Will Australian borders reopen on 17th June 2021….??

When can Aussies travel again…?

The travel ban means no one can arrive or depart Australia for non-essential reasons, i.e., travel, however, if you have critical skills or qualifications that can support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19 and you come under the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL), you may be given priority processing to enter Australia.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on 2^nd March 2021 the extension of the international travel ban stipulates the date for border reopening to 17^th June 2021, however, he also mentioned Australia could reopen sooner “if no longer needed”.

How can an early reopening of the international travel ban take place?

9News reports an early reopening of the international ban relies on a swift rollout of vaccination programs and are proven to be effective against new and emerging variants.

But will the vaccine rollout open borders and resume international travel…?

Business Council Australia (BCA) released a proposed three-step plan for the dropping of restrictions including for the state borders to be opened permanently and the possibility to return of international travel by the end of the process. Qantas has also announced to hopefully resume the international flights by 31^st October 2021, by which time every adult Australians are expected to be vaccinated.

What does that mean for the Australians who choose to get vaccinated?

The Federal government has assured the country that vaccines will not be mandatory, however, there may be a strong argument if international travel should only be allowed to travellers with proof of vaccination. Though we don’t have an official statement stating this yet, with Qantas and IATA referring to a health passport; this may be the main key to travel.

The Australian government continues to work closely with the state and territory governments and the health committees to develop a framework for the resume of international travel. In order to keep you posted with the latest updates, please don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.