Australian citizenship testing and interviews, which were suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions, have now resumed in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge, said appointments will be held in line with state and territory restrictions and with the safety of both staff and applicants as the top priority.

“More migrants can now continue to progress towards becoming Australian citizens, joining the record number of people who pledged their allegiance to Australia last year,” Minister Tudge said.

“This Government has placed an increased emphasis on Australian citizenship, recognising it is one the foundations of our democratic, socially cohesive nation.

“We acted quickly to ensure citizenship ceremonies continued online when COVID-19 hit and we restarted in-person ceremonies in June.

“The interview and test are important steps in the process of applying for Australian citizenship, ensuring the integrity of our citizenship decisions.”

The citizenship test assesses an applicant’s knowledge of Australia and the responsibilities and privileges of being an Australian citizen.

More than 1150 people have attended a citizenship appointment since they resumed in Perth on 6 July 2020.

Appointments will resume in Canberra, Hobart and Darwin throughout August.

A record 204,000 people were conferred citizenship in 2019-20. During COVID-19 more than 73,000 people have attended online ceremonies and a further 5,000 have attended in-person ceremonies since they resumed on 3 June.