I am an Australian passport holder who was born overseas and had parents born overseas as well. I am now being asked to prove citizenship again when I tried to renew my passport.
I have tried several times to apply for a citizenship certificate, even though I've held multiple Australian passports and renewed them easily in the past.
I have since been informed that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has had a "long-standing law that requires DFAT to be satisfied with a person's citizenship before issuing a passport, including each time it issues a new passport to a person with a current or expired passport".
I have tried to clarify when the policy was implemented or whether its enforcement has been ramped up in recent times.
I was born in Greece, my mother, father and brother came here in 1962. We were naturalised the following year and have been Australian citizens since then. I have applied and been granted an Australian passport 2 times and in the intervening years have travelled abroad with no problem, but when I tried to renew my expired passport recently I was told I must provide evidence of citizenship.
I have been advised that simply having held an Australian passport in the past was no longer sufficient.
This means I am unable to travel abroad and I cannot seek employment in many fields as proof of citizenship is required.
The Australian Passport Office has told me that I cannot use my previous passport.
I feel humiliated by this attitude of the Government questioning my citizenship.
I pay tax, I've got Medicare, everything. I've lived here for 57 years. I came here when I was five years old. There's never been a question.
Now all my plans are jeopardy.
I believe my story is not isolated, many other people in a similar situation both in Sydney and Melbourne and have shared their stories online in frustration at having to prove their citizenship again, despite renewing passports easily in the past.
When I last went to apply they said I had to get my Australian citizenship papers
I have applied several times over the last few years and have come up against a bureaucratic brick wall.
I am now appealing to the government to intervene and help me.
I have exhausted all avenues with the Dept Of Immigration and Passport Office and I need help.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I have tried several times to apply for a citizenship certificate, even though I've held multiple Australian passports and renewed them easily in the past.
I have since been informed that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has had a "long-standing law that requires DFAT to be satisfied with a person's citizenship before issuing a passport, including each time it issues a new passport to a person with a current or expired passport".
I have tried to clarify when the policy was implemented or whether its enforcement has been ramped up in recent times.
I was born in Greece, my mother, father and brother came here in 1962. We were naturalised the following year and have been Australian citizens since then. I have applied and been granted an Australian passport 2 times and in the intervening years have travelled abroad with no problem, but when I tried to renew my expired passport recently I was told I must provide evidence of citizenship.
I have been advised that simply having held an Australian passport in the past was no longer sufficient.
This means I am unable to travel abroad and I cannot seek employment in many fields as proof of citizenship is required.
The Australian Passport Office has told me that I cannot use my previous passport.
I feel humiliated by this attitude of the Government questioning my citizenship.
I pay tax, I've got Medicare, everything. I've lived here for 57 years. I came here when I was five years old. There's never been a question.
Now all my plans are jeopardy.
I believe my story is not isolated, many other people in a similar situation both in Sydney and Melbourne and have shared their stories online in frustration at having to prove their citizenship again, despite renewing passports easily in the past.
When I last went to apply they said I had to get my Australian citizenship papers
I have applied several times over the last few years and have come up against a bureaucratic brick wall.
I am now appealing to the government to intervene and help me.
I have exhausted all avenues with the Dept Of Immigration and Passport Office and I need help.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
