Australian Citizenship

After studying, working and living in Melbourne, Australia for almost 20 years, today marks my first day as an Australian Citizen.

I arrived in Melbourne on 15th of January, 2000, as a high school student, at the age of 17, 3 months before my 18th birthday. After 4 years of study, I graduated with Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Monash University in late 2004, and got my Permanent Resident status in April 2005. Melbourne is always my second home ever since.

I could have applied my citizenship from 2007 after 2 years of living in Australia since my PR visa grant in 2005. However, due to my parents still back in China at the time, I still need my Chinese passport so that I can easily go back to China to visit my parents. Hence I have delayed my citizenship application for a long time.

My parents finally migrated to Australia since 2016 and they are now living together with us in Melbourne, so I think it is time for both my wife and I to become Australian Citizens as we have lived here more than any other countries, even our home country China.

The ceremony took place in Robert Blackwood Hall at Monash University, the same place where my graduation ceremony was held, what a coincident!!

I think I will be very proud to be an Australian, and I will do my best to be a good citizen and contribute to the Australian society, like I have been doing in the last 19+ years.