Man fined $3,300 and visa cancelled for carrying undeclared meat and cheese at the border!

With university semester start dates approaching, a large wave of international students will soon be arriving in Australia. It’s that time of year again — when “bringing a few little things through customs” can cost you thousands of dollars, or even your visa.

For students who haven’t been to Australia in a while, or those arriving for the first time, this guide on 【What You Cannot Bring Into Australia at the Border】 is a must-save — it could save you thousands of dollars when it matters most.

A recent report from Australia has served as a wake-up call for students about to arrive in the country:

A Spanish man was stopped at Australian customs carrying undeclared meat and cheese, and was fined $3,300 AUD and had his visa cancelled and was deported.

He became the first traveller to be fined under Australia’s new biosecurity laws.

The Spanish national was just 20 years old. Last Tuesday, he was stopped at Perth Airport after customs officers found 275g of undeclared non-commercial smoked pork, 665g of non-commercial pork products, and approximately 300g of goat’s cheese in his luggage.

Last October, the Australian Government announced it would increase fines for travellers caught with prohibited biosecurity items, in order to prevent the introduction of pests and diseases into Australia. Under the previous rules, this traveller would have been fined $2,664 AUD and had his visa cancelled. Under the new rules, the fine increased to $3,300 AUD.

Travellers whose visas are cancelled will be placed on the earliest available flight out of Australia and will be barred from re-applying for an Australian visa for three years.

Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Murray Watt, said: “I think the vast majority of travellers do the right thing — they declare biosecurity risk items when they arrive. This traveller did not. If he had declared these products, the consequences would not have been so serious. But the problem is, he didn’t.”

The Agriculture Department also reminded travellers that the Lunar New Year begins this Sunday. Many passengers arriving after the holiday may be carrying local produce or New Year gifts from home, but many of these items are classified as “prohibited goods.”

“We regularly see travellers at the border carrying items containing pork products, fruit, plants, herbs, and eggs. Items like these can pose a very high risk of pests and disease.”

Travellers who fail to declare biosecurity risk items upon arrival face a fine of up to $5,500 AUD and immediate visa cancellation.

The simplest way to find out what you can and cannot bring into Australia is to bookmark the following

Australian Border Force Official Website

https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/can-you-bring-it-in/overview

The website clearly classifies every item

into 3 categories:

Allowed — bring it

Must declare — declare it

Prohibited — don’t bring

For example, fresh fruit

is completely prohibited from entering Australia

Even a single apple is not allowed

Alcohol and tobacco, on the other hand, are fine in reasonable quantities

but must be declared upon arrival

Then there’s in-flight meal leftovers

You might have some snacks left over you didn’t want to waste

and casually slipped them into your bag to bring into Australia

But take note!

No food from the plane may be brought into Australia

Some students also carry homemade food from their families

packed full of mum’s and dad’s home cooking

but please be aware

Homemade food is also not permitted into Australia

For anything you’re not sure you can bring

open the customs website homepage

select list of items

then type the item you’re unsure about directly into the search bar

and it will tell you whether it’s allowed

or whether it needs to be declared

Keep all of the above in mind when you’re packing your luggage

and you can cross-reference this guide to check each item

and here are the link and QR code for reference

https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/can-you-bring-it-in/list-of-items

Monash University confirms: Semester 1 keeps online classes, Semester 2 returns to in-person

Monash University announced today that from 1 July, international students will be required to attend classes in person.

International students who are unable to return to Australia by 30 June 2023 for various reasons may still attend classes online during the first semester of this year.

However, from 1 July 2023, there will be no online study options available. Students who choose to take a semester leave of absence will need to provide compassionate or compelling circumstances.