rtritudr

What's the legal basis of that?

These days they don't usually approve temporary visas unless there is a travel exemption in place.

You are quite right about partner visas, but for travel exemptions so far a simple marriage certificate has been all that's required.

It doesn't matter whether you both travel or not, assuming you're both on temporary visas then once you leave you won't be able to return.

The first/business passengers who get rebooked onto remaining flights will be able to bump off any economy passengers who are already on those flights.

In the mean time people in Europe are still cursing that the US won't let them enter: https://www.ft.com/content/64a0018e-214e-455f-8cf3-d4e407b5b1d2 Hopes fade for US-UK travel corridor before end of summer

Because you won't be able to travel even if the visa is granted, they're not granting any visitor visas (or similar temporary visas) at the moment unless you first obtain a travel exemption associated with that particular visa application.

1. The 6-year-old needs a test while the 3-year-old doesn't. https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-international-travellers/coronavirus-covid-19-faqs-international-travellers-to-australia Pre-departure test exemptions Are there any exemptions from the pre-departure testing requirements? Yes. Exemptions from the pre-departure testing requirements are listed below: Pre-departure testing exemptions Children aged under 5 years (4 years and younger) at the time of check-in for the scheduled flight departure 2. You will quarantine in Melbourne.

Just apply for a new travel exemption and provide your 600 visa application TRN and you should be good to go.

870 visas usually don't have a queue as it's a temporary visa. However, if your parents are off-shore then processing is likely to be on hold due to the border closure. Onshore parents are getting 870 visas fairly quickly.

And in the unlikely event that the pandemic is still running in three years time, she would not be able to return.

I would recommend rebooking. HK has almost achieved elimination and is about to join up with a travel bubble with China, given the way the numbers are going in the UK, HK is probably not going to take that risk. China itself has halted direct flights with the UK since Xmas 2020.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500/temporary-relaxation-of-working-hours-for-student-visa-holders Temporary relaxation of working hours for student visa holders

It's conditional though on maintaining strong ties with Australia. In the OP's case that would be through his marital relationship.

That's why I said long-term returnees. If you come back, stay for a few months and then leave again you're not a long-term returnee and should pay up. The rule is not perfect, but I think it matches up pretty well with the intention of providing free quarantine for those who are returning to seek shelter from the pandemic versus those who're just here for a holiday. As Gladys said, you have to draw the line somewhere

I actually think that's a fair comment. Because NZ is dealing with this in a more compassionate, sensible manner when it comes to border controls: 1) Free hotel quarantine for long-term returnees. 2) No out-bound travel ban. 3) Quarantine voucher system instead of completely opaque flight capacity allocations. It's almost as if they have a left-wing government in control

I'm detecting more of a fundamental lack of understanding of the situation in Australia, whether it's the left wing media or the right wing media in the UK. Even Australian journalists posted in the UK have a completely different mindset when it comes to Covid compared to local journalists back home.

Perhaps the border won't be fully open even in 2022: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/we-have-to-work-with-the-reality-uniform-approach-to-quarantine-border-restrictions-unlikely-experts-say-20210625-p584by.html Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid welcomed the news, but said more needed to be done. “We’d like to see facilities in each state and territory in particular where there are international arrivals. We don’t know how long we’re going to be battling COVID-19 but it’s going to be for years,” he said.

The 804 category still exists, but no it doesn't come with Medicare: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/how-enrol-and-get-started-medicare/enrolling-medicare/if-youre-australian-permanent-resident If you’ve applied for a parent visa You can’t enrol in Medicare if you’ve applied for an 804 or 103 parent visa. You may have some cover under a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement.

Airlines often increase flight inventories in anticipation of such changes. But that doesn't mean that these changes will happen. Most of the time the airlines will simply cancel those flights closer to departure. Remember when Qantas sold lots of October 2020 international flights in anticipation of borders opening? Well they all got cancelled.

It's no longer sufficient to use over 3 months as an excuse for an exemption, currently you must also supply a compelling reason to travel abroad.

Good point, somehow I was thinking of the reverse scenario where he is working abroad and needs to return to visit family here (in which case he would be ordinarily resident overseas and not subject to exemptions). You are right, working in Australia and visiting family abroad is not allowed in general.

Is his employer willing to pay for the exorbitant airfares for the family travel? If so then he should be fine provided that he knows how to handle two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine upon each entry into Australia.

The normal procedure is to apply for a 600 visa, then submit your exemption request with your visa application TRN. If you do it in the opposite order then they won't be able to link your visa application with the exemption.

I think it's a bit drastic to request a cancellation over this. Since you don't plan on returning, you could simply apply for an exemption, and in the unlikely case that you are denied just fly via New Zealand (you may have to wait for the current outbreak to come under control first if you happen to be in NSW).