The End of Travel Restrictions for Certain Visas

UPDATE: The reopening date has been delayed to 15 December 2021 due to concerns about the new Omicron COVID strain. Migrants who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, or Malawi in the last 14 days are not able to travel to Australia at this time.

From 15 December 2021, eligible visa holders who have been fully vaccinated will be free to travel to and from Australia without the need to first apply for a Travel Exemption.

Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced the news as part of the country's reopening plan, and hopes that this will help boost Australia's economy by giving employers access to skilled and semi-skilled workers.

Eligible Visa Subclasses

Family members of Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents not currently able to access exemptions have now been added to the exemption list, along with International Students and Working Holiday Makers. A number of key visa types for Australian businesses are also included, allowing them to access skills shortages. The current list includes:

Family

• Subclass 300 - Prospective Marriage visa
• Subclass 461 - New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa
• Subclass 870 - Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa

Working Holiday and Student

• Subclass 417 and 462 - Working Holiday or Work and Holiday visas
• Subclass 500 - Student visa
• Subclass 580 - Student Guardian visa (closed to new applicants)
• Subclass 590 - Student Guardian visa

Skilled

• Subclass 476 - Skilled - Recognised Graduate visa
• Subclass 485 - Temporary Graduate visa
• Subclass 489 - Skilled - Regional (Provisional) visa
• Subclass 491 - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

Employer-sponsored

• Subclass 457 and 482 - Temporary Work (Skilled) and Skills Shortage visas
• Subclass 400 - Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
• Subclass 494 - Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) 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 988 - Maritime Crew visa

A number of refugee and humanitarian visas round out the list (Subclass 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 449, 785, and 790).

Unfortunately, the list of eligible subclasses does not currently include Bridging Visa holders waiting for a new eligible subclass to be granted, nor does it include New Zealand Citizens who do not otherwise meet exemption requirements. We are seeking additional information from Immigration for applicants in these situations.

Fully Vaccinated

Aligning with requirements for Australian Citizens and Permanent residents, in order to be considered fully vaccinated by Australian authorities, individuals must meet the following conditions:

• Completed a course of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognized vaccine, being two doses at least 14 days apart of:
  • AstraZeneca Vaxzevria
  • AstraZeneca Covishield
  • Pfizer/Biontech Comirnaty
  • Moderna Spikevax
  • Sinovac Coronavac
  • Bharat Biotech Covaxin
  • Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (for 18-60 year olds).

• Or one dose of Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen-Cilag COVID Vaccine.

At least seven days must have passed since the final dose of the applicable vaccine. Mixed doses will be accepted as long as all vaccines are approved or recognized by the TGA.

Proof of Vaccination

Travellers must produce one of the following as proof of their vaccination status:

• International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate - for those individuals vaccinated in Australia; or
• Foreign Vaccination Certificate - for those individuals vaccinated outside of Australia; or
• Proof of Medical Exemption - for those individuals who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Children under the age of 12 are deemed 'fully vaccinated' for travel purposes. Additional guidance on medical exemptions can be found here.

Quarantine

Currently, quarantine-free travel only applies to those entering and travelling within New South Wales, Victoria, or the Australian Capital Territory.

Eligible visa holders wish to enter or travel to any other State or Territory must check quarantine arrangements before commencing their trip. Information from each State and Territory Government is available here.