Experience with Australian border controls leaving the country

[mviy]

I don't know when that application happened, but around the time of the ban travelling back from India the rules did tighten for travel exemptions to travel to India. There's a higher bar set for travel there considering the scale of the outbreak over there and that the arrivals caps mean that it'll take a long time to bring home everyone eligible to return from India that's already there. In six months time there'll still be a lot of people struggling to try to get home from India that are already in India, I suspect.

 

[drron]

Though things in India although bad are well past the peak of this wave.



Has gone from 2.7 million cases the week ending May 3 to 200000 cases the week ending June 21.

 

[Ade]

I don't know when that application happened, but around the time of the ban travelling back from India the rules did tighten for travel exemptions to travel to India. There's a higher bar set for travel there considering the scale of the outbreak over there and that the arrivals caps mean that it'll take a long time to bring home everyone eligible to return from India that's already there. In six months time there'll still be a lot of people struggling to try to get home from India that are already in India, I suspect.

You are right.

My friend's incident happened just over a month ago. This was the time (& still is) of the Delta variant rampant in India. I had told her that it's next to impossible to get an exemption. But I guess it was one of those situations in life when you are willing to do everything you potentially could to get what you want (where you want to go, in my mates case).

I wrote up a letter that she needs to attach to her application - a letter explaining the timeline of how things unfolded in her dad's case etc. I was grateful that I was able to help her, in my own small way, to apply for the exemption. But that's all I could do, sadly!

re : getting AU nationals back from India - now, that's going to be a dream for a while. There is no signs of the infections going down. Although, my parents say that the situation today (or the past week) is SOOOOO MUCH better than what it was a month ago. So I wouldn't be expecting any less strict border restrictions with India anytime soon.

Someone I know went to India in March 2020 and was trying ever since to get back to AU. He & his family finally flew into SYD 3 weeks ago and is finishing their quarantine this week.

 

[mviy]

Someone I know went to India in March 2020 and was trying ever since to get back to AU. He & his family finally flew into SYD 3 weeks ago and is finishing their quarantine this week.

I hope they are planning to be based in SYD. Otherwise they could be stuck in SYD hotels a while or have another period of quarantine at the final destination.

 

[Ade]

I hope they are planning to be based in SYD. Otherwise they could be stuck in SYD hotels a while or have another period of quarantine at the final destination.

They are going to be SYD based. So once out of quarantine, they have organised a serviced apartment for the first few weeks. I'm told they have been tested at least 4 times in the past 1 and half weeks ... family of 4 with 2 kids

 

[glasszon]

I got an outbound exemption to travel to UK, but I might need to travel to NZ this month, will I need to apply for a new outbound exemption to the UK if I travel to NZ and back?

 

[PineappleSkip]

I understand the exemptions now last three months, whereas previously they were open ended. This was mentioned in the last @madrooster podcast. The only one I got so far was open ended. Don't think a trip to NZ and return to Aust would make any difference.

cheers skip

 

[Pushka]

I understand the exemptions now last three months, whereas previously they were open ended. This was mentioned in the last @madrooster podcast. The only one I got so far was open ended. Don't think a trip to NZ and return to Aust would make any difference.

cheers skip

It’s ambiguous.
“This exemption approval is for a single departure from Australia only. If you plan to travel in the future, you will need to submit a new travel exemption request for each proposed trip.”

 

[drron]

The case rate in India has been dropping rapidly.
.

Sure still 45000 cases a day but don from over 400000 a day in early May.And 45000 is just o.003% of India's population.That is just under 10 times Sydney's daily case rate.

The media loves the scare stories but not the better follow up news.

 

[PineappleSkip]

It’s ambiguous.
“This exemption approval is for a single departure from Australia only. If you plan to travel in the future, you will need to submit a new travel exemption request for each proposed trip.”

Not sure what the ambiguity, or if I am missing something in the facts of the case. The exemption approval is - has always been - for a single departure. It doesn't say it is an approval that inly applies to your next departure from Australia.
Cheers skip

 

[Pushka]

Not sure what the ambiguity, or if I am missing something in the facts of the case. The exemption approval is - has always been - for a single departure. It doesn't say it is an approval that inly applies to your next departure from Australia.
Cheers skip

And if they presume that people will only exit using this exemption?

 

[dajop]

The exemption to leave to travel to NZ is automatic. It is dealt with under a different clause in the legislation.

The exceptional circumstances exsmption is the one that must be applied for. At checkin to travel to NZ I assume they will not require an authorisation code from Border Force like they do for other international departures. But I am making assumptions here having never departed for NZ.

 

[PineappleSkip]

That's what I thought, when I left Aus (not for NZ) I dealt with someone from Customs before I got to checkin asking me to produce the exemption, and they typed away on their laptop in the terminal. Pretty sure it got crossed off the list. I'd expect that they would keep red zone passengers separate from that point onwards.

 

[Pushka]

The exemption to leave to travel to NZ is automatic. It is dealt with under a different clause in the legislation.

The exceptional circumstances exsmption is the one that must be applied for. At checkin to travel to NZ I assume they will not require an authorisation code from Border Force like they do for other international departures. But I am making assumptions here having never departed for NZ.

Having not travelled to NZ I don't know the process but it also assumes that people don't travel from NZ to elsewhere as part of their travel exemption.

 

[RAM]

Given the Qld bombshell today over exemptions & international tourist arrivals crowding out 'stranded Australians' - all bets may soon be off about impending exclusions granted.

Odd to hear that BITRE & ABS will no longer provide the arrivals/departures breakup starting from July data - suggests more to come.

 

[glasszon]

Thanks everyone, I was thinking along the same lines in that logically travelling to NZ shouldn't count as the single departure under the travel exemption I got since no exemption is required for travel to NZ, but ABF is known to apply definitions literally, so I would apply for another exemption after my return from NZ if I do end up travelling to NZ.

 

[louie-m]

I could do with a bit of help regarding applying for a permit to leave Australia. I am intending to apply on the basis of it being requested for a compelling reason and being away for more than 3 months.

I know that I need to complete and submit a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration. This page on the Home Affairs website says "The Statutory Declaration must state you are making an application for travel exemption on the basis that you intend to be absent from Australia for more than three months". This page says "Travellers must provide the following evidence: Commonwealth Statutory declaration regarding the intended length and purpose of travel AND Any of the following documents that are relevant to the travel:" and then lists those documents.

What I am not clear about is whether the Statutory Dec simply needs to say nothing more than "I am intending to be absent from Australia for 3+ months to (eg) provide care and support to elderly relatives" and then I add a separate document (with supporting documents) going into detail about the dates of flights, why the relatives need support, my financial circumstances, etc. Or does that info plus all the supporting documentation have to form a part of the Statutory Dec?

Also, I understand I can include my spouse in the application. Does he have to make a separate Statutory Dec or will mine (as the main applicant) suffice?

I don't think I've ever had to do a Statutory Dec before....

 

[Pushka]

I could do with a bit of help regarding applying for a permit to leave Australia. I am intending to apply on the basis of it being requested for a compelling reason and being away for more than 3 months.

I know that I need to complete and submit a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration. This page on the Home Affairs website says "The Statutory Declaration must state you are making an application for travel exemption on the basis that you intend to be absent from Australia for more than three months". This page says "Travellers must provide the following evidence: Commonwealth Statutory declaration regarding the intended length and purpose of travel AND Any of the following documents that are relevant to the travel:" and then lists those documents.

What I am not clear about is whether the Statutory Dec simply needs to say nothing more than "I am intending to be absent from Australia for 3+ months to (eg) provide care and support to elderly relatives" and then I add a separate document (with supporting documents) going into detail about the dates of flights, why the relatives need support, my financial circumstances, etc. Or does that info plus all the supporting documentation have to form a part of the Statutory Dec?

Also, I understand I can include my spouse in the application. Does he have to make a separate Statutory Dec or will mine (as the main applicant) suffice?

I don't think I've ever had to do a Statutory Dec before....

May I suggest you join a relevant FaceBook group, which are closed, and there you will find immense and valuable information.
eg Search FB for 'travel exemption Australia' and ask to join which usually happens quickly.

 

[PineappleSkip]

+1 I am in this FB group and it’s useful.
Australian Travel & Exemption Support
The moderators are right on top of requirements, help a lot, and correct misinformation.

 

[louie-m]

Thank you to Pushka and to PineappleSkip. I decided to have one go without resorting to FB as I don't do FB generally and I thought it would be too depressing reading about so many people in bad circumstances getting refused! The thinking was I could turn to that if my first application was declined.

No need though - the approval came through just after 24 hours after I submitted it. If all goes to plan (outbound flight has since been cancelled by the airline), we're going back to the UK next month to celebrate both of my parents' 90th birthdays and Christmas. Back in the New Year. Maybe!