The Department of Home Affairs has updated its COVID-19 mini website to announce that the following are exempt from requiring individual exemptions to come to Australia:
• an Australian citizen
•a permanent resident of Australia
•an immediate family member of an Australian citizen or permanent resident*
•a New Zealand citizen usually resident in Australia and their immediate family members
•a diplomat accredited to Australia (holding a subclass 995 visa)
•a traveller transiting Australia for 72 hours or less
•airline crew
•maritime crew including marine pilots
•recruited under the Government approved Seasonal Worker Program or Pacific Labour Scheme
•holder of a Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) visa
If you’re not one of those then you might be able to come with an individual exemption if you are:
•a non-citizen travelling at the invitation of the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response
• a non-citizen providing critical or specialist medical services, including air ambulance, medical evacuations and delivering critical medical supplies
•a non-citizen with critical skills or working in a critical sector in Australia
•a non-citizen sponsored by your employer to work in Australia in an occupation on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List
•a non-citizen whose entry would otherwise be in the national interest, supported by the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority
•military personnel, including those who form part of the Status of Forces Agreement, Commonwealth Armed Forces, Asia Pacific Forces and Status of Armed Forces Agreement
•a student completing year 11 and 12, with support from the relevant Australian State or Territory government health authority and education department
•travelling for compassionate and compelling reasons.
Ultimately, it’s all fairly discretionary because if you area leading Hollywood actor or a sport star, it seems it is in the national interest that you come.
For more information, contact our Migration team on 02 6285 8000 or by email.