The Impact of Coronavirus on Australian Visas

Applying for a Travel Exemption – Critical Skills

An individual or business can submit a request for a travel exemption under the critical skills category.

The Commissioner of the Australian Border Force may grant an individual exemption if you are a non-citizen:

• travelling at the invitation of the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response
• providing critical or specialist medical services, including air ambulance, medical evacuations and delivering critical medical supplies
• with critical skills required to maintain the supply of essential goods and services (such as in medical technology, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, engineering and mining, supply chain logistics, agriculture, primary industry, food production, and the maritime industry)
• delivering services in sectors critical to Australia’s economic recovery (such as financial technology, large scale manufacturing, film, media and television production and emerging technology), where no Australian worker is available
• providing critical skills in religious or theology fields
• whose entry would otherwise be in Australia’s national interest, supported by the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority.

Source: https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/critical-skills-and-sectors

When applying for a travel exemption, you must provide evidence of how you will provide critical good and services in Australia. You can apply online on the Department’s website.