Visa Cancelled !!!

[Guest guest569]

Just a word of warning for those that aren't already aware !

A guy at work has been here in Adelaide coming up to 5 years now. Pays his Taxes, has a mortgage on his house and became a Citizen at the first possible oportunity.

Sadly his sick mother died in the Uk on monday so he booked an urgent flight back via Sydney for weds morning. Upon leaving Sydney he was told that they would not be letting him back into australia !!!!!

" But i'm an Australian citizen !!" he told them.

"agreed " they replied but you don't hold a visa !!!!

A little worried and getting irate he asked what they were talking about as he has a visa in his passport !!!!!

UPON BECOMING A CITIZEN YOUR VISAS ARE CANCELLED !!!!!!! YOU NEED TO GET AN AUSTRALIAN PASSPORT TO COME AND GO !!!!

Don't know what he's going to do. I think he needs to sort it all out back in the Uk so he can return "home " next week.

As if he hasn't got enough on his mind at the moment !!!!!!

[Guest Carolandcraig]

OMG thanks awful news, if thing were bad enought, hope every thing works out ok for you mate.

[elainew]

You don't need a visa to come back in if you are a citizen of Australia. London phones Canberra to check to see if you are a citizen . Canberra is open 24/7. You will be advised to get an Australian passport as soon as.

[Guest JoTanCalOwen]

OMG thats really really (space for bad language) awful! Why on earth did someone not advise him of the need of an Oz visa upon becoming a citizen, !! As if his emotions are not raw enough, poor guy,

Really do hope he manages to take a large leap of faith from somewhere to take it all in his stride and get everything sorted as well as say good bye to his mum

 

Sad time our thoughts are with him

 

Tanya and family

[Moosh]

The same happened to Jon when he went back to the UK after becoming a citizen. He went to Australia House in London and got his Australia Passport sorted within 2 weeks!

[Rachiegarlo]

My daughter got told at her interview that once she became a citizen, her re entry visa would be cancelled and not usable. She would need an Aus passport. Things like this always happen at inopportune moments though.

[Alan Collett]

OMG thats really really (space for bad language) awful! Why on earth did someone not advise him of the need of an Oz visa upon becoming a citizen, !! As if his emotions are not raw enough, poor guy,

Really do hope he manages to take a large leap of faith from somewhere to take it all in his stride and get everything sorted as well as say good bye to his mum

 

Sad time our thoughts are with him

 

Tanya and family

 

One of the obligations you are required to know when becoming an Australian citizen is the need to use an Australian passport to depart and enter Australia ... sorry, but the responsibility is on the individual, and no-one else.

 

Best regards.

[Alan Collett]

PS. Australian Citizenship – Citizenship and travel

[Diane]

Why did he become a citizen and not get a passport? Can't understand that....

 

His visa would probably have expired anyway if he had been here for five years - most have a date on them and after that date has been reached, he would need a returning resident's visa if he hadn't become a citizen anyway! But once you've got that Citizenship Certificate, you need to enter Australia on an Australian Passport - just common sense I'd have thought.

 

The only grey area is between applying for citizenship and getting the certificate. As I posted earlier to someone, in that "in between" stage you can still travel on your British Passport, and old visa, providing it hasn't reached it's expiry date (which even permenent visas have), although some airport staff might question this.

[scooterdan]

Why did he become a citizen and not get a passport? Can't understand that....

 

My thoughts exactly...

 

Surely one would assume once you are a citizen you need that countries passport to come and go.

 

Dab

[Guest kangomik]

An oversight on the mans behalf i agree, maybe he never "planned "to go home.

It's a shock and deffinately the last thing you woukd want to hear as you stepped on a plane for a journey that you not looking forward to anyway.

 

Hope he gets things sorted in the UK mate, maybe you can relay spome of the advice on to him.

 

It is a good reminder to others though.