Australia: Relaxation of Border Restrictions Forthcoming

November 22, 2021

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

Effective December 1, 2021, the Australian government will be introducing new rules that will result in the relaxation of entry and quarantine requirements for certain types of temporary visa holders and citizens. The changes include:

  • Certain fully vaccinated temporary visa holders will be able to enter Australia without obtaining a travel exemption, as currently required; and
  • Fully vaccinated citizens of Japan and the Republic of Korea who hold a valid Australian visa will be able to enter Australia quarantine-free to participating states and territories in Australia

The situation

Effective December 1, 2021, fully vaccinated eligible temporary visa holders, including Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa holders, will be able to enter Australia without obtaining a travel exemption, as currently required. Fully vaccinated Japanese and South Korean citizens will also be able to enter Australia quarantine-free to participating states and territories in Australia.

CHANGE DETAILS IMPACT
Entry without travel exemption for eligible visa holders
    • Temporary Skill Shortage, Temporary Work (Skilled) and Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa holders as well as Student Visa and Working Holiday Makers visa holders will be eligible to enter Australia without a travel exemption, as currently required, together with the following list of eligible visa holders:
      • Subclass 200 – Refugee visa;
      • Subclass 201 – In-country Special Humanitarian visa;
      • Subclass 202 – Global Special Humanitarian visa;
      • Subclass 203 – Emergency Rescue visa;
      • Subclass 204 – Woman at Risk visa;
      • Subclass 300 – Prospective Marriage visa;
      • Subclass 403 – Temporary Work  (International Relations) visa (other streams, including Australian Agriculture Visa stream);
      • Subclass 407 – Training visa;
      • Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity visa;
      • Subclass 449 – Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) visa;
      • Subclass 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa;
      • Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa;
      • Subclass 476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate visa;
      • Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visa;
      • Subclass 489 - Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visa;
      • Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa;
      • Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa;
      • Subclass 500 – Student visa;
      • Subclass 580 – Student Guardian visa (closed to new applicants);
      • Subclass 590 – Student Guardian visa;
      • Subclass 785 – Temporary Protection visa;
      • Subclass 790 – Safe Haven Enterprise visa;
      • Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa; and
      • Subclass 988 – Maritime Crew visa.
    • Eligible visa holders will benefit from a relaxed entry rule which will result in fewer steps before entering Australia.
    • Visa holders not included in the list, including fully vaccinated Visitor, Electronic Travel Authority and Bridging Visa holders, must still obtain a travel exemption to enter Australia.
Quarantine-free entry for Japanese and South Korean citizens
    • Fully vaccinated citizens of Japan and South Korea who hold a valid Australian visa will be able to enter Australia quarantine-free to participating states and territories which currently include:
      • Australian Capital Territory;
      • New South Wales; and
      • Victoria.
    • To be eligible for quarantine-free entry, travelers must:
      • Depart from their home country;
      • Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognized by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia;
      • Hold a valid Australian visa;
      • Provide proof of their vaccination status; and
      • Present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within three days of departure.
 Eligible Japanese and South Korean citizens will benefit from a relaxed entry rule which will result in a faster lead time to enter and possibly work in Australia.
  • Phased re-opening of Australia’s borders. The changes are in line with the Australian government’s National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response which involves phased measures of re-opening from a pre-vaccination phase to a post-vaccination phase that will re-open Australia’s borders to international travel.
  • Growing list of quarantine-free countries. Japan and South Korea will be the latest additions to a growing list of countries that will be eligible for quarantine-free travel into Australia. Starting on November 21, 2021, fully vaccinated Singaporean citizens were allowed to enter Australia quarantine-free and quarantine-free travel with New Zealand recommenced on November 1, 2021.

It is likely that additional visa subclasses will be added to the list of ‘eligible’ visa holders who will be able to enter Australia without obtaining a travel exemption and more countries will be added to the list for quarantine-free travel as Australia continues to re-open its borders to international travel.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19-related travel bans, restrictions and concessions, among other information, check Fragomen’s dedicated website.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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