Australian citizenship application process will restore its discounted concession rates for pensioners, veterans, widows, welfare recipients, and health care card holders. 

This was following Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s removal of the regulation which offered disadvantaged migrants discounted fees of $20 or $40.

However, the Senate passed the disallowance by 31 votes to 30 last Sunday and the disadvantaged migrants were spared from paying the full price of $285. 

The fee of $285, which is 10 times more than the concessional rate, was due to be effective from 1 July. 
Greens Senator Nick McKim criticised Mr Dutton on his attempt to remove the discount. 

“Dutton has a track record of making it as hard as he can for people to become citizens,” Senator Nick McKim said. 

“It’s a repeat of a pattern of behaviour where he tried to kick migrants or multicultural Australia in the guts and hope no one notices,” he added. 

Senator Carol Brown also supported this action, as she previously described removing the concession rate as “unfair” and “mean-spirited”. 

However, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, said that only three per cent of people were benefiting from the concession rate. 

“It should be noted that the costs for applying for Australian citizenship is significantly lower- and I want to stress that- than comparable OECD countries.  In the UK it is $1,995, in the United States it’s $940, in Canada it’s $595 and in New Zealand it’s $440,” she added. 

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