The news everyone in business and service industries has been waiting for has finally arrived.

After nearly two years of our borders being closed, they will reopen on 1 December 2021 to fully vaccinated skilled and work visa applicants people who will no longer need to seek exemptions.

The Prime Minister when making the announcement said, “The return of skilled workers and students to Australia is a major milestone in our pathway back,”

This announcement comes as many peak business and industry groups have been calling for such measures to fill critical skill shortages and continue the economic recovery and avoid possible recession.

Despite low employment rates the real issue is over employment and the fact many positions throughout the country cannot be filled.

Up until now only fully vaccinated citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members have been able to travel to Australia without undergoing 14 days quarantine.

Going forward fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can now travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.

What skilled and work visas are available?

From 1 December 2021 the following work and skilled visas will be eligible as long as they are fully vaccinated:

• Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
• Subclass 403 – Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (other streams, including Australian Agriculture Visa stream)
• Subclass 407 – Training visa
• Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity visa
• Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa
• Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa
• Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa
• Subclass 476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate visa
• Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visa
• Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visa
• Subclass 489 – Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visa
• Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
• Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa

Note: There may be additional visa subclasses added to the list. This list is current of day of publication above.

Whilst the news is good there are the practical implications of how individual States and Territories will deal with this and not to mention how will the Department of Homes Affairs be able to cope with a possible tsunami of applications.

We have been advising clients for some time to make sure their applications are ready to go in anticipation of this announcement by the Prime Minister.

It is important that any visa application is prepared correctly to ensure the best possible chance of a quick outcome, rather than being tied up in red tape and delayed unnecessarily.

How can FC Lawyers help skilled and work migrants?

Our expert team including an accredited immigration law specialist can assist both businesses and individuals with their work and skilled visas.

We have processed skilled and work visas for people from around the world and assisted Australian businesses with their immigration needs for nearly 30 years. It’s important to not gamble with your future.

Contact our team of registered migration agents and immigration lawyers to discuss your skilled or work visa options today.