In an effort to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, the Australian Government has followed the United States in issuing a travel ban on foreigners who were in, or passing through, mainland China on or after 1 February 2020.

This applies to those who are not Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, or immediate family members (spouses, legal guardians and dependents only) of Australian citizens/permanent residents.

Those who were already in flight when the announcement was made, were to face strict screening with the Border Force Commissioner able to exercise discretion to deal with the cases of foreign travellers as they arrive. Whilst returning Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members were advised to ‘self-isolate’ for 14 days.

How will this Impact Current Temporary Visa Holders?

Temporary visa holders who proceed with travel to Australia from 1 February 2020 are likely to have their visas cancelled and be detained in isolation for the quarantine period - these include any skilled workers, students, visitors and parent visas.

The ban will impact many, particularly international students whose visas are due to expire and/or who were preparing to lodge a temporary Graduate 485 visa as the primary 485 applicant must be in Australia when they submit the application.

For current international students unable to resume their studies it is understood that:

• they will be able to apply for a leave of absence if affected by the coronavirus travel ban, in accordance with their school’s policy and guidelines

• compassionate/compelling leave may be granted for those unable to resume studies due to the coronavirus travel ban

We recommend all international students impacted by the travel restrictions seek further guidance from their education institute to prevent their Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) being cancelled.

Conclusion

Temporary visa holders who are affected by the travel ban should not attempt to enter Australia as they face visa cancellation and detainment in an isolated area for a certain period of time. Those cancelled visa holders will be given 28 days to apply for revocation but, if this is unsuccessful there could be negative impacts on future visa applications.

The measures outlined above are temporary and set to be reviewed within the next 2 weeks.

References:

Australian Border Force news release

International student visa holders - Department of Education