The Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the
Requirements for Australian Citizenship and Other Measures) Bill 2017
is set to make a comeback.
The bill has been assigned ‘a priority status’ by Home Affairs
Minister Peter Dutton’s department and will be introduced to the
Parliament this month.
Greens Senator Nick McKim raised the subject at the recent Senate
Estimates hearing of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation
Committee on May 22nd, where Department of Home Affairs Deputy
Secretary of Policy, Ms Linda Geddes said the bill had been assigned
‘a priority status’ and will be introduced `in the winter
parliamentary sitting period`.
The winter parliament session for June 2018 is scheduled for 18 to 21
June and 25 to 28 June but the bill has not yet been listed on the
notice paper for Senate Business.
When contacted by SBS Hindi, a spokesperson from the Department of
Home Affairs did not confirm the date but said, `The timing for the
introduction of legislation is a matter for Government.`
SBS Hindi has written to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and is
awaiting his response.
Greens Senator Nick McKim
Senator McKim, who has been vocal in his opposition to the bill, told
SBS Hindi that he has not seen a copy of the new legislation but said
he will continue to oppose the proposed changes to the bill which make
it harder for migrants to become Australian citizens.
“We will be opposing the new bill and will work with other Senators to
block it in the Parliament,” he said.
Last year, the Turnbull government’s first attempt to pass the bill
failed after staunch opposition from Labor, the Greens, and the Nick
Xenophon Team.
The legislation makes several changes to citizenship requirements.
They include changing the period of permanent residency from one year
to four, a modest English language

requirement, a new values test, and
stronger character checks.
Potential citizens will also need to demonstrate their integration
into the community, including by `behaving in a manner consistent with
Australian values`.
The amended bill, which makes the wait longer and eligibility tougher
for migrants, was struck down after the government missed the deadline
in the Senate, thus striking off the bill by default on October 18th,
2017.
The new requirements which were published on the Home Affairs website
have recently been taken down.
The spokesperson from the Department of Home Affairs did not explain
why they have been taken down but said, `Information regarding any
changes to Australian citizenship requirements will be available on
the Department’s website.`
Migrants rejoice as citizenship bill is struck down
Migrants heave a sigh of relief as the citizenship bill was struck
down - as announced by Tony Burke in Parliament this afternoon.
Over 200,000 citizenship applications awaiting outcome
The citizenship backlog today has reached alarming numbers with more
than 200,000 applicants awaiting the outcome of their applications.
“The number of citizenship applications on hand as at 30 April for
conferral is 209,826,” a member of the Home Affairs Department told
the Senate Estimates Hearing in May.
Senator Nick McKim, who has called the proposed changes ‘hateful and
divisive’, says this is due to the department ‘not allocating enough
resources’ to process pending applications.
“The huge backlog of 200,000 means the department is not allocating
enough resources.
“It is already too hard and taking too long to get citizenship. The
government needs to make it easier,” he said. V.2278

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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