Prime Minister Scott Morrison said widespread immunisation against coronavirus could lead to the reopening of the country's international borders, reigniting hope amongst temporary visa holders locked outside the country to be able to return to their lives and livelihoods in Australia.
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Govind Bhardwaj had met Ruth Ryan in a nondescript building complex in Gurugram near New Delhi where he worked, and Ms Ryan lived during her stay in India.
The 25-year-old said it was love at first sight for him, but at the time, if somebody had told him that he would challenge his family and cross continents to marry her, he would not have believed them.
“One day in February 2019, I went to inspect the building. When I knocked at her door, I saw Ruth with her pleasant smile while she was watching a sloppy Hindi movie, and I remember telling her it’s not a good one. I knew I liked her instantly,” he told SBS Punjabi.
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Mr Morrison signalled that the reopening of the country’s international borders would largely depend on the efficacy of the vaccines in containing the spread of the virus. The key thing I think is going to impact on that decision, is going to be whether the evidence emerges about transmissibility, and how the vaccine protects against that, the prime minister told
News Limitedduring a Facebook Live on Wednesday.
Mr Morrison, however, refrained from providing a timeframe. If it indeed does stop transmission between people, then that could be quite a game-changer, but that will not be evident for some time yet, he said.
In a significant change to migration regulations that may impact hundreds of recent graduates and their families, it will no longer be possible for applicants to lodge a 485 visa as a primary applicant, if they have already held a temporary graduate visa as a dependent.
Highlights:
Applicants who have previously held a 485 visa as a dependent will no longer be able to apply for this visa as a primary applicant
Existing 485 visa holders and their families say the change is shocking and disappointing
Migration agents have sought more clarity from the Department of Home Affairs
As per the previous criteria, a 485 primary visa holder could not apply for another 485 visa as a primary applicant, but their dependents could.
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Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy on Monday said it s too soon to predict if it would be safe to lift the COVID-induced border restrictions this year, even as the country has managed to contain the coronavirus better than most other countries around the world, through its strict lockdowns and accurate contact tracing.
Highlights:
Professor Murphy hinted partial border restrictions and quarantine would remain in place for sometime
Vaccines may not be enough to open up international borders, warn health experts We will go most of this year with still-substantial border restrictions
Professor Murphy signalled that “substantial border restrictions” and quarantine upon arrival will remain in place for overseas arrivals throughout the year despite plans for a nation-wide vaccine rollout.