Permanent residents in the process of becoming citizens say the pending amendments to Australia's citizenship laws has them confused and worried.
The government has proposed a raft of changes that, if passed, throws their plans out the window.
That includes the Saqib family in suburban Melbourne.
Najam Saqib and wife Zunera fell in love with Australia, long before they migrated from Pakistan in 2011.
Najam worked in Qatar for a few years to fund their move, as Zunera and son Jasim settled in suburban Melbourne.
Zunera says she and Jasim were close to completing the citizenship application process, prior the government's announcement of the changes on April 20.
"It was really nice to be here in 2011 for my son, for a better future. I was more confident. I was so happy that I will be getting my citizenship. It's like a milestone, you know. And it really hurt and it was really sad to know the rules have changed."
Najam is a Systems Engineer, while Zunera has worked in childcare and is six months pregnant.
Najam says their plans are on hold as they await the fate of the citizenship bill.
"You shouldn't change the rules midway. That's the thing, you bring people on a different rule, and then you change the rule midway. That's what bothers us a lot. The stability is not there. I don't know in next three years or four years what more rules will come forward."
A major point of concern with the new laws are a revised English test.
Language requirements would be raised from 'basic' to 'competent' English.
Permanent residents would have to achieve a band six in the international English language test.
That is roughly the same score needed to enter university.
But Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke disputes it is of that standard.
"It is not is 'university-standard' English. It's a general competency under the IELTS framework of six. Most people pass the current test. And we believe that it's an appropriate level. And I think most of the public think a higher English language requirements is reasonable. People want to see English language requirements in general. We don't think the level is too high."
But a Senate inquiry into the bill disagreed, recommending the language requirements be lowered.
Inquiry chairman, Liberal Senator Ian Macdonald, explains.
"It does need clarification, and it does need to be at a standard that is appropriate. It doesn't need to be so high that a lot of people who will make, and have made, very good citizens, will be excluded."
Even the United Nations has opposed the changes, concerned they may fall foul of international conventions.
The Coalition, however, maintains a tougher test is completely necessary.
Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the daughter of Italian migrants, says times have changed and so to have appropriate language standards.
"You know when my father came to Australia we were a manufacturing-based economy. People learnt English on the job. The need for good English, or English beyond the daily competence, was not necessary. Whereas now we are a service-based economy. And as a service-based economy, English is vitally important. And so therefore there is, in my view, very strong support for a change from a basic level to a competent level."
Seven and a half million migrants have been welcomed to Australia since World War Two, and 825-thousand under its humanitarian program.
Alex Hawke says that proves Australia's storied history of acceptance isn't under jeopardy.
"The public want to see a higher standard on citizenship. They want to see higher English language requirements, they want to see us taking more time to get to know people, and that we have an emphasis on Australian values."
But Najam Saqib says his family feels otherwise, and now do not know what will happen to them next.
