How to Apply for Citizenship in Australia Vs the UK

Applying for Citizenship is a big deal does not matter if you are planning to be naturalized or if you are a legal resident of the country. Every country has its own set of eligibility and processes that the applicant must go through. Today we will be looking at the difference in the process of applying for citizenship in Australia vs the UK.

How to apply for citizenship in Australia

The first and foremost thing to do is to make sure you are eligible to apply for citizenship. If you are a permanent resident or a resident of New Zealand, you will need to fulfill a bunch of criteria such as residence requirements, character requirements, language requirements, and so on.

Also, Australia requires applicants to pass the Australian Citizenship test while the applicants applying for UK citizenship need to pass the Life in the UK test. According to the applicants, the Australian citizenship test is fairly easy in comparison to the UK’s.

Moreover, to apply for Australian Citizenship by naturalization you must meet the following requirements:

1- You must have resided in Australia as a permanent resident for at least 12 months in the past 2 years before lodging your application (there are exceptions to this requirement)0

2- You must be aged 18 years or older at the time of application

If under 18 years, you can apply if:

1- You were born in Australia; or
2- You are the adopted child of an Australian citizen and you have lived with that adoptive parent for at least 12 months; or
3- You have received a severe educational disadvantage as a result of being born overseas and raised in Australia between the age of 4 to 18 years.

How to apply for citizenship in the UK

You must satisfy certain standards detailed by the UK government to become a British citizen. Naturalization principles assist persons from outside the United Kingdom in gaining access to the rights and advantages that come with being a British citizen.

There are two types of citizens in the United Kingdom: British citizens and non-British citizens. Citizens of the United Kingdom are those who were born in the country or have lived there for a long time. Other citizens are persons who were born outside of the United Kingdom and have relocated to the United Kingdom.

A person can become a British citizen by completing the following steps:

- Regularly paying the UK government's taxes
- Become a lawful British resident by registering with the government.
- Meeting the standards of the place of residence
- Passing the "Life in the United Kingdom" exam
- Being questioned by a State Department official

Furthermore, you should be at least 18 years old to petition for nationality, which is two years older than Australia's. However, unlike in Australia, you do not need to own a home to apply for citizenship in the United Kingdom.

No matter where you are applying to be a citizen, one thing you are in for is a series of tests and lengthy registration processes.