The number of migrants granted Australian citizenship has risen by 88 per cent between 1 July 2018 and 31 May 2019 compared with the previous year, according to the Department of Home Affairs. 
The department’s latest figures indicate more than 132,000 citizenship by conferral (or ceremony) applications have been approved since last July, up from 70,000 approvals over the same period from 1 July 2017 to 31 May 2018.   

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship David Coleman said reforms to streamline the application process have contributed to the rise in citizenship grants.  

The reforms include automation, the establishment of task forces within the department to deal with complex citizenship cases, as well as a $9 million investment in staff recruitment and training to increase efficiency. 

“As a result of these measures, the number of citizenship by conferral applications on-hand has decreased to about 222,800, down from almost 250,000 last year. This number is expected to continue to decline,” Mr Coleman said. 

“We live in a country that many people want to be a part of, and the government has invested heavily to meet this demand while also protecting the security and integrity of the system to ensure only legitimate applications are approved,” he added. 

Earlier this month, the department also revealed the waiting time for Australian citizenship has dropped by 10 per cent. 

Despite shorter wait times and a higher number of citizenship approvals, more than 200,000 people are still waiting for the outcome of their application as of 26 May 2019, according to department figures. 

However, the department stated the number of applications in the queue has significantly dropped from over 250,000 last year. 

South Korea ranked seventh out of all nationalities to acquire Australian citizenship by conferral between 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018, with more than 2,000 becoming citizens during this period.