Corona Virus: What is the impact on visa holders from China?
Since December 2019, we have been shocked by the virus that could kill hundreds of people which causes pneumonia. You must be familiar with Corona virus originating from the Wuhan region, which has caused impacts from personal circumstances up to the state level. According to ABC News Australia, up to this week, there are more than 40,000 cases and more than 900 people had died.
In January 2020, Australia has confirmed its first case of a Chinese-national who had boarded a plane from Guangzhou to Melbourne. It increased to 5 cases at the end of January. Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, stated that the government will try to evacuate Australian citizens who were there and will be sent to Christmas Island. WHO as an international organization has declared that this virus has become a global health emergency. Currently, Australia now recommend Australians do not travel to China, and advised to leave as soon as possible if they are currently in China.
Australia will deny entry to anyone who has left or transited mainland China from 1st February. This ban will not affect them who are Australian citizens, permanent residents, their immediate family members or airline crew who would like to travel to Australia. However, this will cause an impact on Australian visa holders from China who are currently in Australia. It may even be a bigger issue for them who hold temporary visas, such as a visitor visa. Corona virus outbreak may deter them to return to China and even if they want to, it may be difficult as some flights like Qantas has cancelled their flight schedule to China.
Many Chinese travellers are currently in Australia to visit their friends and family. Due to the current situation, they may need to extend their visas in Australia. As per ABC News, many Chinese visitor visa holders had applied for visa extension to remain in Australia. This would be a compelling reason for them to stay longer in Australia as this condition is beyond their control. Some of them have engaged the migration agent to handle their case. Migration agents who handle similar cases as mentioned above will need to lodge the applications promptly as they will have limited time due to the visa’s condition. Some of them also chose to travel to another country just to avoid travelling back to China.
As a migration agent, we do understand that this is heartbreaking for applicants who can’t go back to China even if they want to, or for someone who has lost their family and friends due to this virus. But, for you who still hold a valid visa, you would need to be aware of your visa expiry date. If it is in the near future, you would need to extend or apply for another visa to remain in Australia. Do not overstay your visa.
Indah Melindasari as our professional migration agent is very experienced in dealing with any types of visas. Indah is a migration agent who is registered with the Australian Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) with MARN: 0961448. We are regulated in our professional practice and are bound by the profession’s Code of Conduct issued by the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
We understand that applying for a visa to Australia is certainly very complex. Indah Melindasari and the team at ONE derland Consulting will help you to understand what you have to do and also provide the best options for applying for your visa. ONE derland consulting will take the time and compile all documents needed and guarantee that your application is 100% ready before submitting, ensuring a positive outcome for your visa application.
Get in touch through email [email protected] or via phone to 08 9477 5831 (Perth), 02 9188 2065 (Sydney) & 03 9088 4114 (Melbourne). Talk to our experience team member on any queries you may have.
