Australia to re-open borders to students, workers, vaccinated citizens of Japan, S Korea

Twenty months after Australia slammed shut its borders, some visa holders -- as well as vaccinated Japanese and South Korean citizens -- will be able to enter from Dec 1.

Won't sit well with many here

This article is all over the place. Visa holders can't leave and yet Jp and SK can come (as students?).

Either this article is badly written or ScoMo's decisions are all over the place.

Why not both?

So vaccinated colleagues, families, lovers and friends from Japan and Korea can now meet in Australia without quarantine but will still not be able to travel to each other’s country. Absurdity advancing fast.

Japan citizens, not residents?

About to ask same question, sounds like Japan and Korean passport holders only.

Reading the Sydney morning Herald, it just says travellers from Japan will be accepted. Not sure where JT got citizens from.

if you are a Japanese citizen but live in Germany, are you still allowed?

And if you are a foreign resident who hasn’t stepped out of Japan, are you not allowed?

Simian Lane, In total agreement from aussie in tokyo

God, after reading more comments above, I'm even more confused. It's as if Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson are battling it out to see who can sound the most confusing and hypocritical.

ok, I checked the Australian immigration website...

https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/japan

...it applies to only Japanese passport holders.

the melbourne protest for those interested

https://fb.watch/9qRrG0LOAH/

Thanks for the offer but no thanks. I refuse to support an authoritarian regime that uses the police and army to beat their own citizens.

...it applies to only Japanese passport holders.

Well, that makes sense. I7ve noticed that when someone naturalizes to become a Japanese citizen, their body's immunity to viruses also improves.

Thanks @nonu for the link, it’s even more absurd and purely passport-based, with the addition of having to travel from Japan and holding a visa. But one does not need to have been in Japan for 14 days before departing to Australia, so in theory a vaccinated Japanese passport-holder living anywhere else in the world could not fly directly to Australia, but can fly to Japan and then to Australia on the same day no problem (let’s pretend for a moment that there is no absurd rule in Japan itself) because breathing the magical air of Japan is a sufficient condition. I am dreaming.

@Simian Lane, @Surfer 21

Likewise. Aside from a small handful, most of the politicians at the state and federal level are turning Australia into an authoritarian backwater either actively or by just going with the flow to keep their cushy jobs.

Won't be going home to a country that treats its citizens with such contempt.

Bit of a confusing article, personally I couldn’t care much for the universities, if they need foreign students to stay afloat there’s something wrong there.

Hey El Rata, please quantify those remarks. I’m very interested to know where you have read that the police and army have beat the citizens down here.

You mean; “It’s About TIME You Got Here”…is more like it.

@Vreth

You've been able to visit Australia since November 1st.

Japanese passport holders from Japan only.

Also at this stage only to NSW VIC and ACT.

can’t wait for it to be reciprocal!

Nice one there YenMaster

Interesting… though why would anyone want to travel to Australia right now? How is it going to work for non Australians? – even those vaccinated, to enter any of the businesses/shops/restaurants the local version of proof of vaccination is required. That’s right folks, unlike our free Japan, citizens in Australia need to show vaccination status for most things… and it’s a QR code via the mygov app linked to your medicare details (this contains your vaccination records in Australia)… Its going to be a really fun holiday having to fumble around to try and convince each establishment you visit that you are vaccinated, and without being on the official system you will be at the mercy of each establishment. Better sharpen up your English debating skills...Safe travels.

@Sanjinosebleed: You''ll need to be vaccinated. You and your children.

No quarantine in Australia but on return to Japan it’s 10 days?

99% of Japanese won’t be doing that…

@prionking

Some light reading for you mate

https://www.tga.gov.au/covid-19-vaccines

@Vreth, citizens have been allowed to return for a while now, just subject to quarantine requirements that’s all.

If we are letting the Japanese and South Koreans in I’d hope that it would be reciprocal arrangement too.

Won't sit well with many here

What do you mean by that?

Won't sit well that Japan again seemed able to negotiate entry of its citizens to a country without a similar accomodation to that country's citizens that want to enter Japan.

I cant understand this. As an Australian citizen living in Japan on a working visa, does this mean I can visit Australia soon?

From the article

The government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison lifted restrictions on Australians traveling overseas last month, sparking a flood of travel bookings for the southern hemisphere summer.

How about a reciprocal arrangement? I thought not.

sanjinosebleed:

can’t wait for it to be reciprocal!

reciprocal? This is Japan we're talking about. You're going to have wait til the cows come home first.

rainman1Today  03:18 pm JST

@Sanjinosebleed: You''ll need to be vaccinated. You and your children.

not the kiddies but I’ve always known to travel the adults will have to take part in the largest phase 3 vaccine trial in the world….To date though Australia has been a hermit kingdom that neither allows citizens out or in…once they make it worthwhile ie international travel, I’ll get Novavax if it ever gets the nod… definitely not the mRNA gene therapies though!

https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/japan

..it applies to only Japanese passport holders.

Strange decision. No plan to go there but disappointing it is based on nationality and not residency.

Koreans living in Japan can not go there too. It will benefit the business travelers.