Australian Border: Travel Ban Exemptions and Restrictions

2020 what a year it’s been, it’s been a tough one all round. You may be one of the many couples who are getting very frustrated currently, due to the current travel restrictions and being forced apart from your loved one. It’s been a trying time and we completely understand how frustrating this could potentially be.

You may be one of the couples who are currently forced apart due to maybe one of you traveling overseas to see a family member for example, and being unable to come back into Australia because the travel restrictions were then imposed after they left. Or potentially you may be in a situation where you had your heart set on lodging an onshore partner visa (subclass 820/801), and had planned for your partner to enter into Australia on a temporary visa and then lodging an onshore partner visa, however those plans have been ruined. Or it may be the situation that you applied for a prospective marriage visa (subclass 300) and potentially even got it granted, however you aren’t able to have your partner enter into Australia, due to the travel restrictions.

It has been a frustrating and disheartening time for many couples in similar situations, however there may potentially be a solution, which is the Travel Ban Exemption. Some people are being permitted into Australia despite the current travel restrictions if they are able to get a travel ban exemption granted. In order to get a travel ban exemption you need to fall under one of the exempt categories and to apply for one and would need to lodge an online application with the Australian Border Force.

Those eligible for the travel ban exemption are immediate family members of an Australian citizen/permanent resident. That is, a spouse/de facto partner/dependent child of an Australian citizen/ permanent resident. People who fall under one of the listed categories may be granted a travel ban exemption subject to meeting the relevant criteria. In all cases a visa must be held if you are not an Australian permanent resident/citizen.

If you are unsure whether you meet the criteria for the travel ban exemption or not, feel free to get in touch with us. You can give us a call and book in for a visa planning session. In this visa planning session, I will conduct a consultation with you where I will assess your prospects and eligibility and give you my advice and recommendations regarding whether or not you will be eligible to apply for the travel ban exemption. We will discuss what steps you could take to reunite with your partner and hopefully get your partner back in Australia and have you reunited just in time for Christmas.

IMPORTANT: Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.