During this very unsettling time for everyone, our thoughts are with anyone who may be affected by the coronavirus.
With travel bans and flight cancellations affecting travellers across the globe we have been receiving a higher than usual number of inquiries from international travellers that need to remain in Australian until travel bans are lifted. If you are currently in Australia and your temporary visa is about to expire you should be aware of the following:
If you are a temporary visa holder in Australia and you are currently not able to return to your home country we can assist you to extend your stay in Australia beyond your current visa expiry date. Bridging visas will be granted. The decisions are made on a case by case.
It is very important that you are aware of the following Australian Government policies when considering what you will need to do to legally extend your stay in Australia.
If you need or wish to remain in Australia beyond the expiry date of your current visa, you must make a new application for a further visa. It is very important that you apply for a further visa as early as possible before your current visa expires. When you apply for a further visa you will be granted a bridging visa, which will keep you lawful in Australia until a decision is made on your further visa application. There are also options of applying to the AAT Tribunal if you are refused the visa. This will extend your stay for up to 2 more years.
If your current visa has a “No Further Stay” condition, these include conditions 8503, 8534 and 8535, you will need to apply for a waiver of this condition before you will be able to apply for a further visa. Your “No Further Stay” condition needs to be waived before you can make a valid application for a further visa to remain in Australia.
If your current visa has expired contact us immediately so we can get you a bridging visa.
If your current visa has expired it is critical that you immediately take the necessary steps to legalise your visa status while you, finalise immigration matters or wait for an immigration decision.
If you have an Australian visa that is about to expire, we recommend that you get in contact with our office to discuss your options.
Our team is still working at full capacity and remain available to assist you however possible.
To keep yourself informed of any updates to travel restrictions we recommend that you monitor the Department of Home Affairs website and the websites of your countries governments. To stay informed of any updates on current Australian public health policies and restrictions refer to the website of the Australian Government Department of Health.
John Young – 30 March, 2020