ISCAH posted this on Facebook. It says permenent visa holders at offshore who are yet to enter can still travel.
Following is the post
Update regards Temporary visa holders stuck overseas or visas run out etc
The Immigration minister met with the MIA today and here are the notes from that meeting …
Report to MIA members
Minister Tudge and John Hourigan FMIA, National President MIA re Travel ban
The teleconference meeting was attended by representatives of the leading industry groups across Australia, including the Australian Industry Group, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Business Council of Australia, regional Australia Institute, Migration Council of Australia and Department of Home Affairs representatives.
The meeting discussed a variety of policy issues and impacts related to the travel bans with a surprising amount of common agreement on how these should be managed.
The Government is very conscious of the significant and adverse impact the travel bans are having on Australians, Australia’s goods and trade, on Australian businesses small and large, and not least on temporary visa holders. The Department is attempting to manage the situation with as light a touch as possible within the current circumstances.
The consistent message was that the Government and Department of Home Affairs are attempting to be as flexible as possible within the constraints of the legislative framework. As members are aware, while policy can be changed relatively easily, legislation takes a lot longer.
The Department is attempting to make it as simple as possible for onshore visa holders to remain lawful. This includes taking a light touch approach to onshore lodged visitor visas, no further stay waivers and extensions of visa validity where possible. The relaxation of student visa working conditions for supermarkets and aged care are further example of this.
Strategies to ensure essential services and critical infrastructure are maintained are being considered including the necessity for essential and critical occupations to be permitted to enter Australia. Health workers and oil and gas rig changeover crews were mentioned as examples.
Approaches aimed at ensuring the security of food supply by adjusting arrangements for working holiday makers and agricultural sector seasonal workers are also under consideration.
Adjustment to the travel restrictions for temporary visa holders who have already established a presence in Australia may be considered, most likely on a case by case basis.
The Government is also aware that visa holders who lose their livelihoods may become very vulnerable within our communities and are looking at services to alleviate this.
Those who have been granted a permanent visa offshore are still permitted to enter Australia, even where they have not previously been to this country.
Visa processing, for GSM visas in particular, will continue within the constraints of the situation.
Finally, the timing of the curfew was discussed with Minister Tudge explaining that 9 pm was chosen to coordinate with the 12 midnight NZ ban implementation and to give Australian border officials time to notify airlines of the travel restrictions.
As members can see from the above report the meeting was confined to the discussion of policy settings and not to the specific detail of visa subclasses or visa holders circumstances. This report is provided to MIA members to provide them with insight into the direction of the Government’s and the Department’s thinking at this time.
The National President and the MIA cannot answer in any more detail as yet on the specific strategies that may be developed as outcomes from this meetings.
