With strict restrictions of travel to Australia because of COVID-19, there is a travel exemption category called: COMPASSIONATE and COMPELLING REASONS TO TRAVEL.
The definition that is on the Department of Home Affairs websites states: Compassionate and compelling reasons include, but are not limited to, needing to travel due to the death or critical illness of a close family member.
The good news is that the definition is not exhaustive and anything can be put forward as being compassionate and compelling for consideration by the Australian Border Force when assessing a travel exemption application. However, what we have found with assisting many people with travel exemption applications, is that the compassionate and compelling travel exemption category is a very high threshold to meet.
A couple of examples of grants that we have seen in our law firm for clients where there was no death or critical illness include:
- travel exemption granted for grandparent to come to Australia where the grandparent had a child in Australia who needed assistance with their child (applicant’s grandchild).
- A temporary visa holder was granted an exemption to enter Australia to reunite with their temporary visa holding partner where both partners had their own individual employment interests in Australia.
I do emphasise that the compassionate and compelling category would be, in my opinion, one of the more difficult categories to be granted a travel exemption and that there are many people who have not been able to meet the high threshold at this time. Whilst difficult, the category is there as an option.
Let me know if you have a question about travel exemption or visa applications and I’d be happy to cover it in one of my future posts.
Written by Adam Byrnes
Principal Immigration Lawyer
a week ago
