New Border Arrangements Announced
The Federal Government has announced that additional changes to Australia’s international border arrangements will be coming into effect on December 1. Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and eligible visa holders can travel to and from Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. This is in addition to the exemptions outlined by the […]
New trade deal could open the door for British workers to fill skills gap
Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan is pursuing a new trade deal with London that could see British migrants plug an impending skills gap that could undermine the recovery of the Australian economy from the coronavirus pandemic. A new free-trade agreement is due to be finalised imminently, making it easier for people to live and work […]
New South Wales to open to international travel
New South Wales will become the first state in the country to open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from overseas from November 1 without the need for hotel quarantine. The move comes with the state on the brink of hitting the 80% double dose vaccination rate, well ahead of the rest of Australia, prompting […]
Australia needs 2 million migrants by 2026
Australia needs an explosive immigration boom committed to bringing in 2 million people over five years to assist with an economic rebuild and combat a looming labour shortage crisis currently facing the nation. An ambitious national immigration plan like Australia’s post-World War II approach would ensure the nation benefits from the skills, investment and […]
I shared the dreams of my fellow Afghans – now they’re in tatters
The below is an opinion piece by Hadi Zaher that was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 16 August 2021. The original article can be found here. In 2005, a few short years after the fall of the Taliban regime, I was in central Bamiyan on a family visit. It was remarkable to see […]
Australian Citizens Living Abroad: What are the grounds for outbound travel exemptions?
Until recently, Australian citizens ordinarily resident in other countries have been able to return to Australia and then leave without requiring additional permission. This all changed last week with the federal government quietly removing that exemption, triggered by Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health and Aged Care amending the Biosecurity Determination 2020 on 1 August […]
New COVID rules for Australians who live overseas and wish to travel home to Australia
Australian citizens who are returning to Australia but live permanent overseas will no longer be granted an automatic exemption from the ongoing international travel ban. Instead, they will now have to submit a “compelling reason” to return to their home abroad. Reasons like having a home and work abroad could be considered compelling, however there […]
Expansion to the Priority Skilled Migration Occupation List (ANZSCO)
Alex Hawke MP, The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural announced the inclusion of pharmacists on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). This recognises the role pharmacies will continue to play in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The new occupations are (including ANZSCO codes): Hospital Pharmacist (251511) Retail Pharmacist (251513) Industrial Pharmacist (251512) These […]
Travel Exemptions for Individuals with Critical Skills and Businesses in Critical Sectors
For all information on the Australian Governments current stance on travel exemptions visit their website. Critical skills and sectors To understand the circumstances under which The Commissioner of the Australian Border Force may grant an individual exemption to a non-citizen please review the Department of Home Affairs website. An individual can submit a request for […]
Hong Kong Nationals Provided Visa and Priority Arrangements By Australian Government
With the significant political unrest in Hong Kong for the last year, which resulted in new security laws being imposed in Hong Kong at the beginning of 2021. The Australian government has suspended the extradition agreement with Hong Kong and moved to offer new “safe-haven” type visas to Hong Kong residents currently in Australia. The […]