Some temporary visa holders want to extend their stay in Australia because of fear they might contract the virus whilst travelling back to their homeland.
Registered migration agent Elaine Nuñez-Caguioa says onshore visa holders can extend their visa should they decide to stay in Australia for safety reasons.
“If it is dangerous to be travelling or to be going to airports and boarding airplanes, we would encourage them to look at staying further until coronavirus subsides.”
What to do if my visa is expiring?
Miss Caguioa says that temporary visa holders whose visas are expiring will need to apply for an appropriate visa in order to extend. They will then be given a bridging visa allowing them to remain in Australia while their further visa application is being assessed.
"If they find that their visas are expiring and they wish to extend their stay in Australia they will need to apply for an appropriate visa to extend."
"In many cases it may be a further visitor visa just to buy them more months to be able to stay here. If they apply for say a visitor visa, they will be granted a bridging visa that will enable them to remain in Australia while their further visa application is being assessed."
Applying for a visa extension
According to Ms Caguioa, you can apply for a visa extension online but if your visa has a ’No further stay‘ condition, it’s best to seek help from the expert.
"A lot of the visas now are online but for those that need the 'No further stay' waiver I do encourage them to seek professional help from a licenced migration agent or migration lawyer. You can apply through their online system just like a normal application."
She shares that applicants will immediately receive their bridging visa after applying and as soon as they have it, they do not need to leave the country .
"For the ones that don't have the restrictions they'll get the bridging visa quite instantaneously in most cases and then they will be assessed. Once they've applied, they don't need to go home, they can stay while their application is being assessed."
If your current visa includes a ‘No Further Stay’ condition (8503, 8534 and 8535), you are unable to make a valid application for most other visas while you are in Australia. If you wish to remain beyond your visa’s expiry date, a request to waive this condition must be made says Ms Caguioa.
"For visa holders with restrictions they must first get the 'No further stay' condition waived and then apply."
If you currently hold a visa which includes condition 8558, and wish to remain in Australia for more than 12 months in any 18 month period, you will need to apply for a further visa in order to avoid breaching the condition.
Filipino nationals seeking emergency assistance
Those who are in temporary visas who seeks emergency assistance from the Philippine Consulate are advised to call the Consulate's ATN Hotline, 0426 561 217, Deputy Consul General Anthony Mandap, says in a statement.
This article is for general information only. For specific visa advice, people are urged to check with the or contact a trustworthy solicitor or registered migration agent in Australia.
