Australian Citizenship granted - still need visa if on UK passport?

[Guest kell]

Hi All

My Son was born in UK but has been granted Aust Citizenship (we only have letter - not official certificate)

The letter says he needs an Aussie passport to ensure entry....... but we don't really want to fork out for another passport when his UK one is only 6 months old!

Can we still enter Australia with his current passport or do we need another visa on top of this (can they tell from their records his has Citizenship)

Thanks

[scooterdan]

You need a passport.... Visa mean nothing once a citizen!

[Guest kell]

Aussie passport though, or will the UK passport get us in?

[Blossom]

He needs an Aussie passport. You need either that or a visa, and citizens can't be issued visas, do there is no choice.

[Guest Guest12727]

We came into Australia with our son who had Australian citizenship and only a UK passport. He was only 4 so don't know if that made a difference as he was travelling with us and we had appropriate visas and passports. We did have to go into the office at customs and answer a few questions when we arrived. They were very nice and polite and said it wasn't a problem, but it held us up for about 30mins at the airport, and we did feel a bit nervous for a short while.

[Guest kell]

hmmmm, he will only be 9 months when we enter Australia, wondering if it's worth the risk..... anyone else had experience of this recently?

[Diane]

I think you might need to apply for his certificate first anyway, before you could get him a passport. My friend's son travelled to England shortly after his citizenship ceremony and before he had got round to applying for his Australian passport: they had to courier his documents to him in London as he was told citizenship invalidates any visas that have been issued, so he would only be able to re-enter Australia with his Australian passport. In the whole scheme of things, an extra few hundred pounds for an Australian passport is just a drop in the ocean and I'd have thought better to do that than take the risk of having issues when you arrive at the end of a long flight.

[Blossom]

Worse than issues at the end of a long flight, I have heard of airlines refusing to accept passengers without a valid visa, which baby wouldn't be able to get as a citizen. This is because they are liable for the flight back if oz refuses them.

[Guest kell]

yes you're right - better get on and do it then as we are flying in June!!!!! thanks all

[sidestep]

I don't understand why, when you lucky enough to have been given citizenship over here, you're baulking at having to buy junior an Aussie passport. Seems a bit ungrateful to me.

[Selah]

I don't understand why, when you lucky enough to have been given citizenship over here, you're baulking at having to buy junior an Aussie passport. Seems a bit ungrateful to me.

 

In the spirit of helpfulness and general congeniality, please let's not judge! It's so unhelpful. We all know immigration is expensive and sometimes we are counting every penny. I know in my family of 5, we have applied for citizenship in stages depending on who needed to travel after our permanent residency visas expired. 4 down and 1 to go! The whole immigration process for citizenship and then new passports (as two of us needed to travel for work) was over $2000 ($260/per adult, $130 for over 15's and rushed passports at $300 + each.) Sometimes you just don't have the money and it's not because you're intentionally ungrateful.

 

Selah

[cliffy]

We had a similar problem a four years ago, when my grandson, who holds Aust citizenship by descent, wanted to come over with his mother.

He has a valid passport for the country of his birth(not UK).

Apparently, the main problem, according to the Passport Office at that time, was that without a visa, which could not be issued, or an Australian passport, he would be denied boarding on the flight. He was only 2.

As this was his first Australian passport, it necessitated a visit in person to the Australian Consulate which dealt with their country of residence and that involved a flight to a third country at considerable time and expense. We tried all ways to get around the regulations, including help from our local federal member, but thems the rules!

They now take advantage of the Consuls yearly visit to their country to keep up to date all passport, driving licences and other official papers or renew stuff when they are home.

[Guest kell]

In the spirit of helpfulness and general congeniality, please let's not judge! It's so unhelpful. We all know immigration is expensive and sometimes we are counting every penny. I know in my family of 5, we have applied for citizenship in stages depending on who needed to travel after our permanent residency visas expired. 4 down and 1 to go! The whole immigration process for citizenship and then new passports (as two of us needed to travel for work) was over $2000 ($260/per adult, $130 for over 15's and rushed passports at $300 + each.) Sometimes you just don't have the money and it's not because you're intentionally ungrateful.

 

Selah

 

Thank you Selah! I was a bit taken aback to read Sidesteps unecessary and unhelpful comment when I am new to this forum. Sidestep has no idea who I am or what my journey has been. I am far from ungrateful and realise Australia is one of the best countries to live in the world and to be able to take my Son and Partner back to where I was born is an amazing thing that we are all looking forward to and we feel very lucky.

 

I now feel as though I have to justify myself and explain I was not 'baulking' but purely wondering whether I can make things easier for us, financially and also I believe I need to visit the High Commission in London for his passport (?) which is not an easy trek from Hull especially with a young baby!

 

But of course I will do whatever we have to do to ensure we have finished the process properly and can enter without worry.

 

Thanks again for everyone who was helpful and kind.

[sidestep]

Just wondered. Anyway as you're in Hull it might be worth finding out if you can get all this done in the Edinburgh consular offices as it will probably be easier to get to. Whether the same level of service is on offer is something you'll need to check in detail beforehand.

[NicF]

Thank you Selah! I was a bit taken aback to read Sidesteps unecessary and unhelpful comment when I am new to this forum. Sidestep has no idea who I am or what my journey has been. I am far from ungrateful and realise Australia is one of the best countries to live in the world and to be able to take my Son and Partner back to where I was born is an amazing thing that we are all looking forward to and we feel very lucky.

 

I now feel as though I have to justify myself and explain I was not 'baulking' but purely wondering whether I can make things easier for us, financially and also I believe I need to visit the High Commission in London for his passport (?) which is not an easy trek from Hull especially with a young baby!

 

But of course I will do whatever we have to do to ensure we have finished the process properly and can enter without worry.

 

Thanks again for everyone who was helpful and kind.

 

Both my kids have citizenship by descent. We only realised they needed to travel on Australian passports when we tried to get tourist visas on the UK passports for a holiday over here and had them refused because they are citizens. Although you will need a trip to the High Commission for a passport you don't have to take the baby with you if you have someone that can look after him while you go. My OH went during his lunch break while on a work trip to London. Good luck with it all.

[snifter]

Agree with NicF, you don't need to all go to London for passport application. Hubby, the Aussie, went on his own from down in Devon for the day. Had an appointment time and was in and out. Was really straightforward, just needed all the correct paperwork like birth certs and his AUS passport. Passport arrived in the post a couple of weeks later. All up, from when we made application of citizenship by descent to the passport arriving was about 6 weeks.

[Guest kell]

perfect! dont have to take the baby makes things a lot easier and hubby does spend time in London for work so happy days. thank you again!