COVID-19 Travel Bans & Travel Bubble Australia

Australia’s travel bans and restrictions impact visa holders in various ways; as such, you may be wondering how you can extend your stay in Australia. If you want to know how to obtain a travel exemption, or how international restrictions impact travel plans for skilled overseas employees or perhaps your family members,  a consultation with our Perth migration agents can help. At Interstaff, our migration agents and consultants can assess your circumstances in detail and advise on any available visa and travel exemption options to help you make a more informed decision about the path ahead. We also provide advice throughout the process of applying for a new visa, if you decide you would like ongoing assistance.

In Australia, Temporary Visa holders must always hold a valid visa to remain lawful. If your visa is due to expire and you would like to stay in Australia, it is very important to apply for a new visa before the expiry date. Depending on your eligibility, you could apply for a Visitor, Family, Partner, Student or Work 408 Pandemic Event Visa. If you have a No Further Stay Condition on your visa, you may be able to request a Waiver for this condition before applying for a new visa.

We understand it may not always be safe or easy to return to your home country due to international travel bans. To explore your visa options to stay, you may wish to get advice from a migration professional.

Travel Exemptions | Do you need to travel to or from Australia? Or does your business require employees to enter the country?

Businesses and individuals have had to adapt very quickly to new travel ban and quarantine requirements. These restrictions may be with us for some time to come, although it is encouraging to see some social distancing restrictions begin to ease in some states. Currently, only very limited travel exemptions have been made for critical workers with skilled visas to enter Australia and people with compassionate or compelling cases (in addition to Australian Citizens and Permanent Residence Visa holders).

As you can see, approval needs to be sought from the Commonwealth Government for international travel ban exemptions, as well as from relevant authorities for interstate and intrastate travel. Applicants must present a well-documented case with sufficient evidence for meeting the exemption criteria. This also applies for exemptions for interstate and intrastate travel.

While travel exemptions are available to overseas employees that meet the requirements, employers need to plan for delays to their arrival. Delays are very likely at this stage, due to the need to satisfy new border procedures. Businesses also need to be aware of their sponsorship obligations as an employer of visa holders. This includes the need to disclose particular changes to work arrangements to the Department of Home Affairs.

Whether you have employees needing to arrive in Australia or personal reasons to travel to Australia, we encourage you to contact our migration agents to discuss your circumstances for a Travel Exemption on +61 8 9221 3388 or via our contact page.

Travel Exemptions are also available to travel out of Australia for limited circumstances. Get in touch to arrange a consultation to discuss your circumstances.

Do you need to leave Australia for business or work reasons or for urgent and unavoidable personal business?

Leaving Australia during this period is harder due to international travel restrictions. Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents require an Outbound Travel Exemption to leave Australia. Travel Exemptions may be granted for cases such as overseas stays of at least three months, compassionate and compelling grounds, urgent and unavoidable personal business, critical industry work and business travel, urgent medical treatment not available in Australia, to assist in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and to assist in the national interest. Sufficient evidence should also be provided to support your claims. A migration agent, such as Interstaff, can assist with your application. 

Temporary Visa Holders do not need an exemption to leave Australia, however, they will generally not be permitted to return to Australia without an Inbound Travel Exemption. If you intend to leave and return to Australia, you may wish to seek professional advice. 

Travel Exemptions are at the discretion of the Department of Home Affairs and may be refused. There is no cost to re-apply for a Travel Exemption, but you may wish to seek professional advice before reapplying.

If you are not granted a Travel Exemption, you should not continue with your travel plans as you will not be able to leave Australia. Travel exemptions are recorded in the Department’s electronic systems and if approved, you must take evidence of the exemption decision to the airport. You can then proceed to leave Australia.

To discuss travel exemptions to leave Australia, please get in touch with Interstaff on 1800 449 858 to arrange a consultation so your circumstances can be considered. 

About Interstaff

Interstaff is an Australian owned and operated business specialising in providing comprehensive immigration advice throughout all stages of the visa application process. Our head office is situated in Perth, Western Australia, and we offer our immigration and visa services to individuals and businesses both Australia-wide and internationally.

We’re one of Australia’s most trusted migration and visa agencies in Perth for a number of reasons. With over 30 years of experience assisting with matters of various complexities, our dedicated team are committed to helping you navigate through what can be a very complicated visa and migration process. Our leading visa agents in Perth have been helping individuals and businesses obtain a wide range of visas including temporary and permanent work visas, partner visas, student visas and tourist visas. We also assist with travel exemptions and complex cases such as visa refusals and appeals. Read our insights on the impact of the recent travel ban for visa holders here or get in touch to discuss your visa or travel exemption options.