Experience with Australian border controls leaving the country

[Pushka]

Can give a few more data points on this, Mrs eastwest101 + kids had to apply for an exemption to travel from Australia to Japan (direct NH flights still operating SYD-HND) due to an urgent family medical emergency of a relative in Japan.

The Dept of Home Affairs Travel Restriction Exemption site is a little misleading, because it asks for your intended flight dates and flight numbers, sending us scurrying away to book flights, as approval can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months which is obviously a ridiculous time frame for medical emergencies.

So we got the flights booked and Doctors letter together (which thankfully was already in english) and did the application, and sure enough the first auto-receipt email from Dept of Home Affairs upon lodging said not to book flights ( facepalm), but to await approval. As it turns out - our particular situation was approved within 24 hours to their credit. So then thankfully NH have played reasonably nice and we have been able to bring SYD-HND flights forward to something much sooner as all incoming pax into Japan have to serve a 14 day quarantine, so its still a gamble as to whether they will make it in time anyway.

24 hour approval seems to be more the usual time frame now. Best wishes.

 

[Pushka]

I heard this morning that 75% of requests for exit from Australia were refused due to concerns about return travellers overwhelming the quarantine hotels. Its a shame that a few ratbags escaping quarantine have created the issues of hotel space and enforcement.

 

[davistev]

I am angry. I see no reason why Australians need to have a reason to leave the country if they are willing to pay and enter quarantine upon return. What about all the Australian parents separated from their children overseas? Currently - denied denied denied to leave. YET - International students can return to South Australia with quarantine costs paid by Taxpayer funded universities - I am pissed - LET US OUT.

 

[Pushka]

I am angry. I see no reason why Australians need to have a reason to leave the country if they are willing to pay and enter quarantine upon return. What about all the Australian parents separated from their children overseas? Currently - denied denied denied to leave. YET - International students can return to South Australia with quarantine costs paid by Taxpayer funded universities - I am pissed - LET US OUT.

Have you considered applying stating you have the intention of being overseas for more than 3 months?

 

[N860CR]

Have you considered applying stating you have the intention of being overseas for more than 3 months?

Hopefully this will work moving forward. I’ve been sitting on my hands for a while but realistically I’m going to need to go overseas in the not too distant future (Taiwan initially) as a potential job won’t wait forever (especially as other countries quickly return to normal and we regress). My theory is I’ll go to Taiwan, do what I have to do then hopefully go elsewhere until things settle down in Australia.

 

[Kendall Roy]

I am angry. I see no reason why Australians need to have a reason to leave the country if they are willing to pay and enter quarantine upon return. What about all the Australian parents separated from their children overseas? Currently - denied denied denied to leave. YET - International students can return to South Australia with quarantine costs paid by Taxpayer funded universities - I am pissed - LET US OUT.

International student flights to Australia to restart in September

International students and universities will be forced to pay for travel and quarantine as the government prepares for the first batch of students to arrive.

www.theage.com.au

ABSOLUTELY FILTHY!

 

[Pushka]

Hopefully this will work moving forward. I’ve been sitting on my hands for a while but realistically I’m going to need to go overseas in the not too distant future (Taiwan initially) as a potential job won’t wait forever (especially as other countries quickly return to normal and we regress). My theory is I’ll go to Taiwan, do what I have to do then hopefully go elsewhere until things settle down in Australia.

I understand that if your stated intentions are to stay away for a significant time then approval may be granted.

 

[tallboy]

Two weeks in a hotel may be unappealing for some, but for others - for example those who currently work from home - two weeks in a hotel would be no different than being in your own house from a work perspective. You wouldn't need to take any extra holiday time.

I assume this is partly tongue in cheek, but for anyone seriously considering travel that will trigger quarantine on return, it should be noted that it will be two weeks confined to a hotel room at a venue not selected by the individual, without daily exercise privileges, which is vastly different to spending a couple of weeks at a selected hotel under normal circumstances.

 

[dajop]

I assume this is partly tongue in cheek, but for anyone seriously considering travel that will trigger quarantine on return, it should be noted that it will be two weeks confined to a hotel room at a venue not selected by the individual, without daily exercise privileges, which is vastly different to spending a couple of weeks at a selected hotel under normal circumstances.

Some exercise is possible (pacing, video type work outs, push ups etc), although the smaller the hotel room the more difficult. Outdoor walks, runs, gym, swimming etc are obviously not possible. Other than that, MEL_Traveller makes a good point, regarding those working from home. Not that different, except on weekends. Ideal? No way. Manageable for two weeks? Possible with the right state of mind.

 

[jakeseven7]

I am angry. I see no reason why Australians need to have a reason to leave the country if they are willing to pay and enter quarantine upon return. What about all the Australian parents separated from their children overseas? Currently - denied denied denied to leave. YET - International students can return to South Australia with quarantine costs paid by Taxpayer funded universities - I am pissed - LET US OUT.

The momentum is slowly building in the population as well to support your position, but I'm unsure if it will be enough prior to a vaccine to support

 

[Aztec]

Has Home Affairs changed their general exemptions recently? I thought if as a dual citizen you had been overseas for more than half the previous 12 months then you were generally exempt from the travel ban. Today I decided to check their website and it says " You are considered ordinarily resident in a country other than Australia if international movement records show that you’ve spent more time outside Australia than inside for the last 12 to 24 months."

What's with the 12 - 24 months bit? Why make a simple rule complex? What if I've been overseas for most of the last 12 months but not for the last 24 months?

Does anyone have experience with this scenario? Thanks.

Hi, can you direct me to the webpage where you found the 12-24 month comment. I cannot find it on the Homeaffairs website,
Thanks

 

[alanhk]

It appears the 12-24 months has been removed from the website (last updated August 20). Not sure when it was removed but seems like they’re making it harder to leave.

Would look forward to hearing people’s experiences leaving Australia since August 20.

I’ve been nomadic without residency in a specific place for the most part over the last 24 months, so the new policy might lock me out of departing Australia...

 

[Tawita]

Hi, can you direct me to the webpage where you found the 12-24 month comment. I cannot find it on the Homeaffairs website,
Thanks

The reference to 12 to 24 months can be found towards the bottom of the 'Leaving Australia' page on the Home Affairs site (last edited 28 August). Here is what it says:

You are considered ordinarily resident in a country other than Australia if international movement records show that you’ve spent more time outside Australia than inside for the last 12 to 24 months. You do not need to carry a paper record of your movements with you. If required, Australian Border Force officers at airports can check your movement records in Departmental systems.

If you do not think you need a travel exemption, you can present this evidence when you check-in at the airport. However, if you have any doubt about whether your circumstances fall within the definition of ordinarily resident, we recommend you lodge a request for assessment at least two weeks prior to your intended departure.

The second paragraph seems undesirably vague, and it doesn't explain how you can lodge a request for assessment.

 

[Pushka]

It appears the 12-24 months has been removed from the website (last updated August 20). Not sure when it was removed but seems like they’re making it harder to leave.

Would look forward to hearing people’s experiences leaving Australia since August 20.

I’ve been nomadic without residency in a specific place for the most part over the last 24 months, so the new policy might lock me out of departing Australia...

My son was given leave to depart within 24 hours of application. Clearly stated in that email was approval granted because he planned to spend more than 3 months overseas.

 

[Ansett]

I wonder what would happen if you requested 3 or more months but came back a few weeks later?

 

[Flashback]

I wonder what would happen if you requested 3 or more months but came back a few weeks later?

Nothing, you'd just pay for your quarantine. If you try and submit another request to leave though I'd bet that would then be rejected.

 

[Pushka]

I wonder what would happen if you requested 3 or more months but came back a few weeks later?

As per flashback's response. However, in his application letter he gave evidence that it wasnt a short term exit.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Nothing, you'd just pay for your quarantine. If you try and submit another request to leave though I'd bet that would then be rejected.

Given the cap on arrivals and much reported delays in processing returning passengers then one must wonder if you could get straight back in..? Plus the cost of the hotel of course

 

[dajop]

Given the cap on arrivals and much reported delays in processing returning passengers then one must wonder if you could get straight back in..? Plus the cost of the hotel of course

Correct. If you look at availability of most carriers into Australia at the moment, you would be looking at not getting back until about 26 October, when the caps are currently due to be lifted. If they don’t lift the caps on arriving pax then, it could be many months before you can get back.

 

[Flashback]

Correct. If you look at availability of most carriers into Australia at the moment, you would be looking at not getting back until about 26 October, when the caps are currently due to be lifted. If they don’t lift the caps on arriving pax then, it could be many months before you can get back.

Unless of course you fly in J! Award availability seems OK.