Suman Verma* arrived in Australia with her husband in June 2015 and applied for Australian citizenship after becoming eligible four years later.
“We passed the test, appeared for the interview and received the approval almost three hours later. We were very excited,” says Suman.
The excitement was short-lived as the coronavirus outbreak halted the process. Most councils around Australia cancelled their citizenship ceremonies after the federal government recommended all organised non-essential public gatherings involving more than 500 people be cancelled on 16 March 2020.
Highlights:
- Councils across Australia have cancelled citizenship ceremonies after the coronavirus outbreak.
- New Zealand has cancelled the ceremonies too but the citizenship certificates have been sent to the approved applicants by post.
- Approved applicants in Australia are requesting an alternative way to complete the process of citizenship.
What was a precautionary measure has now intensified, with gatherings of two or more people for non-essential purpose now prohibited.
It has left hundreds in limbo as citizenship ceremonies have been cancelled indefinitely.
“There were people who had received citizenship invites too. They were waiting for the ceremony to receive their citizenship certificates,” Suman Verma told SBS Hindi.
Now many of these people have requested the Department of Home Affairs to find an alternative solution to the delay.
Those who have already been approved by the Department of Home Affairs and are only waiting for a citizenship ceremony to become Australian Citizens, have requested the government via an online petition for ‘an alternative way to formalise the citizenship.’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison with newly sworn citizens at an Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony and Flag Raising event in Canberra. Source: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
“All of us signing this petition have already passed our citizenship tests and interviews, and have been approved by the department. Most of us have also been waiting to formalise our commitment to Australia for at least four to five years, and we’re very much looking forward to our citizenship ceremonies to officially formalise our commitment to this great nation,” reads the petition that has already been signed by hundreds.
The petition suggests following New Zealand's move to formalise citizenship without holding ceremonies.
Suman Verma says the New Zealand Government has taken the lead in this issue.
“They introduced an alternative method on 16 March 2020 to allow approved applicants to become citizens by waiving the public ceremony requirement and sending their citizenship certificates via post,” said Ms Verma.
New citizens participate in citizenship ceremony on Australia Day in Brisbane. Source: AAP
The notification published on the Immigration New Zealand website reads:
“Attending a ceremony is usually the final step in your citizenship journey. In response to COVID-19, we are following advice from the Ministry of Health to postpone large public gatherings. There will be no citizenship ceremonies until further notice. If you have been approved for a grant of citizenship, the Citizenship Office will instead send your citizenship certificate by courier post.”
Migration law expert Abul Rizvi says this could be a feasible option.
“There is no reason that I am aware of that Australia could not follow the same process. Once the person has already been approved of the grant of citizenship, the ceremony is exactly that, a ceremonial process.
"If there is a regulation in the citizenship act preventing that, I will be surprised if the minister couldn’t readily make an amendment to that regulation,” Mr Rizvi told SBS Hindi.
He says the department has a considerable backlog and clearing some of them surely would help the department itself.
“If you think of the number of people around the world, who actually obtain citizenship while staying outside the country, I cannot imagine that the ceremony is required.
“I am sure there are circumstances where people have had citizenship certificates delivered in that way,” said Mr Rizvi.
The petitioners argue that having their citizenship process put on hold is now adding to an already stressful situation.
Source: AAP
“We believe that implementing an alternative method to formalise citizenships (rather than the traditional public ceremony) would not only help relieve the stress of all applicants who are currently on hold but would also help all government parties involved to maximise resources and therefore make them available to be reallocated,” reads the petition.
SBS Hindi has approached the Department of Home Affairs for a comment, and the response is awaited.
*Name has been changed due to privacy.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
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