Fully vaccinated, eligible visa holders will be allowed to enter Australia from December 1 without seeking a travel exemption, announced Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Australia will open its borders to all eligible visa holders from December 1 2021, including temporary visa holders.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “Eligible visa holders, including skilled and students as well as humanitarian, temporary, working holidaymaker and provisional family visa holders (will be allowed to enter).”
“In addition to the introduction of the travel from Singapore, which I only started on the 21st from December 1 2021, Australia will also welcome back fully back to its citizens from Japan and Korea.”
Morrison termed the return of skilled workers and students to Australia as a major milestone in the country’s pathway back.
“It’s a major milestone about what Australians have been able to achieve and enable us to do. It will mean a lot for the economy of our country.
Morrison has also said the return of skilled workers and students would be the boost to Australia’s economy it had needed for almost two years.
“We said let’s get Australians home first, and that’s been occurring, and so from next month, we will welcome back students and start looking to (bring back) the skilled workers that are needed to ensure we are able to take full advantage of the economic recovery that we are working to secure,” he said.
More than 200,000 international students, eligible skilled migrants and refugees are expected to return to Australia over December and January without a need for an exemption, as the nation moves to its final phase of the reopening plan after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Sky News, “We want to allow skilled migrants to come back, as well as international students sooner rather than later.”
Eligible visa holders are people who hold the following visas:
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 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) 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 417 – Working Holiday visa
Subclass 449 – Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) 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 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
Subclass 988 – Maritime Crew visa
