Foreign workers warned of no return

Skilled foreign workers who leave Australia on compassionate grounds are being barred from re-entering the country, despite workforce shortages wreaking havoc on business.

UK citizen Jay Bicknell sought an exemption to leave Australia in October when his father died, but has been told he won’t be allowed back. Picture: John Feder

Skilled foreign workers who leave Australia on compassionate grounds are being barred from ­returning despite workforce shortages wreaking havoc on businesses.

While Australian citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to travel overseas freely since November 1, skilled visa holders continue to be subject to strict and complex restrictions that require them to apply for ­an exemption if they want to leave, even if fully vaccinated.

As NSW and Victoria emerge from lockdowns and the country moves towards living with Covid-19 there are renewed calls to fill labour gaps that emerged when the majority of foreign skilled workers fled the country in early 2020.

Skilled visa holders may be granted permission to leave on compassionate grounds, but run the risk of having their re-entry denied if they fail to meet the Australian government’s inward travel restrictions.

Exemptions are given by the Australian Border Force on a discretionary basis, including for foreigners with critical skills, military personnel, employer-sponsored visa holders, international students and for compassionate reasons.

Immediate family members of an Australian citizen or permanent resident and defacto partners are exempt from these restrictions, as are New Zealand citizens, airline crew, seasonal workers and diplomats.

UK citizen Jay Bicknell sought an exemption to leave Australia in October when his father died.

Mr Bicknell holds a 482 Temporary Skills Shortage Visa and has been working as a technical recruiter, hiring software developers in Australia, for the past four years.

His application to leave the country for the funeral was ­approved on compassionate grounds, but he was informed this week by the Immigration Department that he did not meet the ­requirements to come back into the country.

The email stated “ongoing threat of Covid-19 and the serious public health risk presented by international travel means that inward travel exemption requests can only be approved for temporary visa holders who demonstrate strong compassionate and/or compelling reasons for departing Australia at this time and meet the requirements for an individual exemption from Australia’s inward travel restrictions.”

Mr Bicknell reapplied on Tuesday, and included a letter from his employer endorsing his application as well as a letter written by his long-term Australian partner describing their relationship status. The second application has also been denied.

After what he described as an incredibly frustrating and difficult week, Mr Bicknell called for more clarity around what constitutes a “critical worker” considering his industry has been facing major shortages for years.

“It just seems cruel,” Mr Bicknell said. “I don’t understand it considering there is a massive skill shortage in my industry. Sydney is one of the fastest growing tech capitals in the world and we desperately need these skilled workers. Half of my industry has ­already gone back to the UK when the pandemic first hit. There aren’t many people left who do what I do and are good at it.”

Mr Bicknell has submitted another application, but has lost any hope he will make it back to Britain in time for his father’s funeral next week.

“Its pretty crazy to me that people can come here for a holiday, but here I am as a contributing member of Australian society and I’m not allowed to grieve and lay my dad to rest.

“It seems the government thinks ‘if you don’t vote we don’t care’.”