Latest – Covid-19 & Australian Immigration Status: What you Need to Know?
As the world still reels from the outnumbered damages and perils caused by the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it is imperative to know how has it impacted the Australian borders and what lies in store for thousands of students, temporary visa holders and other such relevant people who are already in Australia or waiting to land in there.
The current situation of Covid pandemic in Australia
Though the government of Australia has set up various programs in place that are there to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential here to note that Australia has certainly been spared from the worst of the Corona virus. The number of current infections in Australia are on a stay and are not rising rapidly as in other parts of the world. With stringent practices in place by the DoHA and with comprehensive test in place, tracing, social distancing measures, timely lockdowns and effective management of the Corona virus pandemic, the situation as of now is under control. But this does not bar the fact that Australia won’t still have new infections and the infamous third wave in future.
Border closures and subsequent laws governing the entry and exit
In order to control the effect of corona virus the government had put in place some serious and quite stringent rules and practices in place that meant the closure of international borders to international travelers in March 2020. The ban though being lifted now and easier on the terms still means that the strict quarantine practices for international travelers will still be in place. These apply to international travelers, temporary visa holders, partners/spouses and all other travelers that they will have to quarantine in for 14 days. It should also be noted that the ban in practice did not include Australian PR holders and citizens.
The government has indicated though that the full open of the borders will be in effect from July 2021 but keeping in view the third view right now in many countries nothing can be said for sure. These timeframes depend on a number of factors including vaccination, third wave intensity among many others.
What will happen to the migration program?
On 6 October 2020, the Australian Government released information about its future management of the Australian migration program. Also, it shall be noted that the Government had earlier affirmed that migration continues to make substantial contributions to Australia’s economic prosperity, national wellbeing, and social cohesion, and that in the COVID-19 recovery period, migration will be a key component of Australia’s economic recovery.
The silver lining to the cloud is that Migration Program Planning levels remain the same this year as for last year at 160,000 permanent visa places. There has been no change to the overall size of the migration. This number relates to the current 2020-21 financial year finishing on 30 June 2021. However, within this total of 160,000 places, the Government has reallocated priorities. It increased the number of family visas it will grant (mostly partner visas) from 39,799 places to 72,300 places.
After all this discussion, it is important to note that wither you are an international traveler, student or temporary visa holder, it is always advisable that you discuss in detail your case profile with registered Australian migration consultants Sydney, education consultants Melbourne so that you can get expert advice customized to your case.
Our expert Education and Migration Agents are happy to assist you! Vision Consultants Australia – your trusted source for Education & Migration visa consultancy services.
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Email us at info@visionaus.com.au
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