Figures from the Department of Home Affairs show 75 percent of applications for citizenship by conferral from date of application to ceremony now take 23 months - up from 16 months last June.
Ninety percent of these applications to become Australian citizens now take 25 months compared to 20 months a year ago.
In a statement, a department spokesperson told SBS News the pandemic had affected processing.
"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all face-to-face citizenship appointments, such as interviews and citizenship tests, have been placed on hold. This has meant an increase in overall processing times. The department will recommence in-person interviews and citizenship tests when it is safe to do so," they said, adding that new applications are still being accepted.
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SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at
