At 2pm on 6 April, after almost a year of talks,quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealandwas finally officially confirmed! Everyone who’s been holed up in Australia finally has a chance to travel outside the country! Here are the details:Finally! From 19 April, some people will be able to enter and leave Australia without quarantine — including those on temporary visas in Australia!
And now that New Zealand and Australia have reached an agreement,New Zealand can also focus on continuing talks with other countries and regions,especially in Asia —places like Singapore and mainland China,so watch this space for good news!
Visa processing resumes for applicants in Australia
After hearing this huge news,our licensed New Zealand consultants immediately contacted New Zealand Immigration and confirmed that, from 19 April, visas lodged from within Australia will gradually start being processed(visas lodged from other countries are, for now, not being processed at all.)
Six months after Australia opened its border to New Zealand as a goodwill gesture last November, New Zealand has finally responded with the same enthusiasm.
If you’ve long been looking forward to New Zealand’s natural scenery
or have been searching for an indirect route to your goal,
today we’ll tell you, now that the Australia–New Zealand bubble is open,
exactly whatvisa benefitsit can bring us?
First, it must be pointed out:
you need to stay in New Zealand for at least 14 days to meet the requirement for quarantine-free entry into Australia
Australian citizens don’t need a visa to enter New Zealand; Australian PR holders need to apply for an NZeTA, which is a simple process we won’t go into here. Instead, we’ll focus on introducingTR holders within Australia, including those holding485/500/482/489/491 and othercommon visa types!
New Zealand visitor visa applications for TR holders in Australia
If you hold an Australian temporary visa — such as a student visa, work visa, or partner visa — you can apply for a visitor visa from within Australia to travel to New Zealand. As the first country to open its border to Australia,Chinese passport holders can also apply, under New Zealand’s special policy, for a multiple-entry visitor visa valid for five years.This visa allows holders to enter and exit New Zealand multiple times within five years, with each stay not exceeding three months.
To apply for a New Zealand visitor visa, you need to meet the following requirements:
1.Genuine travel intent:Your purpose for travelling to New Zealand must be genuine. You cannot enter to work for income or undertake study exceeding three months.
2.Financial capacity:You need to provide past bank statements and sufficient funds, with a minimum balance of AUD 3,000 required (the exact amount depends on the applicant’s background).
3.Evidence of strong overseas ties:You need strong evidence proving you will definitely leave New Zealand, such as proof of family ties overseas, employment evidence, and so on.
4.Travel itinerary:A genuine travel itinerary, together with entry and exit flight tickets.
The above is not a specific checklist of documents for a New Zealand visitor visa application,but rather an overall approach for applicants’ reference.
New Zealand visitor visas — get in touch to find out more!
If you need help with a New Zealand visitor visa, feel free to contact us any time for a consultation and assessment. We will tailor a plan based on each applicant’s own circumstances and requirements.
Beyond pure travel purposes, this quarantine-free arrangement between New Zealand and Australia could also helpapplicants in Australia affected by the Section 48 Bar.
Applicants affected by the Section 48 Bar in Australia
Section 48 Bar is:
When a visa applicant/holder enters Australia andtheir visa is refused or cancelled, they become subject to the Section 48 Bar. As a result,they are unable to lodge most visa applications from within Australia,with only a very small number of visasable to be lodged onshore, such as partner visas andbridging visas, among others.
After an onshore refusal,many people choose to appeal, and while waiting for the appeal outcome, are granted a Bridging Visa A to remain in Australia.
During the appeal wait,many continue looking for migration pathways, such as the 189, 190, or 491.
If they’re lucky enough to be invited, those affected by the Section 48 Bar face the problem of being unable to lodge a visa onshore,and previously their only option wasto return home and lodge the visa from there, only coming back once it was granted (for PR-type visas) — but current processing is not particularly favourable for offshore applicants.
It’s also worth noting that a number of state and territory governments have explicitly stated they are holding off on issuing state nomination invitations to applicants affected by Section 48,and the restriction may not ease until borders reopen. That said, a small number are still being issued.
Now that the Australia–New Zealand bubble is open, applicants in this situationmay be able to takean indirect route.By applying for a Bridging Visa B to depart, travelling to New Zealand to leave Australia and lift the Section 48 restriction, then re-entering Australia to lodge a subsequent visa application (note, as mentioned above, you need to stay in New Zealand for at least 14 days to qualify for the quarantine-free re-entry category into Australia)
— this offers one possible option.Applicants affected by Section 48 who want to try this are strongly advised to lodge their visa application under professional guidance.This is because New Zealand Immigration scrutinises applicants with a history of visa cancellation or refusal more closely.Applicants need to provide more supporting documents, and may even need to write a letter of explanation, to prove the genuine nature of this trip.Please do not DIY this application casually, so as not to create a new refusal record for yourself.
But — but, but — we must give you a warning!
Although major airlines have already released and added flights between multiple cities in Australia and New Zealand after 19 April, and hotels and holiday rentals in both countries are already fully booked out, New Zealand has also finally shown real sincerity, expressing its wish for inbound overseas travellers to help boost local development.But we can’t ignore the risks that may be involved:
1. As mentioned above,applicants with a history of visa refusal need to be doubly careful before lodging, and need sufficient documentation to prove their genuine intention to travel.Otherwise the application is likely to run into repeated setbacks, with Immigration continually questioning it.
2.During the trip, if there is any change in the COVID-19 situation in either country, both borders could impose corresponding measures at any time.In the worst case, TR visa holders could face being unable to return to Australia at all. So before finalising your travel plans, put the right precautions and preparations in place.
New Zealand migration
— is it for you?
Perhaps many of you remember that I mentioned New Zealand’s current skilled migration policy two weeks ago. If you missed it, click here:As fast as 3 months?! Get PR in New Zealand quickly — these popular fields qualify!
At the time, a lot of you got in touch to ask about it, looking for a practical, workable approach.But because of border restrictions, on-the-ground visits to New Zealand and securing a job offer couldn’t actually happen.Now that New Zealand and Australia have lifted the ban, interested applicants can apply through us for a visitor visa to enter New Zealand.
With a bit of luck,you may even be able to use a visitor visa to find an employer directly and apply for an employer-sponsored work visa, achieving skilled migration that way.As Australian skilled migration becomes harder and harder, shifting your thinking to New Zealand skilled migration could well be a new approach and option worth considering.Ifyou’re interested in New Zealand skilled migration, feel free to contact us any time — our professional consultants will provide you with a one-on-one assessment.
The establishment of this bubble also indirectly shows that the global pandemic situation is gradually recovering. We also hope to see more countries progressively open their borders with Australia, and for normal travel to resume as soon as possible.
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Finally! From 19 April, some people will be able to enter and leave Australia without quarantine — including those on temporary visas in Australia!
Limited-time opportunity! This migration pathway is currently in its best application window — with N successful invitation cases recently! Requirements are set to rise soon!
Free visa applications, long-term stay in Australia, building points while waiting for an invitation, some allowing work! The 485/500 student visa, WHV, and parent visitor visa can all be used this way!
Accountants/teachers/social workers/chefs and more are back on the NSW state nomination list! The 190 grants keep raining down! Canberra has updated remaining quotas and mandatory documents!
Accounting/ICT and other occupations have recently been approved! Still desperately chasing points for the 189/190/491? Still waiting anxiously for an invitation? You could switch to this Plan A!
Migration information sharing and Q&A group
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NSW state nomination occupations, requirements, and success stories — updated!Click “Read the original article”, to see the latest NSW 190/491 news!
