Australia Announces Intention to Lift Travel Restrictions for Certain Australian Citizens & PRs

On October 1, 2021, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the intention of the government to gradually re-open international travel to Australian citizens and permanent residents currently in Australia, provided an 80% threshold for the national vaccination rate is met. The announcement represents a welcome change from the current system in which citizens and permanent residents require authorization to leave the country. The administration also announced plans to implement a home quarantine system for eligible travelers returning to Australia to replace the mandatory 14 day quarantine period at a hotel. The new policy is scheduled to take effect in November subject to the government’s target vaccination rate. We are monitoring this situation closely and will provide further updates as they become available.