Australia continues to take further steps to safely reopen to the world, with additional changes to their international border arrangements coming into effect on 1 December.
From 1 December 2021, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. Eligible visa holders include skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders.
This means that the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa holders in Qatar can now also travel to Australia if they are fully vaccinated.
This announcement follows earlier changes that have seen them welcome home fully vaccinated Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members since 1 November.
Under these arrangements, travellers must:
- Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Hold a valid visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses
- Provide proof of their vaccination status
- Present a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within three days of departure.
New arrangements for eligible visa holders
Eligible visa holders are people who hold the following visas:
| Visa |
| Subclass 200 – Refugee visa |
| Subclass 201 – In-country Special Humanitarian visa |
| Subclass 202 – Global Special Humanitarian visa |
| Subclass 203 – Emergency Rescue visa |
| Subclass 204 – Woman at Risk visa |
| Subclass 300 – Prospective Marriage visa |
| Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa |
| Subclass 403 – Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (other streams, including Australian Agriculture Visa stream) |
| Subclass 407 – Training visa |
| Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity visa |
| Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa |
| Subclass 449 – Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) visa |
| Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa |
| Subclass 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa |
| Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa |
| Subclass 476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate visa |
| Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visa |
| Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visa |
| Subclass 489 – Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visa |
| Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa |
| Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa |
| Subclass 500 – Student visa |
| Subclass 580 – Student Guardian visa (closed to new applicants) |
| Subclass 590 – Student Guardian visa |
| Subclass 785 – Temporary Protection visa |
| Subclass 790 – Safe Haven Enterprise visa |
| Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa |
| Subclass 988 – Maritime Crew visa |
Fully vaccinated
Australia considers you to be fully vaccinated if you have completed a course of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved or recognised vaccine. This includes mixed doses. Current vaccines and dosages accepted for the purposes of travel are:
- Two doses at least 14 days apart of:
- AstraZeneca Vaxzevria
- AstraZeneca Covishield
- Pfizer/Biontech Comirnaty
- Moderna Spikevax
- Sinovac Coronavac
- Bharat Biotech Covaxin
- Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV (for 18-60 year olds).
- Or one dose of:
- Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen-Cilag COVID Vaccine.
The TGA is evaluating other COVID-19 vaccines that may be recognised for the purposes of inbound travel to Australia in future. The most up-to-date information on approved and recognised vaccines is available on the TGA website.
At least 7 days must have passed since the final dose of vaccine in a course of immunisation for you to be considered fully vaccinated. Mixed doses count towards being fully vaccinated as long as all vaccines are approved or recognised by the TGA.
If you have not been vaccinated with the above doses or schedule, you do not meet Australia’s definition of ‘fully vaccinated.’ This includes instances where the dosing schedule or vaccine eligibility differs in your country of origin. There are some exceptions to this as outlined on their official
Source: Department of Home Affairs