Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Visas for Australia

The World Health Organization has announced that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a pandemic. The migration situation is changing rapidly throughout Australia.

As an Australian citizen or permanent resident, can I still enter Australia?

There is no restriction on Australian citizens or permanent residents entering Australia at this stage.

However, those arriving in Australia will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. Details and guidance regarding self-isolation can be found here.

Immediate family including spouses, minor dependants and legal guardians who hold holding permanent visas may travel to Australia, however, they will be required to follow self-isolation guidelines.

What about my partner or immediate family who only holds a temporary visa and I am an Australian citizen or permanent resident?

Partners and immediate families of Australian citizens and permanent residents including spouses, minor dependants and legal guardians who hold temporary visas will be dealt with on a case by case basis by the Department of Home Affairs (Department).

Before they attempt to travel you should contact the relevant Department post in their country and use the Australian Immigration Enquiry Form which can be located on the Departments website here.

What do I do if I am in Australia and hold a valid visa?

The Department has advised that onshore visa holders wishing to extend their stay in Australia should apply for an ‘appropriate’ visa. In most cases this may be a visitor visa.

What if the visa I have has “No Further Stay waiver conditions 8503, 8534 and 8535”?

The Department has also announced that extra resources have been diverted to the No Further Stay waiver section to deal with the increased volume of requests for waivers to allow onshore visa holders to extend their stay.

You can make a No Further Stay waiver may be made using Form 1447 which can be found here.

You must then email the completed Form 1447 to: NoFurtherStayWaiverRequest@homeaffairs.gov.au.

What do if I am offshore and have a visa which requires me to enter Australia by a certain date?

If you hold a valid visa and are required to enter Australia by a specified date and prevented from doing so by the travel restrictions, you must contact the Department and request an extension to the entry date.

If you are overseas on Bridging visa B and cannot return before expiry date you should consider applying for a visitor visa to return to Australia. You can then apply for a Bridging Visas A when you are back in Australia.

Current Travel Bans Travel Bans due to Coronavirus

The current travel bans for those arriving from Mainland China, Iran, South Korea and Italy remain in place.

International cruise ships are banned from arriving at Australian ports for the next 30 days.

What should you do next regarding your visa and Coronavirus?

The information provided is current as at 17 March 2020. The information can change at any time and you should get sound legal advice regarding your circumstances. Some State Governments have introduced heavy penalties for people not complying with self-isolation requirements for Coronavirus.

Contact us if you wish to discuss your status or require and appointment to consider your options.