Citizenship simplified
PA Wellington Western Samoans will be able to finalise citizenship applications more quickly as a result of procedural changes announced by the Government yesterday. The Parliamentary Undersecretary for Internal Affairs, Mr Thompson, said that Samoans would no longer be required to take the oath at public ceremonies as they had previously been required to do. “It has been decided that Western Samoans will not be required to take, the oath at public ceremonies, which could delay final awarding of citizenship for several months,” Mr Thompson said. “They will now have the option of taking it at a private ceremony, following the minister’s provisional approval of their New Zealand citizenship. My department will soon be advising appli-
cants whose grants of citizenship have been approved, tinder the 1982 act that they have this option.” Those who chose to take the oath publicly would complete the process in three to six months depending on the time taken to fit into a public ceremony, Mr Thompson said. Those who chose to take the oath of allegiance privately would become citizens in about two months. It was entirely a matter of personal preference which ceremony was chosen as the same oath or affirmation of allegiance was involved. “There are , teething troubles inherent in any new system,” said Mr Thompson. “But the processing of citizenship applications is now beginning to settle down into an efficient routine. I would expect the processing periods of applicants in both the public and private oath cate-
gories to reduce even further if the total number of applications does not increase markedly.” About 175 provisional approvals are now read for administration of the oath, with'some 500 to 600 applications a month being received. The applicant will have the opportunity of taking the oath before a wide range of authorised persons, including solicitors, Justices of the Peace, and officers of the Internal Affairs Department. It can also be administered overseas, by an official representative. Once the oath is taken, a formal citizenship certificate is given to the applicant as proof of status, Mr Thompson said his department was grateful for “the restraint and considerate approach. largely adopted by the many Western Samoans now dealing with them." s '’ u
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Press, 17 November 1982, Page 2
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369Citizenship simplified Press, 17 November 1982, Page 2
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