- Australia’s Department of Home Affairs confirmed that only one category of foreign applicants qualifies for a reduced citizenship application fee
- The reduced fee is tied to the Pensioner Concession Card, which must be valid and issued by the Australian Government
- Children aged 15 and under applying on the same form as a parent are fully exempt from paying any citizenship fee
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that only one category of applicants is eligible for a reduced fee when applying for citizenship by conferral, setting a narrow bar for those hoping to cut the cost of the process.
According to the official government immigration website, the fee concession applies exclusively to holders of a valid Pensioner Concession Card.
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The card must not be expired, and it must have been issued directly by the Australian Government, either through Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The applicant’s name must also appear on the card as the primary cardholder.
Who qualifies for reduced Australian citizenship fee?
The concession extends to dependants as well. Anyone aged 17 or younger who appears as a dependant on a qualifying Pensioner Concession Card is also entitled to pay the reduced fee.
Beyond that, children aged 15 and under who are applying on the same form as a parent pay nothing at all.
The government has drawn a clear line around which cards qualify. Health Care Cards, Student Cards, and Senior Health Cards do not meet the criteria and cannot be used to access any fee reduction.
Australian citizenship: How to apply for concession
Eligible applicants can apply online through the government’s ImmiAccount platform. To unlock the reduced fee during the application process, applicants must upload a scanned copy of both sides of their valid Pensioner Concession Card.
Those who prefer to submit a paper application must include a certified copy of the card instead.
Citizenship application fees in Australia are reviewed annually, with increases typically taking effect on 1 July each year. The full schedule of citizenship fees is available in the government’s Form 1298i document.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng