Australia is home to numerous Filipino students and workers. Many fell in love with the country’s tropical climate, attractive career opportunities, diverse study options, and short-distance travel. It doesn’t hurt much to be away from the family since traveling home is relatively easy. You can book a plane, get a direct flight, and be in the Philippines for roughly 5 to 6 hours.
Because of these reasons, you can always see Australia as a frequently picked country for emulous, young, and matured productive groups. But when COVID struck, many changed paths, either taking their second option or waiting for the borders to open.
Though we’re not hearing any changes to the recently announced NSW International Student Arrivals Pilot Plan that is expected to commence by early December of this year, this new piece of immigration news that I’ll be talking about still deserves to be celebrated as many Filipinos who have long been in Australia are already desperate to be with their immediate family members.
Let’s take a look at how this new policy can help you get reunited with your loved ones.
Parents of Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents
“Parents of Australian Citizens and Permanent Residents” Defined
People have different definitions of “parents.” For everyone to have a common and clear understanding, the Government of Australia defined these terms legally as the following:
Biological parents
Legal parents
Step-parents
In-laws
How to Qualify for the Travel Exemption?
Confirm the relationship
The adult child must first confirm their relationship with their parents by submitting a request to the Travel Exemption Portal and should be done at least 2 weeks before travel time.
Confirmation of the relationship involves presenting legal documents. The following records can be used to serve as proof:
Your daughter or son’s Australian passport, citizenship certificate, or birth certificate.
Evidence of permanent residence such as an email containing your status through VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online). A permission letter may also be provided to the government agency stating that authorization is given to perform a VEVO check.
Immediate Family Members of New Zealand Citizens Residing in Australia
Since Australia and New Zealand have long been under The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement (TTTA), it’s no surprise why New Zealand citizens receive equal treatment with the Australians. So, if you are a New Zealand citizen staying in Australia and wish to have your immediate family members visit you, they can be granted an individual exemption.
You are considered an immediate family member if:
You’re the spouse
You’re in a de facto relationship
You’re a dependent child
You’re the parent/legal guardian of the dependant child
Other Considerations
A visa is still required to travel to Australia.
A visa is still required on top of the exemptions. If you still haven’t secured one, contact the Fil-Global team for assistance and a seamless process. Aside from providing student placement services, we also assist in various types of visa applications such as tourist, immigrant, dependent, spousal, and business.
Once exempted, you need to meet a set of requirements before traveling.
In preparing to travel for Australia, there are certain steps you need to fulfill:
Check quarantine requirements - since November 1, fully vaccinated family members are allowed to enter Australia with zero to reduced quarantine requirements. Special considerations are also in place for children 12 to 17 years of age and are accompanied by fully vaccinated parents or guardians. Click here to see which vaccines are accepted.
Secure a vaccination certificate - secure a hard and soft copy since this will be required. The airlines will also check your vaccine certificate before boarding.
Complete an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) 72 hours before the flight - an ATD comprises of meeting several conditions such as presenting a legally binding declaration of your vaccination status, proof of a negative PCR test 3 days within your flight’s schedule, declaration of compliance on quarantine requirements and arrangements upon arrival.
The application for exemption can be done online and should be something easy to achieve. However, if you haven’t had your visa yet, the process can be daunting. If you have busy schedules or are simply more confident with having someone do the entire procedure for you, remember that you can always choose to ask for assistance from the trusted immigration advisers of Fil-Global. Contact us now and allow the experts to take the load off for you!
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