Take citizenship oath as ‘we like everything here’

Last year, 2,211 people from 79 different countries, became Australians with the council normally hosting two formal citizenship ceremonies a month between February and December, as well as one on Australia Day.
By far the largest cohort of new citizens was from India and among those happy to pledge their allegiance this year, was 35-year-old Mukesh Kumar, his 36-year-old wife Shilpi and their daughters, eight-year-old Misha and six-year-old Prisha.
Taking the plunge on Australia Day, Mr Kumar said it was a particularly memorable occasion that he and his family would never forget although he admitted that after living here for so long, apart from getting new passports, not much had changed.
“The girls already felt Australian I think, they have lived here since they were five or six months old, but they were pretty excited on the day,” he said.
Arriving in Australia with his wife 10 years ago to work, Mr Kumar has since started his own software company, Cognitonic Systems, opening offices in both Sydney and India in 2018.
“We liked everything here, the education, the lifestyle and we liked the community,” he said.
“There is good opportunity here for startups, and you can contribute back to society with jobs. People treat you the way you are, they treat you fairly.”