It’s been a long 18 months since Australia sealed its borders to the rest of the world. Recent government policy announcements as well as a remarkable vaccination drive has enabled Australia to start reopening its borders. The resumption in Australia’s immigration program will help reunite families who have been separated during the pandemic as well as bring in much needed skilled workers and international students to assist with Australia’s economic recovery. Below we will summarise the key developments that will boost Australia’s immigration intake over the next year.   

International travel for Australian citizens and permanent residents

There is exciting news for those eager to holiday overseas. The Federal Government announced that fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents will be able to travel overseas without needing to apply for a travel exemption from 1 November 2021. Upon return, there will be a reduced quarantine arrangement. This will depend on the quarantine requirements of each state and territory.

Various airline companies have started to schedule more flights departing and arriving in Australia for the end of the year and beyond. Proof of your vaccination status will need to be provided. While planning your trip, it’s worth obtaining an International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate which can be presented when you check-in with airlines on your departure or return to Australia.

For those who were vaccinated overseas, your vaccination certificate must have been issued by a national, state or provincial-level authority, or an accredited vaccination provider. The following vaccines are acceptable for exemption-free travel for Australian citizens and permanent residents:

• AstraZeneca Vaxzevria

• Pfizer/Biontech Comirnaty

• Moderna Spikevax

• Janssen-Cilag COVID Vaccine

• AstraZeneca COVISHIELD

• Sinovac Coronavac

Australian citizens and permanent residents who are returning to Australia will need to complete an Australia Travel Declaration and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken at least 72 hours before their flight. Unvaccinated travellers will still need to apply for a travel exemption to depart Australia.

Australia-Singapore travel bubble

Fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents can also travel to Singapore without quarantining from 8 November 2021. Travellers will also need to take a COVID-19 test within 48 hours before departing and return a negative test result, and a test again on arrival at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

The Australian and Singaporean governments are in the process of finalising an arrangement to facilitate quarantine-free travel for Singapore citizens to travel to Australia by the end of November. Initially, this will only be available for international students and business pass holders from Singapore. We will update you on any further developments in this space.

State and territory nominated skilled migration

After a drastic fall in the number of skilled migrants over the past year and a half, various Australian states and territory governments have opened up their skilled migration programs this year in a bid to attract highly skilled and qualified people. Victoria’s skilled visa nomination program for 2021-22 aims to target applicants with STEMM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) who are working in one of their target sectors.

The NSW government announced an expanded skilled occupation list for their 2021-22 skilled visa nomination program, therefore opening the doors to migrants who are qualified and suitably skilled in occupations that were previously ineligible for the NSW nominated Subclass 190 visa. Other states and territories have also followed suit. At the moment, the state nominated skilled migration programs are available largely to onshore applicants. However, it is expected that by next year once Australia’s borders reopen more widely to the rest of the world, this visa program will be open to offshore applicants. 

Entry to Australia for prospective marriage visa holders

During the pandemic, prospective marriage visa holders (Subclass 300) have been unable to enter Australia as travel exemptions were only being approved for immediate family members. Unfortunately, the Federal Government’s definition of “immediate family members” did not extend to those who were engaged to be married to an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Recently, eligibility for travel exemptions were relaxed. Anyone holding a Subclass 300 visa that was applied for at least 12 months ago and has since had the visa granted, is eligible for a travel exemption to enter Australia on their visa. This gives couples a chance to finally be reunited and get married in Australia! 

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Travel exemptions for parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents

From 1 November 2021, parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents will also be eligible for a travel exemption to enter Australia. This includes biological parents, step-parents, parents in-laws and adoptive parents. For many families in Australia, this will come as a welcome relief after being separated from their parents during the course of the pandemic. They must still apply for and be granted a visa, and go through the process of applying for a travel exemption before travelling to Australia. We can assist individuals and families with applying for a visitor visa and as well as apply for their parents’ travel exemption to enter Australia. 

New agricultural visa

To address the shortage of workers in the agricultural sector, the Federal Government has announced the rollout of a new Australian Agricultural Visa. This visa is intended to attract skilled, semi-skilled and low-skilled workers across a number of different agricultural industries. Initially, only a small number of countries will be included in the program before being extended to other countries.

The visa program is still in the process of being finalised in consultation with the industry. Therefore, visa eligibility criteria and whether there are pathways to permanent residence are yet to be determined. Early indications are that the program will be in full swing by April 2022. Keep an eye on our website for updates as they are announced.  

The return of international students

In collaboration with the Federal Government, various State and Territory governments have started to put in place a plan to bring international students back to Australia. The international education sector which was one of the country’s largest sectors prior to the pandemic, suffered a huge setback with the closure of Australia’s borders. With the reopening of the economy and the gradual easing of border restrictions, it is estimated that people holding valid Student Visas (Subclass 500) will start to return to Australia by December 2021 in small numbers as part of an International Student Arrivals Plan.

Contact us for a consultation

As a business, we strive to be as accessible as possible to those who need our advice and assistance. We understand that meeting face to face for a consultation is not always practical or convenient, given the new working environment we have all become used to since the beginning of the pandemic. If you would like a consultation and prefer to do this from the comfort of your home, office or workplace, we recommend booking a standard 1 hour video consultation to speak to our Registered Migration Agent.

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About Peter Chang

Peter Chang is a registered migration agent based in the Western Sydney hub of Parramatta, Australia. He is the co-founder of Titan Migration, a consultancy specialising in providing Australian immigration advice and visa assistance services.

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