In order to ensure there is a clear focus on Australian values in the Australian Citizenship Test, the Acting Minister for Immigration, Alan Tudge has announced that there will be changes to the test from 15 November 2020.

In the announcement, Alan Tudge clarified that the reasoning for the changes was to include questions which are more meaningful, that require potential citizens to understand and commit to some Australian values including freedom of speech, mutual respect, equality of opportunity, the importance of democracy and the rule of law.

 

Requirements of the Updated Citizenship Test

The new Australian Citizenship test will consist of 20 multiple choice questions. Five of these questions will directly relate to Australian values and all five of these questions must be answered correctly. However an overall mark of 75% (or 15 out of 20 questions) is required to pass this test.

There will not be any changes to the English language or residency requirements for Australian Citizenship.

To support these changes, an updated version of the Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond has been made available to assist potential citizens in preparing for this test.

It is important to note that from 30 October 2020, the majority of new visa and citizenship applications will be required to affirm the updated Australian Values Statement, designed to reflect the shared Australian values referred to above.

 

How We Can Help

If you require any further information regarding the updated citizenship test, or pathways to Australian Citizenship, please do not hesitate to contact us to speak with our experienced team of migration lawyers here at Ramsden Lawyers, and we would be pleased to help you in these uncertain times.