COVID-19 Pandemic Event Visa

To be able to apply for this visa, you must meet the following criteria:

• apply online while staying in Australia
• maintain a proper health insurance plan during your stay in Australia

Applicants working in the critical sectors mentioned must:

• provide proof of evidence from your current organisation’s employer or an offer of employment, and that an Australian citizen or permanent resident cannot fill your position
• hold a substantive visa that expires within 90 days or less, or your previous substantive visa expired 28 days or less ago

Applicants who plan to leave Australia but are delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions must:

• inform the Australia Department of Home Affairs as to why the restrictions prevent your departure
• hold a substantive visa that expires within 90 days or less, or your previous substantive visa expired less than 28 days ago

​Due to COVID-19, the visa demand and processing time has significantly been affected. Therefore, you may experience a delay depending on several factors. Also, the focus to grant visa applications is based on the critical areas that support the Australian Government’s response to COVID-19.

Therefore, until the decision to grant or not to grant the pandemic event visa is made, the applicant is provided with an associated bridging visa that helps maintain law status in Australia. This bridging visa comes into effect if the applicant’s substantive visa expires before finalising the applicant’s COVID-19 Pandemic Event visa.