Covid-19 – Renewing Your Visa

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many flights have been cancelled or rescheduled to a further date that has yet to be confirmed. If your plans have been affected during this uncertain time and you wish to stay in Australia longer than you originally planned, you may be wondering if there is a possibility for extending your Australian visa. Stay Longer In order for you to extend your stay in Australia, you must apply for a new visa. The visa options available to you will depend on your individual circumstances. Overstaying your visa is not a viable option. Unlawful non-citizens may face detention, deportation or may even be banned from the country and from applying for an Australian visa in the future. Re-entry Ban A re-entry ban is imposed when a person breaches their visa conditions such that they overstay by more than 28 days or if their visa is cancelled due to the following reason:

• providing false documents or false information to the Department of Home Affairs
• working when they are holding a visa that has a “no work” condition
• holding a student visa but have failed to maintain appropriate enrolment
• holding a visitor visa but were found not to be in Australia as a genuine visitor

Once the ban is imposed, a person may not be able to return to Australia for up to three years. Relevant Links https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/already-have-a-visa/check-visa-details-and-conditions https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/status-resolution-service/re-entry-ban If you need help with your visa application or would like to know more about your rights and options, Straits Lawyers are here to help. Simply send us an email at info@straitslawyers.com or give us a call on 8410 9069 to arrange an appointment for an online interview. Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice and Straits Lawyers will not be legally responsible for any actions you take based on this article. Overstaying your visa is not a viable option and it’s advisable that you do everything you can to avoid it. If you stay after your visa has expired, you will become an unlawful non-citizen. Unlawful non-citizens may face detention and deportation and may be banned from applying for an Australian visa in the future.