AUSTRALIA RELAXES BORDER RESTRICTIONS: STUDENTS AND SKILLED MIGRANTS UPDATE!
From 1st December, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders will be allowed to travel to Australia without applying for an Inbound Exemption.
This includes skilled migrants, international students – as well as humanitarian and refugee visa holders.
Prime minister Scott Morrison made the announcements today, Monday 22nd November 2021, almost 2 years after borders closed to the world – and people are getting excited!
What visa subclasses must you hold?
-
Partner and FamilyList Item 2
- Subclass 300 – Prospective Marriage visa
- Subclass 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa
- Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa
Note many family visa holders were already exempt, including Subclass 820 and 309 visa holders
-
Temporary Work and Working Holiday MakersList Item 3
- Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
- Subclass 403 – Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (other streams, including Australian Agriculture Visa stream)
- Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa
- Subclass 407 – Training visa
- Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity visa
- Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visa
- Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa
- Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa
-
Student and GraduateList Item 4
- Subclass 500 – Student visa
- Subclass 580 – Student Guardian visa (closed to new applicants)
- Subclass 590 – Student Guardian visa
- Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visa
- Subclass 476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate visa
-
Skilled Migration
- Subclass 489 – Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visa
- Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
- Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
The changes also include a wide range of refugee and humanitarian visas, and the Maritime Crew visa. The department also states additional visa subclasses may be added over time.
Does the department consider me “Fully vaccinated”?
You are considered to be fully vaccinated if you have completed a course of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognised vaccine. According to the department, this includes mixed doses and the following are considered accepted current vaccines and dosages for the purposes of travel:
- Two doses at least 14 days apart of:
- AstraZeneca Vaxzevria
- AstraZeneca Covishield
- Pfizer/Biontech Comirnaty
- Moderna Spikevax
- Sinovac Coronavac
- Bharat Biotech Covaxin
- Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (for 18-60 year olds).
- Or one dose of:
- Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen-Cilag COVID Vaccine.
Those who are medically exempt from being able to have the vaccine or are under 12 years of age can also travel according to the Department.
If I hold one of the above visas, and are considered fully vaccinated, do I still need to undergo Hotel Quarantine?
Quarantine rules are determined by each independent state and territory. Before travelling, you should confirm the hotel quarantine requirements for the state you intend to enter.
In short, travellers returning to Australia and entering or travelling between between NSW, Victoria and the ACT may do so without quarantining.
Do I still need an inbound exemption if I hold one of the above visas?
If you hold one of the above visas, and are considered fully vaccinated, the answer is No – you do not need to apply for an Inbound Exemption. You can, after much awaited anticipation, travel to Australia on the first available flight from 1st December 2021.
You may still need an inbound exemption if:
- You are not fully vaccinated with one of the above TGA approved or recognised vaccines
- If you are fully vaccinated but do not hold one of the above visa subclasses
- If you have applied for one of the above visas, but it is not yet granted
What if I have an inbound exemption and hold an eligible visa but are not ‘fully vaccinated'?
If you have been granted an inbound exemption to enter Australia and hold an eligible visa, but are not considered fully vaccinated, you can still enter Australia! You may however need to undergo hotel quarantine, and flights may be difficult due to still being subject to flight caps.
I hold a subclass 300, do I still need to wait 12 months from first applying before I can enter Australia?
If you hold a Subclass 300 visa, you no longer have to wait until 12 months have passed since you first applied for it (as previously required). You can travel to Australia from the 1st of December without obtaining an exemption.
I hold one of the listed skilled migration visas, do I still have to prove I work in a critical industry and get an exemption?
No, provided you hold the above named visa and are considered fully vaccinated, you no longer need an exemption or prove what industry you work in to be able to travel to Australia.
I have applied for one of the above visas, can I now expect it to be granted soon?
Only time will tell, however, now that obtaining an inbound exemption is no longer required for the above visas, we do expect to see a reduction in processing times for specified visas, such as Work and Holiday and Graduate visas. We are mindful that the department will have a significant backlog of visas to process – so applicants may still need to wait some time. There is of course, always the risk the department will refuse a visa for various reasons, so its time to ensure any existing application meets the required criteria.
Still have questions?
Reach out to one of our specialists who can help answer any questions you may have. We look forward to your arrival, and for those not included in the above and still waiting for news you can travel without an exemption, we will keep you informed as to any further updates.
Sources:
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/vaccinated-travellers#toc-7
https://www.australia.gov.au/states
