Citizenship: Government looking into concerns about extended waiting times

Malcolm Turnbull says his government is looking into concerns about extending the waiting period for permanent residents to become citizens to four years.

Multicultural groups concerned over proposed citizenship lawsMulticultural groups concerned over proposed citizenship laws

Source: AAP

The federal government is considering whether to push on with its proposal to extend the waiting period for permanent residents wanting to become citizens.

The measure is part of an overhaul of citizenship laws, which have passed parliament's lower house but is yet to face the Senate.

As it stands, people need to be a permanent resident for only one year to apply for citizenship.

The proposed change would extend that to four years.

"That's one of the aspects of the changes we're looking at as the bill now goes into the Senate," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told a 'politics in the pub' crowd on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday night, after being asked by a voter whose wife will be affected by the changes.

"It's very well noted and we're taking that into account."

Mr Turnbull said Queensland MPs Andrew Wallace and Ted O'Brien, who hosted the event, have raised the issue with him and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

At least two parliamentary committees have raised concerns about different aspects of the proposed changes, including tougher English tests.


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