BREAKING: Vaccinated temporary visa holders allowed to enter Australia from 1 December 2021, visitor and bridging visa holders absent

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As Australia’s vaccination rate soars past 80 per cent of eligible people and pressure on businesses exacerbates due to a lack of workers, Australia will be opening its international borders for most temporary visa holders, including international students, skilled workers, and working holiday makers provided they are fully vaccinated, from 1 December 2021.

It will have been 620 days, from 20 March 2020 to 1 December 2021, that Australia’s international borders were shut to all but those who met strict travel exemption criteria.

After the Prime Minister’s press conference this morning, the Department of Home Affairs has updated its website confirming the subclasses that will be allowed to enter without a travel exemption.

Notable visa subclasses include:

  • Subclass 300 – Prospective Marriage visas,

  • Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visas,

  • Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visas,

  • Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visas,

  • Subclass 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visas,

  • Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visas,

  • Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visas,

  • Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visas,

  • Subclass 489 – Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visas,

  • Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visas,

  • Subclass 500 – Student visas,

  • Subclass 590 – Student Guardian visas, and

  • Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas.

Visa holders will only be exempt if their vaccine is one that is recognised, or they have a medical exemption. All but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine require two doses to be considered fully vaccinated. There are special considerations for children.

Travellers will want to be aware of any quarantine requirements in the state or territory they will enter as these will vary.

Clearly, this decision is designed to kick start one of Australia’s largest export markets, namely education, and to alleviate acute skill shortages in farming and hospitality industries, which have greatly suffered from the exodus of working holiday makers. This may be an opportune time for Australia as some European nations impose restrictions for the northern winter.

Two notable visas are excluded. The first is for another of Australia’s big export markets: international tourism. Visitor visas, including the subclass 600 – Visitor visa, subclass 601 - Electronic Travel Authority visa, and the subclass 651 – eVisitor visa are not listed. Prior to international border closures, millions of visitor visas were issued every year. Given the government’s cautious approach to the pandemic, they are likely to wait and see before allowing visitors.

This announcement, however, runs in addition to the travel exemptions, meaning immediate family members including the recent addition of parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents and New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia can be granted visitor visas and receive an exemption.

The other big omission is the subclass 020 – Bridging B visa. This prevents those who are awaiting processing of their visa application from leaving and re-entering Australia unless they can be granted a travel exemption. Why this visa has been left out is staggering, particularly due to visa processing times naturally blowing out because of recent lockdowns. It is hopeful this visa will be added to the list sooner rather than later.