Citizenship

2026

Monday 26 January

Tuesday 17 March

Wednesday 8 April

Wednesday 10 June

Wednesday 5 August

Thursday 3 September

Wednesday 7 October

Wednesday 4 November

Please note, in addition to the ceremonies held by Liverpool City Council, the Department of Home Affairs hold citizenship ceremonies and candidates may be invited to attend these departmental ceremonies. If you have concerns regarding individual wait time, please contact the Department of Home Affairs on 131 880 for further advice of your individual status.

Liverpool City Council aims to hold in-person citizenship ceremonies hosted by the Mayor every second month. On each ceremony date Council can host up to two ceremonies at Liverpool Powerhouse.

Liverpool Powerhouse is a cultural facility of the Liverpool City Council and is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW. Liverpool Powerhouse is a multi-disciplinary arts centre, which includes a wide range of events, art exhibitions, theatre space, artists studios and restaurant.

Planning your visit to Liverpool Powerhouse

Parking and public transport

Address is 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula NSW 2170 (Access via Sheperd Street, Liverpool). Free onsite parking is available, if driving, please allow extra time to reach the venue. Casula Station is located next to the powerhouse please see Transport NSW for train timetable. For more information about parking and public transport please visit: Visit | Liverpool Powerhouse

How do I get my Australian Citizenship?

To become an Australian Citizen, you need to apply through the Department of Home Affairs. The delivery of the Australian Citizenship Program is the responsibility of the Department of Home Affairs which are supported by Local Councils throughout Australia.

The Department of Home Affairs manages all information regarding Australian Citizenship, including:

• Applications for Australian Citizenship
• Approval of Australian Citizenship
• Allocation of conferees to ceremony dates and times
• Production of Australian Citizenship certificates

If you would like information regarding becoming an Australian Citizen or have any questions about your application, contact the Department of Home Affairs or phone the Citizenship Information Line on 131 880.

Council is not involved in applications, approvals, allocation of conferees to ceremony dates and times, and certifications. Liverpool City Council is unable to move applicants forward on the list or give preference to attend a specific ceremony.

What is the waiting time for a ceremony?

The Department of Home Affairs advises that approved applicants are required to wait up to 12 months to be invited to attend an Australian Citizenship Ceremony and be presented with your Australian Citizenship certificate.

During the time an applicant waits to be invited to attend an Australian Citizenship ceremony, the Department of Home Affairs advises that citizenship assessment continues. If there are changes to the person’s individual circumstances during this period which affect their application the wait time can be impacted.

Other circumstances that can impact the timeframe of when you will be invited to a ceremony include:

• Your application has been approved, however you have linked your citizenship application with another individual’s application that has not yet been finalised/approved.
• You have not updated your contact details with the Department. Please ensure your email and other contact details are up to date in your Immi account.

If you have concerns regarding individual wait time, please contact the Department of Home Affairs for further advice of your individual status. The Department of Home Affairs' can be contacted on 131 800.

Once an applicant receives a letter from the Department of Home Affairs advising Australian Citizenship has been approved, they must:

• Wait for an invitation to attend an Australian Citizenship ceremony. The Department of Home Affairs will send a letter of invitation advising you of your ceremony details. This invitation will include the date, time and location of the ceremony.
• If you are invited to attend a ceremony and do not attend, you will need to contact the Department of Home Affairs and wait until you are invited to a new ceremony. Failure to attend further ceremonies may result in forfeiting your Australian Citizenship.
• The Department of Home Affairs hold ceremonies for candidates, as well as the ceremonies held by Liverpool City Council and candidates may be invited to attend these departmental ceremonies.

For any further information regarding your Australian Citizenship, please phone the Australian Citizenship Information Line on 131 880.

What to bring to the ceremony?

You need to bring your invitation to the ceremony and one form of photo identification:

• driver's licence
• passport, or
• an official document with a photograph

If your documents are not in English, you must provide official translations.

If you do not have photo identification, then bring at least three documents showing your name, address and signature:

• bank statements
• utility bills, or
• credit card statements

If you are under 16, you do not need to bring photo identification.

If you want to make the Australian citizenship pledge on a holy book, bring a book with you to the ceremony.

What should I expect at the ceremony?  

Once an applicant has been invited to an Australian citizenship ceremony by the Department of Home Affairs, the final step to becoming an Australian citizen is to attend the ceremony and make the Australian Citizenship Pledge to Australia and its people.

Making the Pledge

Making the Pledge is the final legal requirement to becoming an Australian citizen. The "Pledge" contains the words that are to be read out loud to complete the citizenship requirements. There are two pledges that conferees can choose from, one mentions God and the other does not.

All conferees will be assigned to a seating area to make their Pledge of Commitment.

To view the pledges, please visit the Australian Citizenship Pledge page.

For the Australian National Anthem and citizenship pledge in your language, click here.  Where the Pledge and Australian National Anthem are available in over 60 languages.

Special and formal occasion

Australian citizenship ceremonies in Liverpool are a special and formal occasion. They fulfil requirements under Australian citizenship law. They also provide an important opportunity to officially welcome new citizens as full members of the Australian community. They are often an emotional experience for the new citizen, as well as their host, family and friends and other ceremony guests.

How many guests can I bring?

You are welcome to bring family and friends to this special occasion, however guest spaces are limited and you will be advised on your letter of invitation how many you are allowed to bring.

Taking Photographs

Please note that photographers and videographers may be present at the ceremony. Media may attend too. Photos and video footage may be used on Council’s website , social media, and for other promotional purposes. If you do not want to be photographed or filmed, please let the photographer or videographer know.

Your family and friends can take photographs of you during and after the ceremony. They must not disrupt other participants and their guests.

Citizenship Certificates

Your certificate is evidence of Australian citizenship once you have made the pledge.

Your citizenship certificate is issued in your legal name at the time we approved your citizenship application.

Your citizenship certificate is an important legal document. You will need it when you apply for an Australian passport. You may need it to apply for a job or join the Australian Defence Force.

It is an offence to deface or alter your citizenship certificate by:

• writing on it
• changing any details on it (i.e. laminating)

You must inform The Department of Home Affairs if your certificate is lost or stolen.

I am unable to attend my ceremony.

If you are unable to attend your ceremony, please contact the Department of Home Affairs on 131 880 and follow the instructions in your invitation letter provided by the Department of Home Affairs.

In most cases, you will receive a non-attendance from the Department and you will be then invited to the next appropriate ceremony.

Conferees will be contacted by the Department of Home Affairs when they have been allocated to a ceremony. The Department of Home Affairs will send a letter of invitation advising you of your ceremony details.

Applicants are asked to please ensure their email address is up to date in their Department of Home Affairs ImmiAccount.

Overseas travel before and after the ceremony

After making the pledge, you will be eligible to apply for an Australian passport. Wait at least 10 days before you apply online with the Australian Passport Office. This is how long it might take for your citizenship details to be recorded in the system. Use your current passport if you need to travel before the ceremony.

Before you leave, get a visa that allows you to re-enter Australia to attend your ceremony. If the travel conditions on your permanent visa have expired or are about to expire, you will need to apply for a Resident Return Visa.

Make sure any travel does not affect your ability to attend the ceremony, or it will delay you in becoming an Australian citizen.

If you plan to travel outside Australia before your ceremony, please contact The Department of Home Affairs prior to your ceremony.

How do I enrol to vote (Australian electoral roll)?

Once the ceremony has concluded, Australian Electoral roll applications are completed by new citizens can be submitted via their application form, these forms will be given to Conferees at their ceremony. It is compulsory by law for all eligible Australian citizens to enrol and vote in federal elections, by-elections and referendums. For further information regarding voting or the Australian electoral roll, please visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.

All citizenship information is handled by the Department of Home Affairs, including allocation of ceremony dates and times. The Department of Home Affairs will not under any circumstances move people forward on the list or give preference to attend a ceremony.

If you have any enquiries regarding your approval letter and date of Citizenship, please contact the Department of Home Affairs on 131 880.

Council is not able to speed up the application process or hold your ceremony before approval has been given. Council is unable to answer questions on your Citizenship status and where your application is on the waiting list.

The Department of Home Affairs has a formal process to request an urgent Citizenship Ceremony.

To be considered, please download the Urgent Ceremony Request form and send by email to ceremony.nsw@homeaffairs.gov.au for consideration.

Assessment is considered on a case by case basis by the Department of Home Affairs. Council has no involvement in this process.

Extract from the Department below.

Urgent ceremonies are only approved in exceptional and very limited circumstances. You would need to provide details of these exceptional circumstances with supporting evidence to this mailbox.

Ensure all documentation is translated into English. If you do not provide evidence, your request will not be assessed and you will not receive a reply.

Please note that the Department will not facilitate requests for expedited ceremonies that relate to:

• Ceremonies cancelled by your local council
• Any circumstances relating to overseas travel which are not genuinely exceptional or compelling, such as employment, holidays, family reunions or weddings will not be considered
• Expired passports
• Expired authority to return to Australia
• HECS/HELP fees
• Accessing commonwealth loans or Social Security benefits or government funded schemes
• Applying for a job that requires Australian citizenship
• Applications for citizenship that have not yet been approved.

You will not receive a further response if you are seeking an expedited ceremony for the above reasons.

An expedited ceremony may be considered in the following limited circumstances:

• Defence Force personnel who require Australian citizenship
• Clients who have complex employment schedules or medical issues
• Clients who need to be an Australian citizen to be employed for a job for which they have received a written offer.

There may be other genuinely exceptional or compelling circumstances that have not been listed. These will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and you will be notified of the decision.

Please only make one request for an expedited ceremony.