Australia travel ban

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Hi there,

I am the Aussie half of an Aussie/UK couple, currently in Aus.

My FIL in the UK is really sick, the inlaws live in unsuitable housing and need to move, and have a massive amount of debt which needs sorting out when they sell their house. DH desperately wants to go back to the UK visit and help out. Due to covid, he will be doing this on his own, the kids and I will remain here in Aus.

Has anyone travelled/attempted to travel between the UK and Aus with the travel ban?

At our end I know he has to apply to the government for permission to leave Aus on compassionate grounds, and will have to pay for 2 weeks hotel isolation when he comes back - but I am worried he will have trouble getting back.

Also, they want travel dates when you apply for permission to leave - so do you book a flight first then apply to leave or vice versa?

Does anyone know if he has to apply to the Aus government to get permission to return? They are capping arrivals so quarantine does not get overwhelmed - is there are backlog of people waiting to get into Aus due to these caps? Will he be able to get on a flight back?

If anyone has any recent experience, I would love to hear. The plan would be for him to go and spend a month trying to help sort his parents out - but I am worried it could blow out to much longer.

Thanks

Sorry, no experience , but will watch this with interest, as I am desperate to go to my parents in France.
I read in an article recently that many are transiting though New Zeeland as there more international flights from there. Maybe do some simulations as well.
HE will probably need to travel business to have the guarantee of a seat.
Also to be granted permission, prepare the thickest dossier you can. Doctor letters, banks threatening repossession and so on.
Have a look on this Australian forum forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/149 plenty of discussion on the travel ban, you will have more chances in answer there.
Good luck

Are either of you on Facebook OP? If so, join either the ‘Poms in Oz’ group or ‘Ping Pong Poms’. A lot of people are in a similar situation to you and I have seen people sharing advice. It seems that it is quite hard to get the exemption - you need doctors notes and all sorts. Please don’t take this as advice because I’m not sure what the government’s policy is, but from what I have seen people seem to put down flight numbers for a few weeks’ time and then go ahead and book once they have the exemption. I really hope you can work something out x

Try writing to your local MP or even to the newspaper like many did recently. I would even consider sending an email to the 7.30 program.

At the moment, although he desperately wants to travel, he is erring on the side of not going. Even if he manages to get out, which I think there is a good chance, the concern is he won't get a flight or permission to get back in. He has a job to maintain over here and not getting back could be a minor financial disaster. He can't do anything at the moment anyway because he is waiting for his passport renewal to come back from Liverpool. We are in Vic so on dodgy ground anyway.
It is pretty hard living with someone that doesn't want to be here :(