Aust govt removes outbound travel ban exemption for overseas residents

[Seat0B]

But Karen Andrews just looked straight faced at Leigh Sales last night and said that there were no impediments to overseas resident Aussies coming or going. The pillows are so out of touch with reality. And clearly they think we are stupid or gullible or both.

Ha ha just read what I wrote - fat fingers or autocorrect Not Pillows, but pollies!

 

[Seat0B]

If he and I are thinking the same, it will be like "wow, this is all too difficult". It's quite sad to admit but as time goes on, even being fully vaccinated for months, it seems to be harder to come back to Australia to simply see aging parents for a few days, then get back to work/home/life/etc in US.

I completely understand the points raised about depression, it's a real thing.

Living overseas pre covid was acceptable... you could come back to Australia on a whim for however long you wanted. Heck, I've travelled US to AU for one day to a surprise birthday party then returned back, it's that freedom that makes living overseas acceptable for me.

I'm not saying it's unbearable now, it's just quite ridiculous for fully vaccinated expats being unable to return to Australia in a reasonable fashion.

100% agree with you @snabbu.

Seat Son should have landed in Sydney today. After much stuffing around with his employer and the prof indemnity insurers he had permission to WFH from hotel for his 14 day quarantine and would then have had 14 days with family in ACT and QLD and doing personal admin that needs to be done in person.

Then his flight got cancelled. Then they introduced exit permits for expats who have undefined “compelling reasons” to leave. Then the Sydney lockdown gets worse by the day and connecting flights from SYD-CBR are very rare and could cause quarantine issues like those experienced by @oz_ally. Now Canberra is in lockdown and could cause issues with him getting back to SYD for his early am departure back to SIN. Plus he couldn’t see family now due to lock down rules, and probably could not do his personal business either. Plus any change of dates for the WFH has to be approved by his firm and the insurer, and has to fit around his court dates - he’s a lawyer, not a defendant!

so despite the kind offer by @madrooster to try to get him new flights, it just all went into the too hard basket. He’s fully vaxxed with AZ and has been travelling all over the world this year. But to try to come home to his country of citizenship…. and for me the final straw is bloody Karen Andrew’s has the gall to say that there are no impediments, thus feeding all the trolls on this topic.

I‘ve more than had a gut full.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Ha ha just read what I wrote - fat fingers or autocorrect Not Pillows, but pollies!

I wondered what pillows meant but it seemed quite accurate - impossible to make an impact on them

 

[Flashback]

Reminds me, I need to reach out to @madrooster to get their details..... have a colleague whose visa in the UK hasn't been approved, so has been booted out and needs to find a way back to Australia in the next few weeks which will likely be challenging.

 

[Seat0B]

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad now that Seat Son's flight was cancelled.

Otherwise, he would be stuck in Sydney after 14 days of HQ, with no way for us to get to him or him to us. And if by some miracle or loophole he did make it to ACT, he would not be able to see his grandmother or sister, her wife and their baby because of the lockdown rules. He also would not be able to see any of his friends. He certainly would not be able to see his grandfather in QLD. So really it would be a completely awful visit, even though I would (possibly, if he managed to make it here to Canberra) get to see him all to myself for the duration of his visit.

There is just so much wrong with this state of affairs, I don't even know how to feel.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad now that Seat Son's flight was cancelled.

Otherwise, he would be stuck in Sydney after 14 days of HQ, with no way for us to get to him or him to us. And if by some miracle or loophole he did make it to ACT, he would not be able to see his grandmother or sister, her wife and their baby because of the lockdown rules. He also would not be able to see any of his friends. He certainly would not be able to see his grandfather in QLD. So really it would be a completely awful visit, even though I would (possibly, if he managed to make it here to Canberra) get to see him all to myself for the duration of his visit.

There is just so much wrong with this state of affairs, I don't even know how to feel.

Yes I am considering telling Master FM he shouldn’t come and see if he can renew in Canada. They prefer you to do it in your home country but there has to be some flexibility.

if Victoria and Canberra get their outbreaks under control then it would be Ok - still a few weeks to go but it’s feeling very gloomy today

 

[dajop]

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad now that Seat Son's flight was cancelled.

Otherwise, he would be stuck in Sydney after 14 days of HQ, with no way for us to get to him or him to us. And if by some miracle or loophole he did make it to ACT, he would not be able to see his grandmother or sister, her wife and their baby because of the lockdown rules. He also would not be able to see any of his friends. He certainly would not be able to see his grandfather in QLD. So really it would be a completely awful visit, even though I would (possibly, if he managed to make it here to Canberra) get to see him all to myself for the duration of his visit.

There is just so much wrong with this state of affairs, I don't even know how to feel.

I hear you. Sounds almost for him (not you though) that he dodged a bullet.

We're in Perth quarantine right now, probably very lucky we were able to get into Perth and could not get a seat into the east coast. But Murphy's Law means there will be a case between now and next Sunday, and Perth will be locked down. So Perth-ites, beat the rush and get your supplies now

When we head east to Victoria (we may stay here for a week and have a driving holiday first if above mentioned does not happen) , at least I can stay out of Melbourne and travel to our holiday house and also see my mother and dine out with some of my siblings/nieces/nephews, as it stands right now. So hopefully that will remain OK. But looks like my partner won't be able to come down to our holiday house (which mean I will have to do all the work - there's a fair bit to do) or visit my side of the family as he will be stuck in Melbourne at his mother's place.

But even if I have to deal with a 9pm curfew and can only go outside for exercise for an hour or two it will be nice to have a backyard, fresh air, cool breezes, crisp blue skies and in general escape from the heat and humidity of the equatorial tropics ....

 

[Seat0B]

Yes I am considering telling Master FM he shouldn’t come and see if he can renew in Canada. They prefer you to do it in your home country but there has to be some flexibility.

if Victoria and Canberra get their outbreaks under control then it would be Ok - still a few weeks to go but it’s feeling very gloomy today

I am right there with you @Flying mermaid, and I know it does not really help at all. This is beyond inexcusable disruption to people's lives at this point.

Post automatically merged: Aug 16, 2021

in general escape from the heat and humidity of the equatorial tropics ....

Yes, this was part of Seat Son's motivation to come in August/September. The heat and humidity in Dubai at this time of year are unbearable.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I am right there with you @Flying mermaid, and I know it does not really help at all. This is beyond inexcusable disruption to people's lives at this point.

Post automatically merged: Aug 16, 2021

Yes, this was part of Seat Son's motivation to come in August/September. The heat and humidity in Dubai at this time of year are unbearable.

I do understand why they have to have the restrictions - Delta spreads so fast and Aus has a few more months to go before vaccinations reach acceptable levels. However we are in the same position as you - our son is fully vaccinated and we are fully vaccinated so the inability for him to travel from Melbourne to Canberra seems harsh. I might phone ACT Health next week and see if he can get an exemption - he is almost an ACT resident. Born here and the only place he has lived in Australia is Canberra…..

 

[snabbu]

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually glad now that Seat Son's flight was cancelled.

Otherwise, he would be stuck in Sydney after 14 days of HQ, with no way for us to get to him or him to us. And if by some miracle or loophole he did make it to ACT, he would not be able to see his grandmother or sister, her wife and their baby because of the lockdown rules. He also would not be able to see any of his friends. He certainly would not be able to see his grandfather in QLD. So really it would be a completely awful visit, even though I would (possibly, if he managed to make it here to Canberra) get to see him all to myself for the duration of his visit.

There is just so much wrong with this state of affairs, I don't even know how to feel.

Agreed. It really is all too difficult in the current climate. We will keep an eye on what is happening but in reality probably won't even consider a trip back for at least 6 months.

Ugh, even typing that and thinking about it makes me sad.

 

[dajop]

One more data point: Submitted application on Sunday afternoon, under not ordinarily resident category. Attached my National Identity Card, Re-entry Permit, Lease and job contract. Exemption granted this morning. Sigh of relief.

 

[Pushka]

One more data point: Submitted application on Sunday afternoon, under not ordinarily resident category. Attached my National Identity Card, Re-entry Permit, Lease and job contract. Exemption granted this morning. Sigh of relief.

Insanity to think it was even a possibility you could be refused but here we are.

 

[dajop]

Insanity to think it was even a possibility you could be refused but here we are.

I'm taking it as a positive, given the ordeal I experienced checking in during January with an automatic exemption which took about 45 mins ...

 

[drron]

Yes I am considering telling Master FM he shouldn’t come and see if he can renew in Canada. They prefer you to do it in your home country but there has to be some flexibility.

if Victoria and Canberra get their outbreaks under control then it would be Ok - still a few weeks to go but it’s feeling very gloomy today

Our son lived and worked in the USA for 10 years. He renewed his visa the first time in Montreal. But then he decided having a weeks holiday in the Bahamas was a much better way of doing it.
But I wouldn't tell your son until he was home.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Our son lived and worked in the USA for 10 years. He renewed his visa the first time in Montreal. But then he decided having a weeks holiday in the Bahamas was a much better way of doing it.
But I wouldn't tell your son until he was home.

I have actually just sent a Facebook message to him suggesting Canada. It was a bit problematic before as the border was closed to the US but it’s open now. I really want him back, but the main thing (apart from renewing his visa), was to see us, his sister and new little niece in Canberra and his sister in Brisbane. Right at the moment if he manages to get to Melbourne, he can’t travel to either Canberra or Brisbane and even if he can get an exemption to come to Canberra he will be in lockdown with us and not able to see anyone else.

Part of me is still hopefully both Melbourne and Canberra could get their outbreaks squashed by 21 September but it’s a crazy amount of money to spend to come back under the current circumstances.

 

[Seat0B]

Our son lived and worked in the USA for 10 years. He renewed his visa the first time in Montreal. But then he decided having a weeks holiday in the Bahamas was a much better way of doing it.
But I wouldn't tell your son until he was home.

My niece just renewed her US visa in Mexico City. It was expected to take a week but only took 3 days. They did a tour of “margarita dives” while they waited.

 

[Seat0B]

I have actually just sent a Facebook message to him suggesting Canada. It was a bit problematic before as the border was closed to the US but it’s open now. I really want him back, but the main thing (apart from renewing his visa), was to see us, his sister and new little niece in Canberra and his sister in Brisbane. Right at the moment if he manages to get to Melbourne, he can’t travel to either Canberra or Brisbane and even if he can get an exemption to come to Canberra he will be in lockdown with us and not able to see anyone else.

Part of me is still hopefully both Melbourne and Canberra could get their outbreaks squashed by 21 September but it’s a crazy amount of money to spend to come back under the current circumstances.

Wow, @Flying mermaid - the similarities in our situations are uncanny. I still have my fingers crossed for you as 21 Sep is still more than a month away.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Wow, @Flying mermaid - the similarities in our situations are uncanny. I still have my fingers crossed for you as 21 Sep is still more than a month away.

That’s when he comes out of quarantine, he leaves the USA on the 6th, so need a decision before then. He hasn’t read my Facebook message yet - tends to work pretty hard during the week.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Wow, @Flying mermaid - the similarities in our situations are uncanny. I still have my fingers crossed for you as 21 Sep is still more than a month away.

Spoke to Master FM today - not sure he really appreciates just what Australia is like these days with border closures etc. Anyway he says Canadian consulates are not doing interviews and he wants to see us, so not worried about having to shelter in place - the American term and so much gentler than “Lockdown”. . I do have some share communications that have his name and our address, so I think he should be able to come to Canberra and then just isolate and test, which isn’t a problem as we have the room - he would be quite separate from us and have his own bathroom etc. If we have to isolate with him, if we are out of lockdown by then, I will send Mr FM over to live with our daughter for 2 weeks.

So I think we are getting there - I think he can come to Canberra and I think he can leave Australia, so he just needs to actually get to Aus and travel to Melbourne. Who would have thought a simple thing would be so hard a few years ago!

 

[Seat0B]

Good news for your family the @Flying mermaid