Dang and Minister for Home Affairs (Citizenship)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) considered an application for Australian citizenship by conferral made by Mr Dang. The Minister for Home Affairs had refused Mr Dang's application, a decision Mr Dang sought to have reviewed by the Tribunal. The core of the dispute concerned whether Mr Dang satisfied the "good character" requirement for citizenship.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether Mr Dang was a person of good character for the purposes of section 21(2) of the *Australian Citizenship Act 1948* (Cth). This requirement is a general eligibility criterion for the conferral of Australian citizenship by conferral.

The Tribunal's reasoning focused on Mr Dang's status as an unlawful non-citizen for a period of almost twelve years. The Tribunal concluded that this prolonged period of unlawful status meant that Mr Dang did not meet the good character requirement. Consequently, the Tribunal found that Mr Dang did not satisfy the general eligibility requirements for the conferral of Australian citizenship. The Tribunal affirmed the Minister's decision to refuse the application.