Starting Dec 15th, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can return to Australia without the travel exemption requirements*.

People who hold the following visas, among some others, are eligible to fly back to Australia:

• Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
• Subclass 403 – Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (other streams, including Australian Agriculture Visa stream)
• Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity visa
• Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa
• Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa
• Subclass 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa
• Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa
• Subclass 476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate visa
• Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage 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 300 – Prospective Marriage visa

* Was scheduled for Dec 1, however, the Government have paused for a couple of weeks to get updated data on the omicron variant.

Likewise, the following individuals are automatically exempt from travel restrictions without the need to obtain an individual exemption if they fall under the following categories:

• a person recruited under Seasonal Worker Program or Pacific Labour Scheme
• a person who holds a Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) visa
• a person who holds a Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa in the ‘Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery Event’ stream and who is supported by the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce
• Fully vaccinated Japanese, Singaporean and Korean individuals
• a fully vaccinated person who holds a valid visa listed on the New arrangements for eligible visa holders (Dec 15, 2021).

Only Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory permit travellers to enter with 72-hour isolation required, except the nominated Southern African nations below. Travellers going to other states/territories (Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory, and Western Australia) must undergo 14 days of quarantine at a state-approved facility. South Australia requires visitors to quarantine for only 7 days, except the nominated Southern African nations.

Further information about these changes is available on the Department’s COVID-19 webpages

Travel Preparations 

Travellers going to Australia must be double-jabbed, with approved TGA vaccines, and return a negative PCR test within 3 days of leaving for Australia.

They must present a certificate of complete vaccination from their country of origin. It must be issued by a national or state/provincial-level authority or an accredited vaccination provider. It should be written in English or accompanied by a certified translation. The certificate must contain the name (as it appears in the passport), date of birth, passport number, vaccine brand, and dates of each dose or the date the immunisation was completed.

Travellers should also complete an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) within 72 hours before departure. The ATD is a declaration about your vaccination status.

They need to comply with requirements in the State or Territory of their arrival, and any other State or Territories that they plan to travel to. This includes quarantine and post-arrival testing requirements. Restrictions may change at short notice.

 Important Travel Updates 

Travel restrictions are now in place for people who have been in the following countries in the last 14 days:

• South Africa
• Lesotho
• Eswatini
• Namibia
• Botswana
• Zimbabwe
• Seychelles
• Mozambique
• Malawi

Australian citizens/PRs or their immediate family members entering Australia who has been in the countries mentioned above in the last 14 days must enter supervised quarantine for 14 days irrespective of their vaccination status.

In addition, any other travellers who have been in those countries in the last 14 days are not permitted to enter Australia, even if they hold a travel exemption. The Government have implemented this temporary precautionary measure till more information is available on the transmissibility and contagiousness of the new omicron variant.

Reopening the Borders

In a press briefing, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the return of skilled workers and international students is a significant milestone in our pathway back to economic recovery.

Ernst and Young estimated that a month of closed borders causes Australia not only to lose AUD$7.6 billion but also fuels a negative and inwards-focused national psyche that threatens the country’s worldwide standing, as well as national unity and cohesion.

The return of international students, contributing $35 billion annually to the Australian economy, will be a significant boost for the education sector. As of October, there are approximately 160,000 students visa holders.

The relaxation of borders is also projected to address the labour shortages. There are dire skill and labour shortages across the country particularly in the trades, medical/healthcare, agriculture, hospitality, engineering and IT sectors.

Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott welcomed the development. She said such a decision provides critical relief for businesses struggling to keep operating and those who need highly specialised skills to start big projects.

 How Can We Help 

The reopening of closed borders indicates a significant step towards recovery and things going back to normal. With the changes and developments surrounding COVID-19, we must all learn how to live with the pandemic and adjust accordingly.

Here at Konnecting, we specialise in skilled international recruitment and migration. We strive to assist employers in recruiting hard-to-find talent from around the world or if they are currently in Australia on a TSS Visa or other eligible skilled/working visas.

Those holding temporary visas not included on the list above will still need to apply for travel exemptions before entering or departing Australia.

We operate as usual during this period. If you have immigration and recruitment queries or need urgent assistance, please call us on 1300 131 131 or contact us.