Visa Assistance for Japanese Nationals

Visa Assistance for Japanese Nationals

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, has issued a media release advising all Japanese nationals in Australia who are unable to fly home or are on temporary visas to contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as soon as possible. ‘DIAC will take the circumstances in Japan into account when dealing with requests for visa extensions and will consider, on a case by case basis, the options for Japanese in Australia whose visas to remain here are about to run out.' Australian citizens in Japan should contact DIAC immediately if they wish to travel to Australia with their children if those children are not Australian citizens. ‘Australian citizen parents located in Japan who have children born overseas who have not applied for, or been approved for, Australian citizenship by descent should contact DIAC to discuss the most appropriate way for their children to travel to Australia,' Mr Bowen said. DIAC will also look at extending the validity of time-limited requirements for visa applicants located in Japan if the assessment of an application has been delayed by events there. In view of the disaster in Japan, the Australian Embassy's immigration staff in Tokyo will work throughout the weekend to address urgent migration issues. PASSPORT ASSISTANCE FOR AUSTRALIANS AFFECTED BY JAPANESE TSUNAMIThe Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, has announced that Australians who have lost their passports during Japan’s natural disaster will not have to pay to replace them. The Australian Government will waive fees for replacing valid passports lost, damaged, destroyed or unavailable due to the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.

New changes to Student Visa (onshore)

OVERSEAS STUDENT HEALTH COVER (OSHC): Since 1 January 2011 it has become mandatory that all international students take out OSHC to cover the entire duration of their proposed stay in Australia. This includes the period after the course has finished but before the visa expires (can vary from one month to four months depending on length of course and when the course finishes). Evidence of the OSHC must be provided regardless of Assessment Level (including AL1 countries who previously were granted based only on declaration). The only students exempt from taking out OSHC are those with specific overseas students reciprocal health care arrangements with Australia, namely Belgium and some students from Norway and Sweden.