acknowledgement of Receipt) letter faster. The estimated waiting time is said to be 24 months.

The criteria for a good application include:

All the questions on the application form must be answered
The mandatory fee must be paid
All the documents that are required must be sent along

Failing to meet any of the three criteria will invalidate your citizenship application. Applicants can check the progress of their application online.

Now, let’s take a look at what happens after you apply for your Australian citizenship. The estimated waiting time for the letter of confirmation is 16 months which is undoubtedly a long time but it’s faster than that of Canada. They have justified the waiting time by stating that the verification of information the applicants have provided takes time.

There you have it, the differences between the Canadian Citizenship Test and the Australian Citizenship Test. There are several minute differences but these are the most notable ones.