FIFO travel has been impacted by suspended flights between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
As announced yesterday by Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, all flights were suspended between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia from midnight last night, as PNG experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases.
While Australia’s international border is closed, people could previously fly between PNG and Australia if they met a Travel Exemption – for example, for Critical Work or Compassionate reasons.
The suspension now further restricts travel between the two countries for the next two weeks – including for FIFO travel arrangements.
FIFO Travel | Impact for Overseas Workers
Freight will be unaffected, however the mining industry has braced for fly-in, fly-out / FIFO travel interruptions as suspended flights have restricted FIFO workers from travelling to and from PNG.
Mr Morrison said all Outbound Travel Exemptions from Australia to PNG are suspended except for essential and critical workers – specifically humanitarian and medevac-related activity.
“This will include no general FIFO work. If you’re there, you stay. If you’re here, you stay. We cannot risk people going into those areas and back to Australia,”
Mr Morrison said.
FIFO workers and people who have travelled to PNG cannot return to Australia until restrictions are lifted.
The Government said it will reassess the travel restrictions, including those impacting FIFO travel, in the next fortnight.
Interstaff | Migration in the COVID-19 Era
We will certainly keep you updated on how the changes may continue to impact FIFO travel between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
You can also catch up on our Australian immigration insights below:
New Rules for Travel to Australia
Critical Work and Compassionate Travel Exemptions | Migration in the COVID-19 Era
Sponsoring Highly Skilled Migrants | The Global Talent Program
COVID-19 Vaccination and International Travel
Australia Travel Declarations | What to Do Before Travelling
If you have any queries about your visa circumstances or options, we encourage you to get in touch with Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents.
Simply contact visas@interstaff.com or +61 8 9221 3388.
Source:
Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents
Australian Mining
9 News
