Australia’s border laws have been relaxed and have begun a phased re-opening. This is due to them reaching their vaccination target of more than 85% of Australians over-16s are now fully vaccinated.
Australia will allow foreign visa holders to enter the country from the 1st December 2021. In a press conference in Sydney, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday 22 November 2021 ” The return of skilled workers and students to Australia is a major milestone in our pathway back.”
The relaxation of borders laws will assist Australia in the recovery of their economy brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews announced the news, adding it was “yet another step forward for Australia.”
The relaxation of Australia’s border only benefits those who hold eligible visa holders which are:
- Skilled visa holders
- Student Visa holders
- Humanitarian
- Working Holiday Makers
- Provisional Family visa holders
Those traveling to Australia needs to ensure the following:
- Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Hold a valid visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses
- Provide proof of their vaccination status
- Present a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within three days of departure.
- Travelers to Australia must comply with the quarantine requirements in the state or territory of their arrival, and any other state or territory to which they plan to travel.
With these new relaxed border rules comes the opportunity to ease Australia’s labour shortages. The return of foreign students will provide a major boost to the universities in Australia.
