Brucolino

Update: I received my travel exemption and left the country a few months back. I provided following evidence: My booked one-way flight ticket My passport My partner's contact details Statement from my partner and his family as to our relationship and the address I would be staying at upon arrival Medical letter from my partner's mother's doctor confirming her stage 4 cancer diagnosis My doctor's supporting statement - as I was suffering with symptoms of anxiety and mild depression due to the travel ban All flight tickets between my partner and myself as evidence of our frequent travel during our long distance relationship prior to the travel ban A personal statement detailing my case, my partner's mother's battle with cancer and the toll the travel ban was taking on our relationship and mental health. Within this I stated that I would be handing in notice to my workplace and letting agency upon confirmation of my travel exemption Upon travelling I was initially overwhelmed and somewhat traumatised by everything - getting stopped by police at the airport to check my travel exemption was valid, mandatory masks covered by face shields on the plane etc. Once I landed I was relieved but it still took me a couple of weeks to return to my normal happy and calm self. I am finally in a happy place, reunited with my partner, breathing well again, sleeping peacefully again

Hi again all, When I'm filling out the online exemption form - both options for "compassionate grounds" and "urgent personal business" have planned return date as a mandatory field. Whichever option I were to choose I am essentially leaving the country for the foreseeable future, particularly with the uncertainty of coronavirus I really do not plan or intend to travel in the next few years. I am confused as to why this a mandatory field if it is the right option for those wanting to leave the country Any thoughts/suggestions?

Thanks Marisa makes sense now. I'm not reluctant, I just like gathering as much information as possible as I have been reading about many cases of skilled workers struggling to get travel exemptions (albeit they are returning from overseas) have even known of cases at my workplace. Was reading an article yesterday about one person getting refused 9 times and having to provide a mountain of evidence before getting approval. Partner is not a PR, when he came out initially it was on a working holiday visa. This is not really an issue as we are planning to get married and would have other VISA options. At the very start his mother had not had her diagnosis so this changed things. We started traveling multiple times throughout the year to meet up. Very expensive and not ideal but it really kept us motivated. Now with this pandemic we are both misserable. Anyway, our situation makes it very difficult to make a plan (or for me to know which travel exemption option to choose). It's likely we will just have to give up on Australia. Thanks again for all your help

Thanks so much for the information Marisa, The summary of what I am thinking of adding in my application is that I want to leave Australia as my partner and I are in seperate continents and due to the pandemic can no longer travel to visit each other which in combination with his mother's condition have made us both decide to remain close to home & family for as long as the pandemic restrictions are in place (recognising that this could be years). - Does this seem more or less like the level of detail needed? Some follow up questions I'm hoping you can help answer: You mentioned a decision could take around 4 weeks. How many months in advance should I book my flight date? If for example I were to book travel 6 weeks away, is there a chance the review of my case could take longer? Is there really any guarentee I will not be denied travel ? It still seems very high risk booking a flight and handing in notice to workplace and landlord without prior approval ? Lastly, would I be eligible to apply for a RRV in the future to extend my PR for a further 5 years, if after say 2-3 years COVID travel bans were lifted? Thanks again!

Hi Marisa, If I went down the route of "compassionate reasons" what evidence would I need to supply? What reason did your member give for example? Things I am thinking of for example is whether I need to prove my relationship, which I know is required for partner visas etc. Is there a chance you could be denied travel? And if so - would I be allowed to appeal this decision? If I go down the route of "urgent personal business" is it enough to supply a written statement that I am leaving Australia? Or would I need a statutory declaration witnessed and signed by a legal official? Thanks

I don't understand how the process works. Obviously I'm not going to hand in notice to my landlord and work without getting prior approval to leave Australia. The last thing I want is to be stuck here without a job or place to stay.. Has anyone on here (as a PR) applied for a travel exemption and been successful? What type of evidence/documentation did you provide? Did you consult with a migration agent on how to submit a case? Are there any migration agents on this site who can offer advice please?

Thanks for your reply Marisa, As a British citizen I assumed they would have advice on repatriating their citizens. Do I need to provide evidence of permanent relocation out of Australia? What about evidence of my relationship to my partner (as we are not married). I've heard they are very strict with issuing approval for travel. Has anyone submitted an excemption requested and been successful that can offer some advice please?

Are there any migration agents on this site who can give me some direction?

Hi all, So my plan to leave Australia was not as simple as initially suggested. I've discovered that as a Permanent Resident I am not allowed to leave Australia - it is completely banned for both PR's and citizens: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia Simon Birmingham made an announcement yesterday that international borders will remain closed till at least 2021. With my partner still stuck overseas, at this point I just need to get out of this country. I contacted the British Consulate in Melbourne which gave me an automated message to select from the follow 3 options: Option 1: VISA info - directed me to their website and hung up the call Option 2: Passport info - directed me to their website and hung up the call Option 3: Is literally for emergency assistance if you've been arrested or detained overseas ... I then contacted the British Embassy Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They were completely clueless. The guy said "Flights from Australia to UK are operational, just fly back" .... I tried explaining the PR situation and he's now asked me to put everything down in writing so that my case can be 'analysed'. Does anyone on here have any recommendations on how to get out of Australia? At this point I don't even care about my PR - happy to revoke it. But how does this all work? 'homeaffairs.gov.au' talks about applying for an exception if you fall under the following: But then says the application must be supported by a plethora of evidence to support your claims. Do I need to consult with an immigration lawyer? Is there a way I can revoke my PR VISA?

That sounds awful. Hope you can both get through this

Thank you both, Knowing this actually gives me some piece of mind. The whole situation sucks but I wouldn't think twice about prioritising my relationship over Australia. Just can't believe this is all actually happening

Yes - my partner is stuck overseas due to mother in law being unwell with cancer and was due to fly back to Australia which has now been cancelled. We were hoping we could re-plan for him to travel over the summer but it's looking impossible. My only options now are I either Australia all together or spend the next year(s) apart.. which is really not an option at all. Neither of us are AUS citizens..

Truth is this entire situation is unprecedented and nobody really knows how long it will last. I keep reading and hearing from many that realistically this will last for the next 18-24 months and it's causing me massive anxiety. I am literally having nightmares related to the lockdown.. I'm hoping I will have a better indication in the next couple of months of when I might be able to travel. I'm not concerned about being allowed to return to Europe but about Australia's borders being closed. If the situation has not changed by the end of the summer I will need to leave Australia. I'm just stressed of potentially not being able to. Should I be getting in touch with the British embassy? Do I need to receive approval? Will any flights even be operating? And based on this - should I be planning to leave Australia sooner or wait and see? .. so much uncertainty it's driving me insane

Hi Nemesis, Thanks for your reply. Can I ask: What makes you say we are faced with spending years apart? Is this a pragmatic expectation that travel restrictions will persist for over a year(s) ? Or a hypothesis? Do you reckon there will be any improvement before this? Admittedly I am suffering severe anxiety over the prospect of relocation vs being separated from my loved ones for the forseeable future