Australia to reopen international travel in November but thousands will miss out on opportunity

Aussies are celebrating they‘ll be able to go overseas next month but one group was left “ugly crying” at the announcement.

Aussies will be able to travel overseas in a matter of weeks, with keen travellers snapping up seats on flights to London and Los Angeles, but thousands of people that our nation desperately relies on have been brutally left out.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday the long-hated travel ban that stopped Australians from going overseas or returning home would be thrown out in November, when the nation hits 80 per cent double dose vaccination.

The travel ban, that also required any returning Australians to spend $3000 to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks, was put in place back in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sydney Airport resembles a ghost town as Sydney enters its 8th week of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A Qantas plane lands on the east west runway at sunset. Picture: Toby Zerna

However, the excitement at hearing the international travel ban was gone was short-lived for thousands of people living in Australia and others from overseas desperate to come into the country.

The freedoms only apply to Australians and permanent residents, meaning the many visa holders that live and work here and help fuel our economy were not given the same privileges.

Dozens of visa holders have spoken of their heartbreak after hearing they wouldn’t be included in the November freedoms.

In a piece for news.com.au, visa holder Andrea Thiis-Evensen said she was left “ugly crying” after hearing she would be unable to visit her family in Norway and return to Australia which she has called home for the last six years.

“It is so incredibly unfair that a huge proportion of people living in this country are being treated differently, just based on our visa status,” she said.

“We work, pay tax, contribute to society, yet are not given the same opportunities as others.

“I am also painfully aware that I am very lucky. I sit here and write this as many people are in far worse situations than me, but it still hurts.”

The travel restriction updates have me ugly crying, I will have to watch as Australian citizens go to Italy on holiday, but as a visa holder cannot go see my mum or sick grandma, who I have not seen for 2 years. pic.twitter.com/DoPHy2018c

— Andrea Thiis-Evensen (@Andrea_Thiis) October 1, 2021

Another visa holder named Vivek told news.com.au she was waiting to enter Australia, despite being granted a postgraduate visa, as her calls for an extension fell on deaf ears.

“There are so many heartbreaking stories of people who can't travel to Australia because their visas still need to be extended,” she said.

“I myself wasn't able to return back to Australia because of border closures. I had a very well settled IT job and my visa had expired.”

Anna Bailey, another visa holder, has also been refused the November date.

“As a visa holder that's been here for almost four years, it's beyond exhausting having politicians forget/dismiss our existence. Especially after everything we have already been through,” she wrote.

“I haven't seen my family for two years and six months,” a woman named Paula added.

“So unfair, we are residents for taxes purposes, however for most situations we are just a visa number.”

“I applied to leave to see my mum and they rejected,” a third said.

“They said I need an evidence that my mum is ‘critical’. Wahhh how care (sic) they are. If this government f***ing cared about people, they won’t (sic) let people strand (sic) overseas and family separation.”

The Prime Minister said earlier this week that international tourists, which included the parents and friends of visa holders here, would likely not be welcome until 2022.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said international borders would reopen next month but only to Australians. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

“The first cab off the rank is Australians. Australian citizens and residents who were vaccinated, they will be able to travel overseas and return,” the PM told Sunrise.

“And if you are double vaccinated overseas and you are an Australian resident or citizen, you will be able to travel under those arrangements.

“We need to get those home quarantine facilities or procedures in place.”

Mr Morrison said the next priority would be bringing in skilled migrants and international students who are double vaccinated and international tourists would then be allowed to enter the country some time next year.

“We’ll get to international visitors I believe next year. The priority is Australians, we are ready for takeoff,” he said.

Flight Centre boss Graham Turner told news.com.au the government needed to look at dropping home quarantine completely – to help get more people into the country quickly.

“The main thing is tourists won’t want to isolate at home for seven days, I don’t think any other country does that, that is quite an onerous thing, it should be one or two days until you receive a negative test,” he said.