BYWX and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, and Multicultural Affairs (Citizenship)

This matter concerned an application for Australian citizenship by conferral by BYWX, who was refused on the grounds that she was not of good character under section 21(2)(h) of the *Australian Citizenship Act 2007* (Cth). The applicant had previously provided false information to the Department of Immigration. The decision was heard by R Bellamy SM.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the applicant was of good character, as required for citizenship by conferral. This involved assessing whether her past conduct, specifically the provision of false information during an earlier visa application and subsequent interactions with immigration authorities, demonstrated a lack of good character.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision to refuse citizenship, finding that the applicant's prolonged deception of Australian immigration authorities weighed against her good character. While acknowledging the initial deception might have been relatively minor, the Tribunal considered it an attempt to circumvent the immigration system. Furthermore, the Tribunal expressed doubt about the applicant's complete honesty with the Tribunal and her ability to distinguish right from wrong in dealings with government authorities, noting she had not yet demonstrated a prolonged period of ethical behaviour aligned with Australian societal values. Consequently, the Tribunal was not satisfied that the applicant was of good character at that time.